On a Whisper of Wind

What would you do, if you met a pony who was at once your brother, and yet not? Applebuck wishes to reunite with his 'Cousin JayJay', and braves the dimensional divide to reach his goal. But being a small foal, how will he deal with a world in which everything is flipped? His friends, his family, and even... himself?

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Applebuck squirmed in his seat, not for the first time, as Big Macintosh reached a long red forelimb across the table, easily picking up the plate and passing it over to the yellow pony.

"Th-thank you, c-cousin." he stammered, taking a fritter and placing it on his own plate. Applejack, seated next to him, gave him a reassuring smile, despite the small beads of worry gathering on her forehead.

"It's no problem, cousin." The red stallion gave the young one a smile of his own, before leaning forward. "And buck up, eh Cousin Applebuck? Ah ain't gonna hurt you none. We're family, after all."

The colt looked across the table towards Applebloom, who was seated on the orange mare's other side. She too gave him a nervous grin, eyes flickering quickly between him, her sister, and the other two still-yet-oblivious family members seated around the Apple Family dining table.

"Wiscowson's a looooong ways away, li'l one." Granny Smith creaked in his direction. "You live over there with Cousin Honeycrisp, ain't that right?"

"Uh... y-yeah, ah do!" he quickly replied, his mind churning as he tried to recall his cover story. "It may be all th' way over on th' other side o' Equestria, but it's still h-home sweet home! Though it's jus' a hop away from Manehatten!"

"I-it's like ah said." the freckled filly spoke up, trying to temper her natural honesty enough to continue the cover. "Ah ran intah him while me 'n th' girls were visitin' Manehatten. Ah told 'im t' look me up, an' he just happened t' come by t'day!" She did her best not to let her snout crinkle immediately afterwards.

"Well, surprise visits from far-flung family members are the bread n' butter of th' Apple Family." the elderly matron continued, leaning back in her rocking chair. "Why, ah remember a time long ago, ah went n' paid mah dear old Uncle Roma Apple a nice little surprise visit o' mah own. Ah tell you, th' look on his face!~"

"That's sounds like it was a hoot 'n a holler, Granny." Macintosh intercepted her grandmother's oncoming ramble with grace. "But let's hear a lil' more 'bout Cousin Applebuck's story. Y' say y’all never been to th' reunion b'fore?"

"N-no, ah haven't." Applebuck rubbed his bare mane, having removed his hat with his 'sister's for the table. He gave a quick look over to his other self, the pony still adorned with her oversized pink bow. A thought came to mind to protest at the unfairness of it... but he bit down the urge. B'sides... Applejack would say it wasn't proper.

"This is th' first time ah've ever gone anyplace by mahself." he continued, sitting back in his seat. "Ah was too young t' go to th' reunion b'fore. Ah wanted t' come last year, but ah was sick. This year, after ah met Cousin JayJay... er, ah mean, Cousin Applej-jack here." He gave a nervous chuckle, before turning to said cousin. "Ah thought to mahself 'why wait?' A-ah mean, like she said, she told me ah could drop on in just whenever. Ain't that right, cousin?"

Applebloom rolled her eyes at the scene, content to stay quiet and nibble her fritters as she watched her other self interact with her family. She herself wasn't sure if the story was going to fly all that well. Everypony knew AJ and her were both bad liars, and now that she could actually observe her other half, she was embarrassed to admit that she could see why.

"Oh my. Such a shame." Granny Smith clucked her tongue as she poured herself another cup of tea. "Cousin Honeycrisp doesn't get much visits from family, last ah heard. Is she still doin' okay?"

The colt's mind ground to a stop before managing to process what was said. "O-oh! Yeah, he's- er, SHE'S doin' just fine, y'know. Still tendin' th' trees. Uhm... got a couple news ones planted recently too!"

"Ah remember th' letter." Macintosh drawled while resting his shoulders on the table, the wood creaking only slightly in protest. "Has anypony ever visited you all? Don't cha know know any other Apple clan b'sides us?"

Applebuck stared at him for a long, long minute, before he finally answered the question, his eyes concentrated on the red stallion, and yet unseeing at the same time, as he quietly whispered one name.

AJ let out a light gasp, as the yellow filly looked back and forth between her male doppelganger and her big brother in slight confusion. Why's he actin' like that? And who's Red... wait... didn't he say he had... a big sister named Red Gala?

"Red Gala, eh?" The stallion brought a hoof up to his chin. "Last ah heard, she'd moved out to Appleloosa wit' Cousin Braeburn. B'fore then though, ah think her farm was close to th' Big Lakes too. Must've visited all th' time, huh?"

"Y-yeah," the boy pony quietly replied, dipping his head down to look at his yet-untouched fritter. "Something like that..."

Applebloom kept her eyes on her doppelganger as he slowly began to dig into his food. He really WASN'T ready fer all this. He wanted t' be with AJ, but not only did he not think 'o me, he didn't think o' th' rest of th' family either. Ah wonder... would ah be actin' th' same way if ah ran intah Big Macintosh... as a mare?

"There there, Cousin Applebuck." the blonde mare assured him, a hoof going and resting on his shoulder. "Ah know y'miss her, but y'all just need t' hang in there. You'll meet up with 'er again sometime. Soon, ah'd dare say!" Again she gave him a smile.

The colt looked back up at her, taking in her face, before putting on a smile of his own. "Yer right, Cousin JayJay."

The old green mare chuckled at the scene. "Land sakes. You two must have really hit it off, if you're using nicknames already. Does an old heart good t' see family bonding like that!"

As the pair silently chuckled from the comment, the elder brother sighted his youngest sister across the table. "You alright, 'Bloom?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. "Y'all haven't said a whole lot t'night. Usually yer th' one with th' most t' say."

