//------------------------------// // 80 - Finding Our Way // Story: An Extended Holiday // by Commander_Pensword //------------------------------// Extended Holiday Ch 80: Finding our Way Act 10 Twilight bunched up her hand into a fist as she sat at the computer and proceeded to try to type as she used to when she was a Pony. Naturally, this resulted in getting absolutely nowhere and causing random letters to spread all over the search bar. “No.” Grif shook his head and grabbed her hands. Gently, he opened her fingers. “Think of each finger like a frog. Each is its own entity with its own muscles and bones. They are strong together, but much more versatile when used individually,” he explained as he set her fingers on the correct keys with both thumbs on the space bar. “I don’t need to go into the alphabet at least. When you hit a key on here–” He pressed the currently vacant T key and a t popped onto the screen. “–It appears on there. If you are typing multiple words, you hit this long key with your thumb–” He hit the space key. “–and it creates an empty space. When you’re done typing what you need, you hit enter, this funny looking key here,” he said, pointing to the key in question. “And if you make a mistake, just hit this key up here with the backwards pointed arrow. You got that?” “I … think so.” She slowly pushed key by key. “Like this?” “Exactly.” Grif nodded. “When you hit the enter key, a bunch of random things will pop up on the screen. When you see something that seems connected to your search, you take the mouse–” he guided her hand to the mouse and placed it carefully “–and you guide that little white arrow to the blue writing and click on it by pressing the left button on this. Think you can handle that for now, Twilight?” “What do I do if I want to go back?” “You see those arrows in the corner? You move the white arrow up to the backwards facing one and push the left button on the mouse. If you need anything else, just ask me. I’ll just be on this one doing my own research, okay?” “O-okay,” Twilight said uncertainly before she began typing. After about ten minutes or so, she rapidly adjusted to the basics before her fingers flew across the board. In what felt like mere minutes, an hour had flown by. Grif stood by the printer when Twilight finally left the computer. He watched her head for the more solid books as the last of the dossiers they had found together printed off. He had decided the others needed to know just who they turned out to be in this world. “Hey, Grif,” Vital said. “Whatcha doin’?” “Well, Vital, I think you may want to see this.” He shuffled through the papers before handing one to the boy. “I found us on the internet.” “Say what now?” Vital’s eyes widened as he reviewed the paper. “Yeah.” Grif nodded. “Tell me about it. So, what did you find out?” “According to this, I’m supposed to be a child prodigy with an emphasis in chemistry for Crystal Prep. The rest is music and homeopathic medicine. Grif, I know barely enough about one of those things and I hardly passed chemistry last time around. How am I supposed to measure up to all this?” Grif facepalmed. “I meant about our dear friend Sunset Shimmer and her minions.” “Oh, that.” Vital chuckled nervously. “Yeah, she’s pretty much looking for damaging material to drag Twilight through the mud. Apparently, she did the same thing to the last girl to run against her. That’s why she changed schools in the first place. Sunset sent Snips and Snails to do the dirty work, so we should keep an eye out for them.” “Are they in here now?” “Most likely.” “Okay, so I’m going to try and get out of sight. I want you to find one of them, let him see you, and keep him moving.” “You know they’re never apart, right? I’ll have to spook them first, then run after one. Since they’re after Twilight, we should probably look for the best vantage points to record her from.” “Not like we’re in a room filled with large shelves with easily movable books to form viewing holes and the like.” Grif rolled his eyes. “Grif, this is Snips and Snails we’re talking about here. Do you really think they’d think of that?” “Okay then. Stay here and act natural. When I give the signal, cover the door, okay?” “What should I expect?” “Someone’s going to run. Possibly two.” “Alright. Just give me a second to find a good novel. Then I’ll camp out by the doors.” When Vital looked back, Grif was already gone. He sighed. “Typical.” With that, he plopped down onto the desk nearest the entrance and pulled out his homework for the night. “And here I thought I’d never have to stare at this stuff again,” he muttered to himself. A few minutes later, two very familiar and startled screams notified him Grif had been successful. He quickly rose to the doors and closed them casually before leaning against them, book still in hand as he heard the sound of scampering feet. Turning, he braced himself. “Not so fast, buddy,” he said as he grabbed the slower of the pair. Snips struggled in Vital’s arms as Snails bolted through the doors with an angry slam. “Hey, let me go!” Snips whined. “Well now,” Grif said as he noticed Snips’ phone on the floor, having been dropped when Vital caught him. “There seems to be an awful lot of footage here pertaining to Twilight Sparkle. Why would you be spying on her?” “None of your business.” “Maybe, but under the school's business, this kind of unsanctioned footage easily qualifies for harassment,” Grif said. “So maybe I should take this to Vice Principal Luna? Or even better, call up my sponsor? You remember Superintendent Hammer Strike’s reputation, right?” “That… that’s no problem. Not after Sunset Shimmer wins the crown,” Snips sneered. “Go ahead. Take the video. You wouldn’t be able to figure out what we’re gonna do with it anyway.” Grif smirked as he looked at Vital. “Ain’t that cute? He thinks he’s intimidating,” he said as he tapped a few of the phone’s keys. “Listen closely, little man. You and your buddy get caught near Twilight again, and they will never know what happened to you.” Grif’s tone held a terrifyingly cheerful aspect to it as he