After leaving Dream Castle Colgate began to gallop towards the cave where the portal is located. While a couple of ponies did try to say hi to her, she simply galloped past them. She had no desire to spend any more time in Ponyland than she had to and she figured that it is probably getting late back in Equestria. She did not want her sister to get worried and go out looking for her.
Once she reached the cave she quickly ran through the portal and teleported herself past the waterfall. While she was in the darkest part of the forest, she could tell that it was still daylight. She said to herself, "Wow, I thought it would be night when I returned! Perhaps no time passes here while I am in that other world."
Despite it being dark and the threat of being approached by dangerous creatures, Colgate was glad to be back in her own world. On her way to the cave, she walked slowly but now she knew the path so she galloped back to Ponyville. When she arrived everything seemed to be as mundane as they were when she left and like she did when she headed out, she ran into Amethyst, who was curious as to why she went into the forest.
Amethyst asked, "Colgate, what were you doing in the Everfree Forest? Weren't you scared something would get you?"
Colgate replied, "I just needed some solitude and as far as something getting me, my magic is strong enough to repel them."
Amethyst gave her a hug and said, "Well alright. I just don't want anything happening to my best friend."
Colgate replied, "Thanks for your concern but I really must be getting home. I don't want Lyra to worry about where I am."
Amethyst nodded as Colgate galloped back to her house. When she arrived she discovered Lyra had her whole comic collection spread out on the dining room table and was reading them one at a time. Colgate asked, "Lyra, why do you have your whole comic collection out down here?"
Lyra replied, "Uh, I just wanted to read them down here." She looked at the clock and saw how early it was. She continued, "Colgate, I thought you would be gone for a lot longer than just two hours."
Colgate replied, "Well it felt like a whole lot longer than that." She saw Lyra's old My Little Pony comic book and picked it up. She took it into the living room and began to read it thoroughly.
Lyra wasn't overly impressed with this and asked, "Colgate, what are you doing with my comic book? I thought you weren't into them."
Colgate replied, "Lyra, come in here and sit down. Out on my walk I discovered something that is going to amaze you."
Lyra asked, "Oh, what is that?"
Colgate flipped the comic book open to a page where it shows Queen Majesty and Megan Williams interacting in Dream Castle. She pointed her hoof at it and said, "You see this Lyra?"
Lyra replied, "Well yeah, I read this comic all the time."
Colgate said, "Well, I have discovered that this place and that human is actually real."
Lyra's ears perked up as she asked, "Really? They actually exist?"
Colgate hung her head in defeat and began, "Yes Lyra. On my walk I decided to pay the castle of the two sisters a visit and I found a book that mentioned a portal to another world and of course I was dead set on disproving that book."
Lyra asked, "So I take it you went to where this portal is supposed to be?"
Colgate continued, "Yes Lyra, I did. In a cave behind a waterfall I found a cave with a portal in it. I went through the portal and after blasting away some rocks, I found myself in a different world." She took a much closer look at the comic book and continued, "And you see how everything looks in your book, that is what it looks like. It looks much different than Equestria and the ponies there look like the ones in your book as well."
Lyra hugged her sister and laughed, "It looks like I was right all along!" She let go of her and said, "Tell me more!"
Colgate continued, "Well as I headed down into a valley I ran into two pegasus ponies. One was named Surprise and the other was named Firefly. Surprise was a whole lot like Pinkie Pie and Firefly was like Rainbow Dash. I didn't spend a whole lot of time talking with them and after shoving some annoying guards out of the way I reached Dream Castle and that is where I met Queen Majesty and Megan."
Lyra excitedly asked, "And how did they treat you? Were they nice to you?"
Colgate replied, "Well Megan was nice to me. I think Majesty has some serious trust issues though because she thought I was the creation of either Tirek or these witches named Hydia, Reeka and Draggle."
Lyra shouted, "Wait, those three are real too?"
Colgate sighed, "They must be."
Lyra began to bounce around the living room shouting, "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! I was right all along!" She calmed down and asked, "Colgate, do you think we could go visit this world! I want to meet Megan before she crosses the rainbow bridge back to earth."
Colgate sighed, "Lyra, I think we should wait for a while. Majesty said I was evil because I did not resemble the ponies there and if she winds up seeing two of us Equestrian ponies so soon, who knows what might happen."
Lyra pouted, "But Colgate, what if Megan goes back to earth before we go back there?"
Colgate replied, "Lyra, who knows, she might still be there."
Lyra asked, "How long are you going to make me wait to go there?"
Colgate replied, "Well maybe a month. Perhaps by then their queen will have forgotten about me."
Lyra shouted, "Oh thank you for even considering taking me!"
Colgate replied, "Don't mention it Lyra." She looked at the table with a scowl and continued, "Could you please take your comics back up to your room? I don't like having this mess on the table."
Lyra sighed, "Ok Colgate."
Lyra gathered up her comics and took them to her room. Colgate headed to her room and plopped on her bed. She sighed in frustration because she had absolutely no desire to ever set hoof in Ponyland again but she did want to make her sister happy. She hoped to make it a quick trip, one where Lyra could meet Megan if she were there and then get back home.