The named filly found herself choking slightly on her fritter, coughing once or twice before responding. "A-ah'm okay, big brother. Ah just... didn't want t' take away from Cousin Applebuck's time here none. Ah figured ah'd just sit here an'... um, stay quiet, and, uh..."

Macintosh quickly leaned over and whispered in Granny's ear, something along the lines of 'jealousy', before facing the filly again. "Aww, dun be like that. Ah heard from AJ that you were th' first t' run into Cousin Applebuck. Let's hear how it went."

Applebuck and Applebloom both traded glances over their fritters, before the male half nodded towards her. She cleared her throat, before sitting upright and beginning her tale.

"Well... it was kinda by accident. Y'see, me 'n th' other Crusaders were on our way to th' clubhouse when we ran into Cousin Applebuck."

"Quite literally." the colt chimed in. "Scootero- er- aloo, nearly mowed me down."

She placed her hooves on her hips and gave him a look. "Who's tellin' this story Cousin, you 'r me?"

"You are!" he quickly apologized, averting his eyes towards the ceiling. "Dun mind me!"

"Well... we all apologized, an' introduced ourselves. Lessee... Ah saw he was a blank-flank just like us, so we then went 'n made 'im part o' th' Cutie-Mark Crusaders!"

The red stallion let out a laugh, big and hearty. "Ah shoulda known. Pegasai of a feather flock t'gether."

"It was fun." The boy piped up again. "I-I mean, we have... Cutie-Mark Crusaders back where I come from. So it weren't anything ah wasn't used to."

This time he got a look not only from his female self, but from his interdimensional 'sister' as well. He gave them a weak smile, before proceeding to stuff the fritter into his mouth, preempting himself of anymore comments in the immediate future.

"Right..." Applebloom drawled, before starting again. "Well, we went t' see Pinkie Pie. We got cookies! An' then we went an'... " her eyes widened slightly, a certain event crossing her mind. Hurriedly, she finished with, "A-and then we went crusadin'! Yeah! And then we... we all came back home!"

Applejack raised an eyebrow at that. "Crusadin', huh? What cutie-marks did y' shoot fer this time? And..." she leaned forwards, emerald eyes switching back and forth between the two ponies. "Was there any property damage that's gonna be comin' out o' our pockets?"

Big Macintosh's eyes widened slightly, as Granny Smith hit the side of her head a few times. Both yellow equines had spoken the same thing at the same time, creating a stereo effect that the farming mare had prepared herself for, but the rest of the family had not been expecting.

Either way, Applejack's suspicion had been raised. She raised herself a bit higher in her seat as she drilled them both. "Sugarcubes... what did you do?"

The tone of how it was said was enough to make the orange pony roll her eyes. "Which 'Someponies', 'Bloom? The Boys or the girls?"

Again there was some all-around blinking, as both foals sunk further into their seats, cheeks flushed with embarrassment at having spoken in unison once again. Applebuck in particular was berating himself for letting such an obvious slip-up loose like that.

"So... " the big sister had to think for a second to de-scramble the information in her brain. "Does that mean that we should be expectin' a call from Filthy Rich any moment now?"

"M-maybe, maybe not." Applebloom replied, twiddling her hooves. "A-ah mean, all we did was play a li'l prank on 'em."

"Dun remind me." her 'cousin' added, slumping in his seat as a queasy expression overtook his face. "Next time, 'Cousin', th' horseshoe's gonna be on th' other hoof, y' hear?"

The two spectator ponies simply stared as the filly gained her own pained expression, while the blonde horse between them massaged her forehead with both hooves. "Ah feel a right headache comin' on... Y'all didn't say nuthin' bout this back at th' HEDGE. Ah've half a mind t' send you two straight t' bed."

Both the colt and filly suddenly leapt out of their seats, latching onto AJ's sides as they cried in unison, "Don't do that, AJ! We didn't hurt nopony, honest, all it was were a couple o' jelly donuts!"

Finally, Granny Smith let out a cackle that drew everypony's attention to herself. She sat there, laughing it up for a good few seconds or so, before she managed to calm down, wiping away an errant tear. At length she then spoke, "Oh Applejack, don't be so harsh on th' youngin's! Especially wit' our visitor here t'night. Just wait fer a bit, see if they come calling later. Until then, ah'd say, don't worry yer li'l old head off about it."

AJ heaved a sigh. "If y' say so Granny. We're still talkin' in th' mornin', especially 'bout draggin' Cousin Applebuck into th' middle o' it." The applebucker leveled a look at her younger sister that promised stern tidings in the future.

Applebloom simply nodded, while Applebuck merely looked sheepish. Big Macintosh used the lull to steer the conversation back on-track, with a new question.

"Well, ah r'member you riding in wit' Applebuck in tow earlier." he began. "But then, not like, five minutes later, it seemed like th' house was on fire."

"Well, wit' Applebloom runnin' out o' th' house, screamin' like a dog what had his tail cut off, it shore SOUNDED like it was!" He leaned on the table's surface, locking his green gaze onto his sister's own. "Y'all never gave me a proper explanation on what that was all 'bout, y'know?"

Again, the yellow ponies trades glances across the table, while AJ stammered, "W-well... uhm, y'see, there was this... uhm... THING, where, uhm..."

Suddenly, the young colt put both hooves on the table, as he reared himself up out of his seat. "It was mah fault." he admitted. "Ah... ah went an' told Cousin Applebloom a deep dark secret o' mine."

Both female ponies stared at him with wide, panicked eyes. The blonde one in particular leaned over to him and hissed in his ear, 'Whaddya think yer doin', Applebuck!? Yer not seriously gonna tell th' both o' them right now, are yah?'

"Is that so?" Granny interrupted whatever he was going to say. "Can we have a listen?"