slipped the now completely factory reset cell phone into Snips’ pocket. “Sunset may have promised you a lot, but next time, choose your sides more carefully.” Grif towered over Snips as he reached his full height. “Now you tell Sunset that if she wants the crown, Celestia’s Ghost, the Avatar of Winds, and the Moonkissed Pegasus welcome the challenge. Now return to your mistress.” Grif nodded for Vital to let him go. Vital did so and watched sadly as Snips stumbled down the hall. “Grif, he’s just a kid. Did you really have to go and scare him like that?” “The fate of two worlds is possibly in danger here. Worse yet, it seems Sunset Shimmer has made those two aware of this fact. If this comes to a head, I want to know they knew what they were facing. They knew what they were dealing with. I’m giving those two the chance to back away, because if they don’t, mercy may not be a commodity we can spare, and I know Hammer Strike and Pensword would agree with that fact.” Vital sighed. “I can understand where you’re coming from, Grif. I just wish we could’ve shown them what Equestria and Sunset were like before. Maybe then they wouldn’t be so willing to help her. The way they are … I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re made fun of here, just like I was when I was their age. She probably promised them power and revenge as incentives.” “Maybe I’m just not as fit for this world as I was when the three of us first arrived in Equestria, but you have to remember, Vital. Sunset’s promises also carry the possibilities of death and disgrace. No warrior should go to war thinking only of the victory without considering the cost of defeat. I pray you never have to be in that instance, but those two have entered a game far more dangerous than they realize. If I am to be the villain of the piece to make them see that, then I will do so willingly.” He looked back into the library. Miss Cheerilee was busy stacking shelves and preparing to close. “It’s getting late. Let’s get Twilight and figure out where Lunar Fang and Pensword are. Then we find out what Hammer Strike managed to do for us.” “You’d better go tear her away from those books then. If we don’t, she’s liable to stay here the whole night.” “And sleep on a bed made out of books?” Grif laughed as they made their way to the shelf where Twilight was engrossed in an old yearbook, three waist-sized stacks surrounding her as she continued to work. Hammer Strike sighed quietly to himself as he leaned against the statue they arrived through, waiting for the group to show up. Students walked by him, each one talking with friends about some sort of plans, or where something was happening. On his face a new pair of sunglasses sat, protecting his eyes from the sun. He had specially purchased them for himself. The first to show up were Pensword and Lunar Fang. They were still wearing their newly changed school bags as they walked purposefully to the statue. “You look very bored,” Grif noted as Twilight, Vital, and himself arrived soon after. Twilight was hauling a bag filled to the brim with books. “Just waiting on you guys,” Hammer said, looking up to the group. “You all ready to go?” “I need food. Please tell me you got money?” Grif said imploringly. “Damn giant body and teenage metabolism aren't a good mix.” “I have to admit, I’m surprised at how hungry my body is, too. Last time I was human, I usually just had to eat a sandwich or something and I’d be good for four hours at least,” Vital said. “I just want to get settled in and start a plan of action,” Pensword replied. “Also, welcome to my world when I was a Teenager.” He shook his head knowingly and folded his arms expectantly. “So what happened? Do you want me to find a park and pitch a tent?” “No, I’d like you all to get in the car so we can go home,” Hammer replied as he pulled out a jingling set of keys comlete with a remote. Pressing one of the buttons, a vehicle in the distance chirped as its doors unlocked. Said vehicle was a crimson stretch Hummer with enough space to hold the six passengers comfortably, considering it had enough room to fit a good twelve people at least. The seating curved around the vehicle, giving plenty of space for the passengers to stretch their legs. Red lighting waited for evening to come to turn on beneath plain black and brown leather seats that had been set by various cupholders, snack holders, etc. “Just how much money did you get?” Grif asked, eyeing the vehicle. “This couldn’t have come cheap.” “I’ll tell you more when we get in, but for now, I already owned it.” “I look forward to the debriefing.” Pensword smiled as he opened one of the passenger doors and motioned for Lunar Fang. Grif grabbed the pages from his bag as he headed for the passenger front seat. “I looked up our information, but I guess you already know yours,” he said he turned to Pensword, offering two sheets. “Here.” “Oh?” Pensword took the pages and flipped to the second. “Okay, one is yours, dear, and one is mine. Here you go.” He passed the sheet over to Lunar Fang as they made their way further into the Hummer. “I’m guessing it’ll be something along the lines of the Native Americans back home,” Vital said. “Political activists or something like that.” He sighed as he plopped into his seat. “Hey, Pensword, could you pass me a water, or whatever’s in that mini-fridge over there?” Pensword did as he was asked. His hand emerged triumphantly gripping the dew-dropped water bottle before buckling Lunar Fang’s seatbelt and then his own. After he’d made sure both were secure, he tossed the bottle to Vital Spark while reviewing his own history. “Okay, let’s see. It appears I am part of the republic remnant and natives to this land. I use both heritages to my advantage, and … I already published two history books?” He yelped as he looked to Lunar Fang, who blushed as she reviewed her papers. “I appear to be fully native here, but I’m an activist who fights for more rights for the natives.” She giggled and snuggled up to her mate. “Two books? I might have to read what you’ve written. Or maybe you could read it to me in bed?” Pensword blushed profusely and she laughed. “Ah, it seems I wrote an editorial demanding you to revise some of your words in one of your works, claiming that you have dishonored your ancestors.” “Let’s see. One is a historical overview of the S.S. Titan.” He blinked. “The Titan? Wow, I almost want to say that this is like the Titanic.” He looked further down. “The other is a historical fiction novel: The Last Invasion of the Homeland.” He looked up. “That, I think, is a book set in this world’s equivalent of the Third Gryphon War.” He frowned. “It seems that in this world you and I are much different.” He chuckled. “However, what if our counterparts fall in love over this argument?” “Makes sense. No, Twilight, not there. Your seat belt goes over you like this.” Vital proceeded to reach for the belt portion, placed it in Twilight’s hand, and then guided it to the corresponding buckle on the other side. Then he placed her hand over the belt’s tightener and pulled. “There. See? All set.” Hammer Strike turned the key in the ignition and the car turned on. The engine rumbled and hissed as it warmed up. “Where’s the coal? Or the water?” Twilight asked, looking around. “It sounds like an animal, but from what you’ve told me, this is supposed to be a method of transport. The only thing I can think of would be steam power, but that doesn’t seem possible. There’s no tank” “Electricity heats up the coils, producing steam, so it is in fact a steam engine,” Hammer Strike responded. “No fossil fuels here?” Grif asked. Hammer Strike chuckled as he put the car into gear and began their journey home. “Nope. I made sure of that awhile back, it seems.” “Something tells me you found out a lot of interesting things today,” Grif said. “By the way, we need school supplies. Twilight was going to have a meltdown over not having a quill until someone lent us a few pens and some paper.” Twilight went red with embarrassment. “In the trunk. The rest is at home.” “The rest is at home? Did you buy a house?” Pensword asked in shock. “How much is gold going for?” “Remember how I said I already owned the car?” The group nodded. “So, you’re looking at the CEO of Strike Co., one of the largest companies on the planet.” “And what? They saw your face and heard you misplaced your house keys, credit cards, bank card, license and just handed these things to you?” Grif asked. “Apparently I accidentally get those destroyed all the time when testing equipment.” “So you’re just as crazy on this side of the looking glass. Good to know.” Vital chuckled. “Also, at the risk of Murphy’s law firing on me again, I shall quote from our dear friend, Firebrand. ‘Convenient!’” He flinched, bracing himself for whatever might come. “Vital, not everything is going to invoke Murphy. We do not live in some cartoon or world dictated by fictional laws. Please calm down, because it is getting old.” Grif looked away from the group and winked to no one in particular. Vital cocked an eyebrow. “Pensword, you might want to consider going over some of Matthew’s memories of Ponyville from before he met Lunar Fang. Something’s telling me you’ve got a few blanks.” “Hence why I said that,” Pensword answered. “Those memories are a caricature. It would be like going back in time to the seventeen hundreds and only having Liberty’s Kids to fall back on.” He looked to Vital. “Completely different things, to be honest.” “Anyway, where do we find the largest steaks, meatiest burgers, or cheesiest pizzas? I’m hungry,” Grif said. “I’ll either make it or order it when we get home,” Hammer Strike replied. “Sounds good to me. I love a good pizza.” Vital grinned. “Think we could make it a supreme? Or if we want to keep it vegetarian for Twilight, how about we go with a spinach pizza with a white créme sauce?” “That does sound pretty good about now,” Twilight said as she looked down at her own stomach. It let loose a growl. “How did you four deal with this on a regular basis as humans? It’s no wonder you were able to hold your own against Princess Luna, Grif.” “Internal balancing system, full on heating system for a body without fur, five separately mobile appendages at the end of each limb, it all burns calories.” Grif shrugged. “That, and we’re teenagers. I’m not sure how it is for Ponies, but teenage Humans are almost always hungry when they’re at their metabolic peak, usually because of the changes the body is going through.” “... Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense. So do I just have to learn to deal with the hunger then?” “I’m pretty sure Hammer Strike can fix us up with an allowance so we can get snacks and other things to keep us satisfied. You don’t have to worry, Twilight.” “Or just pack things from home. I got plenty of groceries,” Hammer replied. “That works, too.” Vital grinned. “Ah, Chex Mix, how much I have missed you.” “Can we at least get book money?” Grif asked. “There was an expy of Musashi here, and if he wrote a certain book, I want to get my hands on it.” “We’ll see,” Hammer Strike said, slowing the vehicle down as he pointed towards their right. “There it is.” “It’s very…. Okay, honestly, I got nothing,” Grif said. A great blue lake shimmered in the afternoon sun to the east of a flowing, perfectly trimmed, emerald yard. The wrought iron gates of the establishment bore Hammer Strike’s cutie mark, carved into both sides. A series of birch and willow trees added extra texture while rose bushes and other flower arrangements dotted the yard to add variety. As they drew up to the house itself, its shadow blotted out the sun with its wide two story frame. A redwood stained two layer balcony stood out at the front with red painted lattice work at its foundation. Two large glass doors shone prominently on top, while the main entryway was marked by a pair of matching red doors with a white trimming. The rest of the house was built out of a pale granite that had been cut and polished to a sheen. A solid line of white trimming ran around the the perimeter of the house, dividing the two floors one from the other. To the right of the building, a