"Uhm... well you see, it's..." he then leaned his head forward, as he took on a dramatic undertone in his voice "It's SO dark and secret n' scary that... if ah told it 'gain, she'd go runnin' off like a striped ape, just like b'fore!" He then tossed a quick glance over where his other self sat.

Applebloom got the hint. "Oh NO, anythin' but THAT!" she proceeded to wail, forelimbs waving in the air in mock-desperation. "Ah dunno if ah can keep mah marbles this time, Cousin Applebuck!"

"Ah hear yah cousin!" the boy stated, closing his eyes as he nodded sagely. "That's why ah've gotta KEEP it a secret. Ah hope y'all understand th' grava-tee of th' situation." He crossed his forelimbs as he finished, sitting back into his seat. "Y'all can NEVER be too careful."

Says the pony who wants t' go bungee-jumping from Dead Hoof's Drop! Applejack spouted in her head. She was relieved that the question had managed to be evaded, even though the two elder family members sitting across from her were regarding the trio with looks of confusion and amusement.

At length, the stallion shook his head as he got up onto all fours. "Whatever ya say, Cousin." he replied, before stretching out a hindleg. "Welp, ah think ah'm 'bout ready t' hit th' hay. If ah may?..."

"Shore thing, bro." the orange equine answered, giving him a smile. "You already had yer fill?"

Applebuck winced at that, an ear flattening against his skull as he heard a familiar catchphrase being spoken by a much deeper set of lungs.

"Ah think ah'm ready fer a game mahself." Applebloom piped up. "Care t' join me an' Applejack, Cousin?"

He gave her a grateful smile as he scooted his seat back. "Sounds like music to mah ears, cousin."

One by one the Apple family excused themselves from the table, clearing their places and taking their plates to the sink. A routine that was familiar to the colt. Still, the experience at the table left yet another impression on him that left him thinking.

Next time ah wanna see Cousin JayJay... ah think ah'll invite HER t' MY place instead.

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The Apple family living room was a quiet place that evening. Granny Smith was off rocking in the corner, already near dozing off. Big Macintosh had made good on his word and had already gone to bed. That just left Applejack and both of her siblings, the three of them sitting on the rug, currently engaged in card games and quiet discussion.

Quiet discussion that led to the mare voicing the question she'd had stirring in the back of her head. "So... Applebuck..." she made a quick glance to the side to make sure her grandmother wasn't listening. "Y'all never told me... how exactly DID you get here in th' first place?"

The colt dipped his head, halfway hiding it behind his hoof of cards. "Well... it weren't easy. Ah had t' ask Spines a lot o' questions at first-"

"Spines?" Applebloom asked, looking up from her own hoof. "That's an odd name fer a pony."

"A dragon? But th' only dragon in Pony-" her eyes suddenly widened, as she tried to not lose her cards. "Spike! Spike as a girl! How come ah didn't think o' that?! Hoo-boy, ah bet Spike would loose it worse than me if he knew!"

AJ shook her head as she chuckled, before turning back to the boy. "You had her get that book, din't you? Ah'd thought both Twi and Dusk woulda taken it off th' shelves, on account o' that one page in there being so confusin'."

Applebuck nodded, while the filly blinked a few times. "Book? What book? What page?"

"’Exploring the Aether for Fun and Profit’." he answered. "It's a book fer unicorns who want t' travel. It's got a buncha spells in there fer a buncha different things."

"It was one of those spells that sent us intah Applebuck's world in th' first place," the orange pony added. "One page had a couple of big spells right together, annit made Twi confused when she cast it. She mixed 'em up, and bam, we were off."

"Spines knew that when Dusk helped you all get back to your world, he'd left a 'marker' of sorts on your 'thread'. Ah'm still not shore what that means..." he took his hat off for a second to scratch at his mane. "But apparently it was enough for 'im t' know what t'do."

"Him? Hold on one cottonpickin' minute... yer not sayin' that Dusk sent you here, are yah?"

"That's kinda what ah thought." she sat back and rubbed her chin with a free hoof. "If it'd been Dusk, chances are, you wouldn'tve been alone. So y' took th' book and... showed it t' somepony else then?"

Applejack blinked for a few seconds, before rolling her eyes upwards, lips set in a thinker's expression. "Presto... Presto... ah cain't think o' any Presto- wait, since yer talkin' 'bout a boy, ah need t' think o' a girl over here. Let's see... Priscilla? Nah, ah don't think there's a Priscilla in Ponyville..."

"I-I wouldn't know if anypony would remember him or not." the colt admitted. "He's a unicorn. A showpony, actually! He came into town like, half a year ago, sayin' he was the most powerful unicorn in all o' Equestria."

Bloom's eyes widened. "That sounds familiar, actually. AJ, weren't you talkin' 'bout a showpony some time ago?"

He was now getting a level stare from the farmpony. "Go on." she stated, voice dripping with suspicion. "How'd you find out about 'im?"

"Well... AJ came home one day, 'n he was kinda sore. He told me that he'd had t' deal wit' being trussed up by this one showpony who kept boastin' all th' time, like he was some kind o' superstar. He told me that his name was somethin' like, The Great and Powerful Prrrrrresto~!"

"TRIXIE." The blonde one suddenly shot to all four hooves, cards flying every which way. "You went an' got TRIXIE t' do th' spell." A sudden turn on the spot to face Applebloom. "Bloom, dun you EVER go an' have Trixie help you wit' ANYTHING, y' understand?" Another about-face to face Applebuck. "Buck, ah'm gonna tell you this so yer brother dun have to, dun you EVER go lookin' fer that Presto feller EVER again, or ah'll have you cleanin' rainbarrels fer th' next month!"