tall red brick fireplace rose up along the base of the house. A few casual puffs of smoke puffed up from the stacks, giving the home a lived-in sort of feel. As the drive wound around, they got a glimpse of the back yard, where the dual porch wrapped around for a nice view and sunbathing location. A positively gigantic pool, complete with interior temperature control and ten foot slope reflected the sun’s light while the grey paving of the patio and walkway reflected dimly, its slightly ridged texture glittering. A wooden table and series of lawn chairs waited on the grass to cool hot feet running from the pool to the barbeque that waited out by the corner of the lawn. A five foot tall stone wall divided the inner yard from the outer yard. “... Well, I’m officially blown away,” Vital Spark said. “This is fancier than the rental place my family went to back at Lake Tahoe for our reunion.” “It’s certainly not small,” Lunar Fang said. “Reminds me of some of the houses in Outer Canterlot.” “This is what happens when you want to spend money,” Hammer Strike commented as he came to a halt next to the gate, a keypad right next to his window. He hummed as he put in a code, resulting in a green light flashing from said keypad and the gate opening. Pensword stared. “I…” He blinked. “I have seen few homes bigger than this, and one is gone due to arson. The other is lived in by royalty or nobility.” He looked around the property once more. “This is ... well, I know I am going to enjoy doing my homework outside.” “By the way, Hammer Strike, I’m going to need a note excusing me and Twilight from class this afternoon,” Grif said. “Somebody kinda got caught up in the school library.” “Again, I’ll see to it,” Hammer Strike said, bringing the car to a halt in the garage. “Alright, so, you can all go explore and pick out rooms besides the one that is obviously mine.” He pulled the car in park just in front of the garage and pressed a button by the steering wheel, which caused the Hummer’s trunk to pop open. “So we need to unload everything?” Grif asked as he made his way back, having already undone his seatbelt. “I’m good with that.” Vital smiled as he disengaged and joined Grif. “Okay, just give me some items to bring in. I can have at least three bags per arm,” Pensword said. The group each grabbed bags and in a matter of minutes the large load of cargo was transferred into the house. Wine red carpeting covered a majority of the floor space save for the kitchen area, which was floored with black marble tiling. A stainless steel fridge and oven stood side by side, walled in by the matching marble countertops. Across the way, a large double sink sat with drying rack and pad to clean any dishes too large for the dishwasher. Suspended over the counter was a line of cherry wood cupboards with matching shelves and drawers occupying the space under the countertop. A large island stood across from it, carrying other smaller kitchen devices and extra storage space. The rest of the house, or at least what they had seen thus far, was a wide hallway with a series of connected doors. At the end of said hallway was a large wooden spiral staircase leading to the next floor. After setting everything down in the kitchen area, the group explored the rest of the house revealing a plush living room with a large leather couch and two leather arm chairs before a positively gigantic wall-mounted TV set. Stereo speakers circled the room, and what looked mysteriously like a Blu-ray DVD player was on a wide wooden entertainment stand beneath the TV. There were several other devices, but the group couldn’t quite figure them all out. Behind the first floor doors, they discovered a workout room with a punching bag, treadmill, several sets of weights, and other such equipment. A large slate-tiled bathroom with, amongst many other things, a tub that could probably fit ten fairly hefty people with no major room issues adjoined the workout room. When the final door opened, both Grif and Twilight stopped dead, eyes widening as they scanned the large shelves filled with old dusty tomes. Two arm chairs sat with a coffee table between them before an elegant fireplace that was obviously connected to the outside chimney. “A private library. It’s ... it’s….” Twilight wiped a tear. “It’s goddamn gorgeous,” Grif said, looking around. “Uh, guys, shouldn’t we be looking for our rooms first? The library can wait till after we unpack,” Vital said. “It’ll be here when we get back.” Several moments of whining negotiations later, they managed to pull the two bibliophiles away, and the group ascended to the upper level. Grif discovered his room nigh instantly as he opened a door to reveal teal colored wallpaper hosting a large flat screen TV and three different vintage arcade machines. A vintage writing desk stood against the far wall. The bed was also decently large, which helped given his larger-than-average size. Grinning, he walked over and plopped into the bed. “I’m home.” He laughed. “If we can’t find our room, I’ll set the cots up in the library,” Pensword said, only to eep in surprise as Lunar Fang kissed him full on the mouth, wrapping her arms around him. “You used two contractions in a row.” She purred happily as she looked him in the eye. “This house is huge, guys, I’m pretty sure finding a room for each of us won’t be a problem.” Much to his surprise, Vital Spark found a brass placard on a door with his name on it. “... Oh yeah. Exchange student. The Hammer Strike of this world would’ve prepared a room for me.” Opening the door, Vital was immediately struck by the grassland motif on the wallpaper. Various trees sprouted across the plains portrayed alongside a few sets of basic huts. A simple desk with three drawers on either side and a wide space sat next to the window with dark green curtains. To his right, much like Grif’s room, a large screen TV had been mounted to the wall. To his left, an extra long twin had been set up, its pillows and bedding already prepared for him. A dark black wood headboard carved with various inscriptions of animals and men and women dancing around a fire invoked the sense of tribalism and ritual. For some reason, he found the smell of the room comforting as he sat on the bed. Laying flat on the mattress, he looked up to see a black ceiling with little pinpricks of light bulbs just barely peeking through the molding. He wouldn’t be surprised if there were a remote somewhere around to help adjust the settings. “Well, that’s one thing the Hammer Strikes seem to have in common. They both think of everything.” With that said, he got up again and made his way back out of the room. He could explore the closet later. “So, should we get Twilight to the guest bedroom?” Pensword asked as Vital re-emerged. “I’m guessing there’s a whole fleet of guest rooms. We’ll just let Twilight pick whichever one tickles her fancy,” Vital replied. The Next room they found was in the far corner of the house. The first thing they noticed was that the bed frame was made from antique brass with a king sized mattress. A reading bookshelf sat in the corner with a small round table and chair for curling up with a good read. A fireplace sat in front opposite the bed beneath a smaller flat screen TV. On the wall to the right, a large painting of a historic cityscape stared the historian in the face. The wallpaper was done tastefully with a light tan color. The lower half of the wall had been covered in wood paneling. The carpet was nice and short, dyed a natural dark blue. Two bedside tables stood symmetrically on either side of the bed. A phone waited on one stand, an alarm clock on the other. There was no closet, but a wardrobe near the window seat would serve the occupants’ needs well enough. “We’ll take this one,” Lunar Fang said, eying Pensword amorously. She proceeded to close the door. A few seconds later, the bolt had been thrown with a final click. The heroes reconvened in the living room and reclined on the leather couches while Shawn worked at the stove to prepare the promised pizzas. Grif was practically giggling as he flipped through an old dusty tome. “The Book of the Five Circles as penned by Ultimate Edge. This is a manual that redefined sword fighting and several of the rules of warfare. It’s still used today by some militaries alongside The Art of War. A private copy like this must be so expensive. Hammer Strike, can I keep this book?” “Sure,” Hammer Strike called out from the kitchen. “Art of War? I need this world’s version to compare the differences,” Pensword said, looking happily at the books on the table. A dreamy smile had been on his face ever since he and Lunar Fang had come back from their little disappearing act earlier. “I know these are supposed to be major fighting works, but do you guys really think we’ll need them here? I mean, I know Sunset is probably planning something bad, but I doubt it’ll come to swordplay,” Vital Spark said. Pensword actually barked out his laughter. “The Art of War can be, and has been, applied for many aspects ranging from sports teams to high level business boards,” Pensword said as he chuckled. “It’s useful for lots of areas of life, not just war.” “Oh, I’m taking this home,” Grif said. “It belonged to Hammer Strike, and he gave it to me as a gift, so it’s perfectly legal.” “Even though it’s an alternate dimension Hammer Strike, and not this dimension’s?” Vital asked. “You keep playing as if the moral side to ethics is going to stop me when the technical side says I am in the right. I am keeping this book,” Grif said with a tone of finality. “I still think it’s wrong,” Vital said, then shrugged. “But I won’t stop you if that’s how you feel about it.” “Um, Vital Spark, there were two other copies on the shelves in the warfare section of the library,” Lunar Fang said. “I don’t think it’ll hurt if Grif takes just one.” “... Fine. But I still think it’s wrong.” Pensword sighed as he put a hand to his forehead. “Vital, we are already going to be taking papers, pens, books, textbooks, and other items.” He pointed to his friends. “It has been over forty years for Hammer, twenty years for us, since we last lived in a Human society. Of course we are going to bring home items that will remind us of home.” Vital Spark brought a hand to his forehead and promptly smacked it. “... And I just realized my entire argument is invalid because we’re staying in a house we don’t own, using resources that aren’t ours, and need to if we’re going to actually survive our stay here.” Vital slumped. “And now I feel like crap. Great.” He chuckled briefly. “Hey, Shawn, that comfort food ready yet? I think I need to put myself into a food coma for a bit.” “Thirty seconds,” Hammer replied, still in the kitchen. “Good. I am looking forward to some nice pizza pie,” Pensword said. “And yes, Comfort food is a must.” “Thirty seconds also means you might as well come in here,” Hammer shouted. “Let’s go. I could use something to get my mind off all this,” Vital said as he pushed himself up off the couch. “Gotta stay the course now that we’re on it, right?” “Yes. Just be glad you do not have to battle through three squads of Gryphons wanting your head, heart, and liver,” Pensword replied as he stood up, then offered a hand to Lunar Fang. “Frankly, with what we have brought in loose change, we can easily reimburse the lost books.” He paused. “Also, do you think this world’s Hammer Strike would like us reimbursing him for lost books?” “... Good point. He’d probably be happy to have something stolen, now that I think about it,” Vital said. “Assuming he’s like our Hammer Strike.” He turned to face the others. “Well? Are you all just going to sit there, or are you going to come eat? You heard the man. Dinner’s ready.” Pensword looked Vital in the eye as he and Lunar Fang both shuffled past him, walking more like an old couple, but at least they were making progress. As he was about to enter the kitchen, he turned to face his friend once more. “Vital, please, just let us worry about the consequences. You worry too much as it is.” Grif was on his feet in a moment and on the prowl for some pizza. Twilight stood up after him, snapped both arms