"Yes'm!" both ponies responded at the same time, their faces unsurprisingly mirror images of panic at the thought of cleaning rainbarrels.

The elder mare proceeded to grumble a few more phrases of frustration under her breath, before she finally seated herself once again. "O-kay then. So... you went an' got Mister 'Presto' t' take a look at th' book, and then had HIM pull it off, am ah correct?"

Buck nodded timidly, half-afraid of saying anything else. "H-he wasn't too hard to find... he had set up his wagon somewhere outside of Ponyville, around the Whitetail woods."

"And both universes bein' what they are, ah'm willing t' bet that Trixie's camped out thar herself right this minute. Ah'll have t' let Twi know when we see 'er t'morrow..." She let out a deep sigh, regathering her spilled cards from before. "Th' last thing we need is fer that showoff t' be pokin' her nose intah this universal-... wait a cottonpickin' minute, he didn't come with you now, did he?"

"A-ah, no, I don't think so. When I... well, 'landed', he wasn't anywhere to be seen. As a matter o' fact, ah wasn't even sure th' spell worked at first! Ah mean, ah appeared in th' same spot that ah left, after all."

"It's somethin' kinda magic-kahooey telekimesis kinda stuff." AJ answered. "Ah dun really get it, but th' same thing happened t' us when we first landed in 'Buck's world. Twi would know more 'bout that than anypony else." She cleared her throat, ready to change the subject as she proceeded to ask "Say... anypony have any... Aces?"

Both Applebloom and Applebuck sighed as they each picked a card out of their hooves. Upon receiving the cards, the farmpony looked at them, before letting out a chuckle. “Heh… well now ain’t that cute?”

They both blinked, and looked again. The colt’s card had been an Ace of Spades, while the filly’s had been an Ace of Clubs.

The twin ponies then turned their heads to glance at each other, that uneasy feeling rising in both their stomachs again. Sensing their unsettlement, the orange pony coughed, before steering the conversation onto something else. "So, Cousin Applebuck... as long as yer here, ah might as well ask..."

Her voice then softened noticeably, as she asked, "How're th' rest of th' guys doin'?"

The boy looked down at his hoof of cards, composing himself. "Well... Big Bro's doin' fine. Th' farm's doin' good. But ah think you'd already know that. Uhm... Mister Elusive's been really down, though. Kinda mopey."

Applebloom blinked. "Down and mopey? That... kinda sounds like Miss Rarity, since y'all came back. Is... is this 'Elusive'...?"

"Yeah, he is." the blonde one replied. "As t' what they're mopin' 'bout... well, it ain't really any o' our business, if y' ask me."

The foals looked at each other in confusion, as Applejack continued. "What 'bout Butterscotch? And... Rainbow Blitz?"

A shrug. "Butterscotch is still good. Still taking care of the animals. Oh hey, after you girls left, y'know what happened? Blitz took Scooteroll under his wing! He's gonna be showin' him all th' tricks of th' trade 'n such! Really surprised us too, he popped it during our pizza party at th' HEDGE."

At this, a smile broke out over the mare's face. "That's good t' hear." she drawled. "Dash was kinda worried that Blitz wouldn't do th' same, when she took on Scootaloo. She'll be mighty relieved to hear it, ah'll bet."

"Wait a minute." the yellow filly then piped up. "If things are th' same both here and there... then why would you even have t' ask him? Ah remember th' pizza party too, and th' same thing happened there!"

There was a heave of a sigh. "Well Bloom... if that really were th' case, then us an' them woulda out 'n out switched places, y'know? You might've met your own big 'brother' that day. But fer some reason, it didn't. Ah'm still not clear on why, but ah think Twi knows."

"Twi... Dusk's been talking about a 'Twilight' recently." Applebuck looked up from his cards, giving his cousin a look. "Is this 'Twilight' the same pony as Dusk?"

"That's right sugarcube. Twilight Sparkle, expert o' fancy magic and one o' mah best friends." AJ gave a small smile, before a look of suspicion clouded her face. "Why d'ya ask, 'Buck? Ah know Twi's talked 'bout 'im a number o' times, but usually only when us girls are 'round."

He hummed slightly as he thought. "Well... lately, Dusk's been a little... ah dunno what t' call it. Distracted? He's been studyin' real hard. Whenever ah went t' see Spines, he was always doin' somethin' in a book. Kept mentionin' this Twilight, and was talkin' a lotta stuff 'bout 'thyme diverentals' or somethin' like that."

The sisters shared a confused glance, before AJ shrugged in turn. "Twi hasn't been like that here. Though ah dunno, maybe she expected this... she did say somethin' 'bout you guys comin' over to our world. Maybe that's what he's workin' on? Ah dunno, magic thinkin's way outta mah league."

A moment of silence descended over the three of them as they lapsed into thoughtfulness, only to be broken by the addition of one more question. "And Berry Bubble?"

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It was a pair of yawning ponies that entered the bedroom, one of them simply trotting straight towards her dresser. The other was a stranger in his own house, eyes roaming the corners of the room, spotting so many things that were the same... and yet different.

"Why're th' sheets pink?" were the first words out of Applebuck's mouth, having spotted the bed.

The filly looked up from her spot in front of her dresser, a comb running through her mane. "Huh? But they've always been pink, ever since ah were a foal."

"Oh... oh, right." the colt replied, swallowing a lump in his throat. Ah guess ah can sleep in a pink bed. he reasoned. Just this once. S'not like it's... really mah bed anyways...

With care, Applebloom removed her bow and stashed it away, before retrieving a set of pajamas and turning back towards the bed... only to find that a cap rested on one of its posts. She opened her mouth to ask a question, only to be interrupted by a clatter of drawers back at the dresser. Turning full circle, she then spied her other self retrieving a pair of pjs for himself.