out as she teetered, then waved them in circles. She was able to regain her balance just in time and make her way towards the kitchen without falling. Vital offered a helping hand and the pair made their way inside. “Alright. Now that everyone’s had a nice meal, let’s get down to business,” Twilight said as she slapped a large gold-embossed blue volume on the table. “I found this during my studies in the Canterlot Library. It’s an old yearbook from when everything started going wrong here at the school.” “Suspicions you have, hmm? Bring them to light, you must,” Grif said with his best Yoda impersonation. “Um … what was that?” Twilight asked, her brow cocked in confusion. Everyone in the room did a facepalm except for Lunar Fang, who was just as clueless. “It’s a reference to a movie series from back home. A character called Yoda speaks like that. It’s his unique quirk,” Vital Spark explained. “Oh. Okay then.” Twilight proceeded to open the book to reveal five younger girls in a group. The hairstyles and faces of each made their identities very easy to discern, even if they had not met all of them yet. “That looks like your friends,” Lunar Fang said. “It is. They all look so close here. I just don’t understand what could’ve gone wrong. The way Applejack and Pinkie were all talking today, not to mention Fluttershy … it just doesn’t add up. Something must have happened, and the only thing that I can see to make a difference is this.” She flipped open to a new page portraying a large stage with purple curtains hanging behind. A familiar looking girl with fiery red-and-yellow hair and a cute pink dress beamed out at the camera, a look of bewildered happiness perfectly captured. “She looks so … nice,” Vital said, surprised as he looked over the image. “That’s not the face of the Sunset I met today.” “This was taken three years ago, back just a little ways before Celestia sent me away to reclaim the elements. A lot can change in that amount of time,” Twilight responded dubiously as she looked over the photo. “Old wounds can fester,” Grif said. “Either way, she identified these five as a threat. Hmm…” Grif rubbed his chin in contemplation “...oh…” “The mirror opens every thirty moons, right?” Vital asked. “That means she probably came back to Equestria multiple times for reconnaissance. Once she found out about Twilight’s accomplishments, she probably put two and two and together about the others. Did I get it right, Grif?” “Not quite, Vital. She was Celestia's student when Twilight became her student. Think about what that means. What was significant about Celestia taking twilight as her student?” Lunar Fang answered. “The magic surge. You don’t forget about a giant baby dragon breaking through the roof of the magic academy.” “What caused the surge?” Grif said. “The Sonic Rainboom,” Pensword answered, his voice a little stunned. “I overheard the CMC talking about the cutie marks, and Rainbow Dash told me about it later. “Sunset was Celestia’s trusted student when Celestia read the report regarding the rainboom and the five ripple events it caused. She would have connected the dots the same way Celestia did. A couple months go by, Celestia investigates the matter further, information goes by Sunset. Sunset Shimmer has an eidetic memory,” Grif said he looked at there faces. “Okay, I may have borrowed cheerilee's password to do a little snooping. I had to know who we were dealing with.” “... I am so happy you are on our side,” Pensword said. Vital’s eyes widened, he breathed heavily, but other than that, he surprisingly kept his calm. “Okay, for the record, I still don’t support what you did. But since you did it to get intel and save us a whole lot of headache, I’ll overlook it. Just this once. I still wish I could get Sunset’s side of the story though. If someone could just get to talk with her for a bit, maybe she could be reasoned with.” Pensword shook his head. “I forbid it,” he said, his voice stern and commanding. “She is a danger, and I will not risk her using you as a hostage.” He looked like he was about to start on something, but Lunar Fang grabbed his hand and squeezed. Pensword sagged. “It’s worth a shot at least. If she asks why I helped Twilight, I can just tell her I don’t like when people are being bullies. I mean, come on, I know what it’s like to have photos and videos taken without my permission.” His countenance darkened. “It wasn’t pleasant. I should be able to convince her I’m neutral in this affair.” The expression on Pensword’s face shifted on a rollercoaster from shock to a sputter of anger to a long groan. Finally, he sighed and put a hand to his face. “Neutrality toward affairs of this kind might lead to a situation that sees her invading Poland.” He laid his hands to the table. “I cannot stress enough that this is a situation that could turn dangerous. She took the Element of Magic for a purpose. She created a facillime to be placed in its spot, meaning she has a plan, a plan that could use a magical artifact in a world that should be devoid of magic.” He turned to Twilight. “Computers are technology.” He paused, then chuckled. “Then again, technology sufficiently advanced would be indistinguishable from magic.” He frowned. “Faust’s loving feathers, I wish we could talk her down, but that is a dangerous point. She wants a magic crown. She was a Unicorn. Those two mixing will be bad.” Grif plowed through Pensword’s objections like cobwebs. “While you do that, Vital, the rest of us will focus on not letting Sunset get the crown. I’ll take the place of Twilight’s campaign manager. Lunar Fang, you’ll be helping me. Pensword, I need you to keep track of the general feel. Get me information on Twilight’s reputation and how we’re doing, okay?” “Will do. I seem to get that a lot in schools. I ask, they answer. I’ll make sure you all are appraised.” Vital winced briefly. “Oh … and something else. You should probably try to get the rest of the girls back together, Twilight. Call it a hunch.” “Yeah, I realized that. I just wish I had a good situation to do so,” Grif said. “Indeed. Maybe you can head that branch, Twilight. Focus on reuniting your friends.” Twilight nodded. “I agree. If they’re anything like my friends back home, we should be able to solve their problems in no time. I’ll just have to figure out where the others are … and how to get them all together under one roof without having everything explode. Yeah … everything’s going to be just fine.” She sighed heavily. “I’ll see what I can dig up.” “Hammer Strike, can I borrow about two grand for campaign funding?” Grif asked. Hammer Strike simply tossed a pouch to Grif from where he was seated on the couch. “Thanks,” Grif said, catching it without much thought. “So we all know what our assignments are then?” Vital asked. “Listen closely, Vital. If she suspects anything, you get out of there, okay? You’re going in behind enemy lines heavily here.” “I know, Grif. But if there’s a way to end this without violence, I want to help find it. I’ll be careful, I promise.” “Oh, and Twilight, be ready. Tomorrow may be a bit rough,” Grif said. “How come?” “You were being spied on today, Twilight. Fights to be crowned princess at a formal are never pretty,” Vital Spark said. “Trust me, I’ve seen enough teenage cat fights to know.” “Applejack said something like that. I just can’t believe someone would be willing to try to hurt me just to win, though.” “Evil has few limits,” Grif said sagely. “We’ll just all have to do our best to grin and bear it. Things should work out just fine. They always do in Equestria, after all, even if we have to pass through some near-death experiences first.” “Gee … thanks, Vital Spark.” Twilight heaved a heavy sigh. “I’m going to head to bed. See what more research I can get done tonight. I’ll see you all in the morning.” With that, she got off the stool she was sitting on and made her way for the stairs. Snips shook in fear as he stood outside Sunset’s small apartment. He knocked on the door, wincing as he remembered Grif’s words. Sunset wasn’t going to be happy. The door opened to reveal a small open space. To the left of the little entry hall, a kitchen sat, waiting to be used. To the right, a living space waited with two symmetrical white leather couches facing one another and a large screen TV mounted to the wall. Red drapes covered the window and the yellow and red walls blended well with the dark green carpet. Snails was sitting perfectly still, staring at the other couch. His phone waited on the glass coffee table, where a lava lamp and glass blown flame sat to accent the room. Pictures of Sunset adorned the walls in frames, showing her progress from the kinder, ambitious girl to the popularity monger she was today. Snips gulped. Sunset leaned against the wall as she closed the door behind Snips. Her eyes seemed to blaze as she glared at him. “So, Snails tells me that you got caught.” Her tone was icy as she spoke. “They ambushed us. I-I didn’t stand a chance. They … they reset my phone,” He said, his eyes beginning to tear up as he quailed before the fury that was Sunset Shimmer. “How could he have pulled that off? Equestria is so far behind technologically, he should have bumbled with it. What did he say?” Sunset demanded as she pulled Snips by the collar of his shirt. “H-he said If you want the crown, you’ll have to face C-celestia’s Ghost, a-an Avatar of Winds, and a Moonkissed Pegasus. I-I don’t know what they mean. He just told me to tell you. Please, don’t hurt me,” Snips blurted out quickly The next few words out of her mouth came in snarls and growls that were unintelligible to Snips or Snails. “This is going to make things harder.” “But we got the video, right, Miss Shimmer?” Snails asked with his usual goofy smile. “That’s gotta count for something, right?” “We’ll have to get on that right away,” Sunset said, straightening immediately. “If I want to win the crown, we’re going to have to be faster and more ruthless.” She growled darkly. “Celestia thinks her pet can beat me just because she sent a few extras, but we’ll prove her wrong.” “What’s Principal Celestia got to do with this? And what’s the big deal? That’s like only three more. You’ve got the entire Football team under your control,” Snails said as Snips continued to tremble. “Did you look in his eyes? Did you feel the aura of danger in the air?” Sunset scolded. “We can’t afford to underestimate any of them. The large one was obviously the Avatar of Winds. The boy and girl who are always together could be Pensword and Lunar Fang, so the question is, where is Celestia’s Ghost?” Sunset looked to snips and snails. “Come on, get to work,” she barked. “We need that video uploaded before tomorrow morning!” Snips and Snails jumped, rushed for each other, promptly smashed their heads yet again, then rubbed them and moaned as they pulled out Sunset’s laptop and connected Snails’ phone. “Twilight’s gonna regret trying to cross me,” Sunset growled as her eyes narrowed in the shadows. Twilight Sparkle sat at the empty desk pressing her hands to her head as the myriad of shouts and insults passed over her like arrow fire in a battlefield. The day had started out with such high hopes. She had come with the others to school with plans to wow every social group out there. She had painstakingly made a list of talking points, and then Grif had proceeded to burn that list and make her a list of talking points that teenagers would actually care about in this world. Hammer Strike had dropped them off at school bright and early so they could get an early start, and Twilight had managed not to slam into the door when entering the school this time. Unfortunately, that good fortune went downhill when the five had stepped inside. Whispering seemed to echo whenever they passed by. Snickers and giggles followed Twilight’s gaze, and the looks she received made her feel entirely uncomfortable for some reason. Just as she stopped to inquire what the joke was, she was pulled into an empty classroom by a familiar figure. The white-skinned, purple-haired girl who could only be Rarity proceeded to rummage through her bag before forcing Twilight into a blue dress with a blond