She cleared her throat. He turned back to her, the half-lidded state of his eyes signalling that he was currently running on autopilot, the events of the day having clearly taken a toll on him.

The boy stared blankly at her for a second, before glancing down at the garments. Slowly, a look of realization dawned on his face, accompanied by a blush of embarrassment. "Oh... yeah."

An awkward silence descended for just a second, before the girl pony walked past him towards the dresser again. "Y'know... ah think ah'll skip th' PJs tonight."

The door cracked once more, as Applejack stuck her head inside the bedroom, eyes catching both her siblings. "We doin' all right in here?"

"W-we're fine AJ!" came the dual reply. Hurriedly, both foals stuffed the sleepwear away, before dashing over to the bed. Like a clockwork mirror, each pony came up over different sides of it, hefting themselves up in synch, even grunting and sighing in unison as they pulled back the covers and slipped in underneath the sheets.

The mare had to shake her head a few times after witnessing that. Don't go freakin' just yet, AJ. They're both th' same pony after all. Y'all should be expectin' this by now. She stepped up towards the bed, an uneasy, yet loving smile on her face. "Ah bet yer all ready fer yer bedtime stories now, ain't yeah?"

She got enthusiastic 'Mmm-hmms!'s from both ponies, twin sets of orange eyes peering up at her in anticipation. She hefted herself and settled on the edge of the bed, taking her hat off and setting it to the side. "Alrighty then... what story should I tell y'all t'night?"

"Oh, oh!" Applebuck piped in turn. "What about the Three little Ponies an' th' Big Bad Timberwolf!"

The farmer had to pause at that, a hoof coming to her mouth. "Y'know... while neither o' those're bad ideas... ah think fer t'night, ah wanna tell a new story"

Both eyes widened at that, and they looked at each other, before facing the orange one again. "A new one?" they asked in unison. "Why's that?"

"Well, ah'm willin' t' reckon Applebuck's heard most o' them stories b' fore too. An' on top o' that, there'd probably be a few 'details' different from th' way his brother tells 'em." She gave a quick glance to the colt, before looking at the ceiling again. "So, if ah wanna make t'night count... then ah gotta think o' somethin'... special."

A few more seconds passed, before her face lit up. "Ah know what ah'll tell yah." she exclaimed, scooting over to the pair excitedly. "It's a mystery story. An' it's a doozy of a one. Y'all think yer up to it?"

Furious nods from both ponies bright a smile to Applejack's face, as she cleared her throat. "Then here ah go. This here's a good one. It's called, 'Th' Strange Case o' Button Stitch'..."

-----------------------------

"...And wit th' hat spinnin' on her head, she closed th' door to her shop, and enjoyed th' party wit' all her new-found friends. The End."

Both ponies clapped their hooves excitedly at the story's end, smiles beaming from their faces. "That was a great one, AJ!" Applebloom enthused. "When Pinkie took on that screwy pony, ah thought they were goners f' shore!"

"You said it!" Applebuck piped up in turn. "Who knew that miss Stitch was th' Screw pony th' whole time!?"

"It just goes t' show, y'all kin' never tell a book by its cover." the mare finished, giving the both of them a smile. "Now, ah think it's time th' two o' you got some shuteye now, don't cha think?"

The filly almost yawned, but she quickly covered her mouth to suppress it. "Aww c'mon sis, cain't we have one more?"

The yawn escaped elsewhere, the colt's mouth opening wide and letting it out, before quickly closing it with a blush. Hurriedly he added "Yeah, ah mean, we're not sleepy at all yet!"

The blonde pony could only chuckle at the two, before ooching herself over to them. "That's enough, sugarcubes. Tell you what. If you two go ahead n' get you some Zs, ah'll make up a big batch o' mah cinnamon flapjacks in th' mornin'. How's that sound?"

The foals traded excited looks, before nodding to each other and snuggling down further into their sheets. As the farmpony got off the bed and trotted around to Applebloom's side, the little filly asked "AJ... that story y'all told... it wasn't real now, was it?"

Applejack held a hoof to her chin, green eyes tracking up towards the ceiling. "Ah think ah'll let y'all come to yer own conclusions." she simply answered, before leaning her head down to peck a kiss on her sister's cheek. "G'night Applebloom. Sweet dreams, y' hear?"

She got another nod in return, before she walked around to the other side of the bed. Applebuck gazed up at her with wide eyes, watching as she hesitated for just a second. "Applebuck... ah know it's not quite th' same... but you have sweet dreams too, y'hear... li'l bro?"

He gave her a wide and adoring smile, before answering "Ah hear yah... big sis. Thank you..."

The farmpony fought back tears for an instant, before lowering her head and giving him a goodnight kiss as well. With that, she gathered up her hat, turned out the lights, and then exited the bedroom, pausing to give one last loving gaze upon both ponies, before closing the door behind her.

A silence stretched out in the darkness afterwards. No sounds passed, except for the simple noise of two ponies breathing. They were both staring up at the ceiling, not looking at each other, simply waiting for the lull of sleep to come upon them...

The colt shifted slightly under the covers. His mind was too busy to sleep. Thinking back over the entire day. Thinking about anything but the fact that he was in bed right next to a female version of himself. And though he still kept his eyes on the rafters, he could hear her shifting around as well, most likely doing the same.

She kept her eyes rooted to the ceiling, as she quietly spoke. "I-I know Sweetie already asked you this earlier... but ah wanna know too... are our worlds really th' same?"

He laid there beneath the sheets, his mind slowly churning. "... do you love yer big sister?"

The filly dared a glance towards her other self. "What kinda question is that? O' course ah love AJ! Ah mean, she's mah sis, an th' best pony in Equestria, no matter what Scoots might say 'bout Rainbow Dash."

Another stretch of quiet, before the muted response. "... that's good t' hear..."

And then there was a small sound. Applebloom recognized it easily as a sound she'd made herself many times in the past. A sniffle.

She looked towards him again, and saw the mistiness drawing over the young colt's eyes. "Ah'm a silly pony, cousin..." he stated. "Ah didn't jus' not think 'bout you or th' crusaders... ah didn't think about mah crusaders, or mah own big brother..." he gave another sniffle, before rubbing at his eyes furiously. "Ah was so excit'd 'bout seeing JayJay again, that ah just didn't think... yer sister's right, he's prob'ly plum worried 'bout me. And... and, ah... ah miss 'im..."

She didn't say anything. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that he wouldn't want to admit to the fact that he was close to tears... she wouldn't want to either. Instead, she decided on a different tack.

He lifted his hooves, blinked a few times, and then turned his head to give a questioning look in her direction.

"What's he like? What's it like, havin' a pony like AJ, 'cept as a brother? Hay, tell me about th' Crusaders, an' Big Mac an' Granny Smith. Ah know they're all... switched, but b'sides that. What else is different 'bout 'em?"

"Different... like in... hmmm..." The colt trailed off, a hoof to his chin in thought. "W-well... ah'm not sure, really. Ah havn't been here long enough t' notice anything big... well... there IS Silvy, er, Sweetie Belle though..."

"Hair's all different. Silver usually keeps his cut straight. Plus, she's not as.... 'gentlemanly' like his brother usually makes 'im be. Ah can only guess that's cause she's intah all kinds o' girly Fru-fru stuff over here, ain't she?"

The filly made a face. "So what if she is? S'not like she drowns us all in it. Shore, ah think th' makeovers 'n tea parties are a bit much. But really, with a sister like Miss Rarity, it's t' be expected."

He was silent for a second after that. "So... ah'm guessin' yer not really fer all that fru-fru stuff either, are yah?"

Applebloom was silent, before turning onto her side and looking at her 'cousin' head-on, a hoof motioning towards a certain bedpost. "Where'd YOU get yer hat?"

His orange orbs widened in realization, before letting his gaze drop down to the surface of his pillow. "It... it was AJ's. He gave it t' me a long time ago... ah'm sorry cous, ah didn't make th' connection before..."

She nodded back at him. "Yeah... mah bow used t' be mah sister's too. Ah've been wearin' it ever since she gave it t' me. Ah... kinda thought it was a bit fru-fru too when she first put it on me. But... now ah can't see mahself without it."

The young colt felt himself stiffen slightly at that. He groped for something to say, anything at all, but was spared by his other half suddenly amending her words with "At least... not until t'day..."

"... nah, ah'm not upset 'r anythin. It's just... it's all pretty confusin', ain't it? Ah'm tryin' t' think about what it'd be like, to be in your position... t' go an... visit someplace that, well, you obviously..." she waved her hooves in the air, searching for words, before giving up and letting them flop to her sides. The filly laid there for a couple of seconds, before turning to face her doppelganger again. "Y'know... you never answered mah question... what's it like, havin'... a brother, that's not Big Mac?"

"... well, it's... it's different. AJ's always been there, fer as long as ah remember. Shore, he an' I don't always see everythin' eye t' eye... but he's th' best big brother a pony could ask for... Though it's not... exactly th' same as havin' a big sister, not even one like Red Gala..."

"Well... gettin' a hug from him's different from gettin' one from JayJay... When he hugs ya, y'all just feel... safe. Like he's this big ol' castle that'll keep anything an' everythin' from hurting you, an' keep you warm 'n cozy..."

The filly closed her eyes, apparantly imagining the sensation. "Hmmm... an' when AJ hugs me... she's like this big ol' blanket that covers you up, all nice in' soft an' comforting... Lettin' you know that everythin' gonna be allright..."

He nodded back to her. "Ah wanted t' feel that... s'why ah came here in th' first place..." an odd expression came over his face, before he looked back at his counterpart. "What would you've done in mah place? If you'd have... y'know..."

"If ah'd had met yer brother?" She gave an uneasy chuckle. "AJ asked me th' same question, back at th' HEDGE... thinkin' 'bout it... ah think ah might have done th' same thing..." she then turned to lay on her back again, eyes directed once more towards the roof. "O' course, ah won't ever really know... unless ah actually meet him..."

Unbidden, unspoken, the barest of an idea passed through both of their heads at the same time. Slowly they turned to face each other, eyes wide and staring, realizing that since they were both the same pony, they were thinking the exact same thing. Another few seconds of silence passed before their mouths opened in a most unusual exchange.

Applebuck nodded in answer, before pausing and looking in confusion. "That was weird."

His doppelganger paused as well, brows furrowing, before she spoke. "Ah've never had anythin' like that happen b'fore."

"Ah cain't say fer sure, cousin. Ever since ah arrived here, we've been copyin' each other word fer word, action fer action. Whether we start... thinkin' the same again like that... well, ah guess we'll know when it happens, alright?"

The filly nodded back to him, turning her gaze back towards the ceiling. "Ah guess it's just... gonna take sum gettin' used to..."

And of course it was then that one last thought shot through their heads at the same time, their eyes widening as the question surfaced within their minds. The ponies glanced at each other, pupils shrunk, before a vibrant blush overtook their muzzles, as they both realized that their counterpart had thought of the same question.

They both knew what it was. They didn't have to say it... but again, they had to. Pure, unbridled curiosity burned in their minds.

The filly and colt turned their heads away from each other, eyes fixed on the walls on either side, as they asked at the same time.

-----------------------------

The night air was proving a restless one for the showmare as she continued to pace around her campsite, the hoofkercheif from before still being towed along by her. Still soaked with the magical energy that belonged to her, and yet at the same time... was not hers.

"This is simply unacceptable." Trixie continued to rave at the empty campsite about her. "Totally and completely unacceptable. There has to be an explanation for this anomaly. The Great and Powerful Trixie will accept no less than a complete and total rationalization!"

"Okay Trixie. Think. The magic that you found outside Ponyville was unmistakably yours. There can be no other frequency of psychokinetic energy that is so deliciously appealing than your own. And yet..." she gave the cloth an offending glare, like it had just insulted her mother. "There's no way that the caster of that spell could have been me. If I had done it it, I would be so sapped of power, it'd take me at least a couple of weeks to return to full strength!"

The blue unicorn placed the cloth on a stone before her campfire, sitting and giving it a scrutinizing lavender gaze. "So where does such a source of energy like Trixie's exist? A well of such power does not simply appear out of the aether..."

She continued sitting there, staring and tasting her own magic coming off the cloth, before the barest of an idea came through her head. "Hmmm... aether... I wonder."

With that she leapt to her hooves, and did an about-face to trot inside her shoddily-repaired stage-wagon. Inside, the quarters were cramped and rather disorganized, though fortunately what she wanted wasn't amid all the blankets and trinkets of her travels... but rather in the old worn bookcase situated on the opposite wall.

With a few hops, skips, and at least one maneuver that approximated a jump, she made it across the debris and within eye's range of her meager literary collection, her gaze jumping from such titles as '1001 rope tricks' to 'practical egotistical', as well as 'how I survived the mob', and-

"Aha!" she cried out, her magic snagging an old dog-eared tome from the shelves, giving it a once-over with her seasoned eyes. "'Exploring the Aether for Fun and Profit'. Now let's see... there was some mentions on things like... 'Dimensions' in here, wasn't there? Now where..."

Her browsing eventualy landed her on a page about midway into the book. A spell for viewing other dimensions, placed right above another spell for long-distance teleportation. She remembered it partly because of the large warning placed on the bottom of the page, about using one spell in conjunction with the other. Why such a thing was printed was beyond her.

"It matters not. All I need is this simple spell here." she told herself, performing her hopscotch yet again back across the room towards a nearby dresser. "It all makes sense when viewed in this light. If I did not cast this spell, but it still feels of Trixie... then some other Trixie elsewhere must have cast it."

She sat the book upon the dresser's top before facing the wall, her magic lighting up to take the posters of her posturing self off, stripping the surface bare. "It should be a small matter to trace this doppelganger's path, and spy upon them. I'll see if I can discern their reasons for casting it... and see if I can't put them in their PROPER place!"

With a flourish she waved her horn, her eyes reading over the script before her. In short time she weaved her head in a circle, impacting a surface made of magic onto the wall in front of her. It was through this that the blue unicorn gazed upon the dark, writhing mass that was the Multiverse, hundreds upon thousands upon millions of threads all twisting, winding, branching, reaching everywhere. The sight gave her considerable pause as she openly stared...

"Wait... don't get overwhelmed Trixie. You can do this. All you have to do..." her purple eyes narrowed as she probed with her magic out into the depths. "Is find the trail... and hope it hasn't gone cold..."

"Ah-HAH!" she gave a triumphant shout, her mind's eye spying the tendril of magic extending from her home thread, towards another. "Trixie has you now!"

In short order, she traced the whisp of magic back towards its thread. Upon finally reaching the node, it was a simple matter of simply 'touching' the spot with her magic, before an image of what that world contained spread itself across the portal on her wall.

And in that instant, she shouted out, her hoof jabbing forward in triumph as both she and the being on the other side thundered.

A great and powerful silence extended into the night right after that outburst, as both ponies stared long and hard at each other in considerable shock.

Facing Trixie was a unicorn stallion of a caliber that she had never seen before in all of her years. He was tall, holding himself in a commanding fashion, his snout proud and strong as his horn was long. His mane had a rakish edge to it that suited him, she thought. His tail certainly fit him.

And then of course there was his eyes. Eyes that were the exact same shade of lavender as another that she routinely saw every day in the mirror. If it weren't for the fact that this pony was obviously male as could be, she would have sworn she was looking in a mirror.

The both of them stopped as they stared at each other. There was a long period of silence as they both pondered the ramifications of what they were seeing before their very eyes.

At length, Trixie raised a hoof, a fraction of a second faster than the colt on the other side did. She pointed, before simply stating. "You touched my dimension."

He gave her a flat look. "You do if you have barely enough bits for a hay and oat smoothie."

That stung. She flattened her ears, but refrained from continuing down that path of conversation. She studied the dimensional portal and the pony on the other side of it for a few good seconds more, before speaking again. "What did you say your name was, again?"

He tossed his mane as he placed a hoof upon his chest. "I am none other than one of the most greatest of magicians in all of Equestria. I am... The Great and Powerful Prrrresto."

Such confidence! the mare couldn't help but think to herself. She drew herself up and performed a remarkably similar manuver, as she boasted "And you would happen to be in front of none-other than the one and only, The Great and Powerful Trrrrixie."

He cooly gave her a nod, before the both of them regarded each other in yet another silence. Eventually, the showmare moved her hoof, pointing to her doppelganger once more.

Trixie simply nodded back, having run out of words. This was the last thing that she had expected, in looking for her perpetrator. Not just finding herself... finding a gender-flipped version of herself.

Cheeks flushed on both sides as soon as the words were aired. Each pony averted their eyes, not willing to see themselves in embarrassment. It would take yet another few seconds before the mare found the words to change the subject. "So... you were commissioned by somepony... who?"

"Some young colt. He claimed to have met a pony from your world, over here. Originally, I thought his tale to be too ludicrous... but that was before he mentioned that the one who had sent his friend back, was none other than that UPSTART, Dusk Shine."

Ears were twitched as Trixie looked back towards her other self. "Dusk... Shine?"

"A unicorn of... impressive magical ability." Presto added, giving a loud snort to signify his thoughts. "The foal had come to me instead of him, to perform this 'Teleportation' spell. If I had refused, then he would have gone to that unicorn after all. He even had the audacity to claim that I was too 'chicken' to try it... so that, coupled with the promise of some extra bits..."

She nodded, a contemplative look upon her face. "I see then. To prove yourself the better... that would explain why I found an impact site a ways away from my camp, soaked in a magic residue that tasted of myself..." she then turned her eyes back towards the stallion, locking his sight with hers. "Upon a whim, I thought it might have come from another dimension, and decided to go a-hunting. See about putting an upstart in her place. And here, I find you, using the same viewing spell as I..."

He allowed his lips to slide into a self-assured smile. "I figured, as long as I had your dimension's location, I would take a peek inside, and see if my other self truely measured up to the standards of Presto." He allowed an eyebrow to lift upwards as his eyes took in the mare before him again. "But this... I must confess, I was not quite expecting."

"The same can be said over here." she returned, eyes narrowing as she gave his form another once-over through the portal. "And if Trixie may say so... Trixie approves of what she sees."

Another pause. She was starting to grow weary of them. With a raised eyebrow, she asked. "What spell was it?"

His smile became a bit more smug. "Usage of this spell in conjunction with the above might result in accidental dimensional displacement. Use with extreme caution. Reference the Rules of Causality before using."

She stared blankly at him, before looking down at the open book placed on the dresser before her. "Both of these spells at once?"

"Assemble the ritual machina as instructed for the teleportation spell. Instead of the leyline frequency, adjust to 40.1 Kiimehertz like you did for the viewing spell. Touch the thread you want, and away you go."

"Away I go..." she echoed, before looking again at her other self. "And in the process, use almost all of the magic I have. You're running on empty right now, aren't you?"

His demeanor didn't change. "I'll admit, it was just a touch... overwhelming."

Here he clucked his tongue, as he waved a hoof at her. "Never underestimate yourself, my dear. The Great and Powerful Presto has his methods~"

She returned his chuckle, shaking her head as she looked at him. "You magnificent stallion, you." she laughed. "And here we are, talking to ourselves. Despite all the hardship that you and I have been through... " her smile increased ever-so slightly. "At least I've finally found somepony worth talking to."

A wave of the hoof. "That was then, this is now." she assured him. "A stallion of your bearing has the worth to be seen alongside the Great and Powerful Trixie. Although..."

Slowly, she lifted a hoof up and reached it towards the portal, as if to touch the pony on the other side. However, wooden board blocked her touch, the spell drifting about her hoof and briefly displaying the wood grain beneath the image. "Being alongside in physicality may not be an option..."

The colt allowed his demeanor to relax slightly, taking in the expression on his other self's face. "You still possess a full load of magic. It's still within the realm of your ability to travel."

"Too true... but then that would leave this universe with one Trixie less. And we are not sure that your universe would be able to contain more than ONE Trixie. Else, the only other option is..."

Her eyes widened, as did Presto's, as both showponies received the same thought in their minds. "Else, the only other option..."

She looked him in the eyes. "Such a feat would be taxing... but if it were to succeed, the consequences would be world-changing."

He nodded, a smile gathering upon his lips. "It would put Presto upon the annals of Equestria's history, to have accomplished such a feat."

"And most importantly..." Trixie continued, her eyes narrowing. "It would ultimately prove that Trixie is by far, the most powerful Unicorn in the land... thus placing Twilight Sparkle herself, a mere second best."

A raised eyebrow. "Twilight... Sparkle... this 'Sparkle' wouldn't happen to be a purple unicorn, would they?"

"They would." There was a snort. "She who calmed and sent away an Ursa with her sheer magical ability, showing up Trixie and discrediting her. Trixie has been unable to put on a proper show ever since, so wide the word has spread of her 'failure'."

She then turned her eyes upon her other self. "Would I be correct in guessing that your... 'Dusk Shine' is...?"

The stallion's expression darkened. "I can only assume that he and your Sparkle are one and the same."

"So it would seem... but let's not worry ourselves with that." she replied, a dark smile crossing her face. "Fortuitous this night is indeed, for me to have finally met somepony who is truly my match in every way. Now then, Presto... Let us talk more. You and I, if we work together, we will be able to bring about a new age of enlightenment to Equestria, a change so drastic and sweeping, that it will leave Twilight Sparkle... AND Dusk Shine... left in the dregs and dust of yesterday."

The grin that spread across Presto's face was an exact mirror of the one that Trixie wore, as the both of them imagined the looks of despair on their rival's faces... and of their own propellation into the history books.

-----------------------------

ON THE NEXT WHISPER OF WIND

The door opening caught everypony's attention, as Spike entered with a brown bag in his claws. "One vase and one bottle of sunflower oil. Why are we doing this again?"

"Because we're going to send Applebuck home." Twilight easily replied, horn lighting and taking the contents of the bag out into the open. "I'm going to set up the ritual machina that the girls and I used before, and send him straight back. I've got a better hold of the spell now, so there shouldn't be any worries."

"Simple, the way I found it the first time. WITH, a little extra double-checking." the librarian quickly added. A glow suffused the items on the farmpony's back, before they were lifted off and brought with the rest of the ingredients. "Just gimmie a bit to set up. In the meantime, I think, uhm..."

"Y-yeah, yeah." the colt stammered, before turning to his fellow crusaders. He locked eyes with each filly, before slowly speaking. "A-ah guess... this is g'bye."

On a Whisper of Wind

by Conner Cogwork

Part 6: Yourself at Home.