wig. She was halfway through contemplating making Spike a rabbit when Applejack walked in, followed moments later by Pinkie Pie, and then Fluttershy. Grif, Pensword, Lunar Fang, and Vital Spark stood against the back wall as the tension in the room instantly thickened. The girls proceeded to each offer their condolences about something which had naturally led to Twilight asking the required question. The answer had been… disheartening. Rarity used her laptop to bring up the internet and proceeded to bring up a video on the thing this world called the internet, as Grif had explained it. The video showed Twilight in several decidedly silly, goofy, or downright unflattering positions as Sunset Shimmer proceeded to berate her. Twilight had felt instant despair, and had done nothing to hide this as she lamented how no one would vote for her. Fluttershy had tried to offer comfort by stating she would still vote for her. This in turn led to each girl offering their own support, only for another to berate them before offering their own. This proved to spark the fuse which had led to things as they were now. Someone tapped Twilight’s shoulder gently. Grif looked at her, offering a kind smile and a large padded mallet as he motioned towards a giant gong hanging nearby. Twilight nodded and smiled, wiping the tears in her eyes. The sound the followed shook the very windows of the music room as Twilight looked at each of the four girls. “Thank you. All of you. I really appreciate it, but if you really all want to help me, then you need to stop fighting. What started all of this in the first place, anyway? You all used to be such good friends.” She pulled out the old yearbook from her backpack and opened up to the familiar page. “The Freshmen Fair. Y’all remember that?” Applejack said nostalgically as she looked at the picture. “Mm-hmm.” Pinkie nodded sadly. “Yes,” rarity confirmed. “But something happened, didn’t it?” Twilight asked. The uneasy and hurt glances told the whole story. “I … I think it might’ve been Sunset Shimmer,” she said, frowning. “You said so yourself. She ruined everything here in Canterlot High and made everyone afraid of her. Who better to stand up to her than the five most popular girls in the school?” Rarity huffed, crossed her arms, and looked away. “Well, that’s a nice theory, Twilight, but Sunset Shimmer had nothing to do with it!” “She’s right. Sunset Shimmer isn’t the one who ruined my silent auction for the animal shelter by bringing fireworks and noisemakers. It was supposed to be a serious event! And Pinkie Pie ruined it!” Fluttershy said. Pinkie’s eyes widened in shock. “What are you talking about? I got a text from you saying you didn’t want a silent auction! You wanted a huge party!” Fluttershy stepped back. “Uh ... I never sent you a text.” “You didn’t?” “You don’t think she’s the one that's been sending me those emails, do you?” Rarity spoke up, still in a huff, but a glimmer of doubt echoed in her voice. “Every time I volunteer to help with decorations at a school function, I get an email from Pinkie Pie,” she pointed her finger accusingly, “saying she has plenty of volunteers! And then I find out she’s done everything herself!” “I never sent out any emails!” Pinkie Pie thrust her hands out exasperatedly. “Maybe she’s the reason Rainbow Dash never showed up for my bake sale,” Applejack questioned, just as Grif, Pensword, and Vital Spark performed a synchronized facepalm. “Seriously? Seriously?” Vital fumed. “You girls didn’t even bother to talk to each other about why you didn’t show up? Come on. You’re friends. You should at least give each other a chance to explain yourselves before you go and do something like this. Seriously, how much time have you five wasted because you weren’t willing to communicate?” He marched up to the gathered girls and grabbed Applejack by the arm. “You, with me, now.” “Hey! Where do you think you’re taking me?” Applejack said, genuinely surprised at his physical strength. “Where do you think?” he asked as he stomped out of the room, dragging the blond with him. The others followed behind. “... He’s scary when he’s angry,” Fluttershy noted. The others nodded quietly. Grif chuckled to himself as he grabbed Applejack’s and Vital’s discarded bags and followed after the group. “I’m so proud.” Hammer Strike sighed to himself as he went through a few keys one-handed. After a moment, he unlocked the door and entered. “Note to self: memorize layout of the city so I don’t drive around for an hour looking for a shop.” “I’ll … try to keep that in mind,” he heard himself say. Looking up, he found, well, himself standing across from him. After a few moments of staring at each other, Equestria Hammer Strike shrugged. “I honestly thought I wouldn’t run into myself. I mean, I’m only here for five days.” The other Hammer Strike gave him a quizzical stare as he crossed his arms. “So, I can’t really call you a fake unless you spent a load of money just to make yourself look, sound, and act like me. Or, in this case, would it be us?” “You know what? I would go with us.” “I did wonder what it would be like to have a twin.” “Except for the fact that we are the same individual, including personality.” “Yeah.” Equestria Hammer Strike placed his bag onto a nearby table. “Considering I didn’t come here alone, as I’m sure you know, we should differentiate ourselves sooner, rather than later.” “And your plan is?” “Call me Shawn. You stay Hammer Strike.” “Where in the world did you get that name from?” the other Hammer Strike questioned as he leaned against one of the walls. “I’m three dimensions down from home. I’d be surprised it wasn’t something insane considering most of our plans,” Shawn said, crossing his arms. Hammer Strike went to respond, only to pause and think for a moment. “Touché.” After Shawn placed a few bags away, Hammer Strike finally found some form of a new conversation. “So, where did you come from? You mentioned dimensions, but nothing specific yet.” “Twenty-something years growing up where I was born, Earth. Fell through a thin veil to a new dimension with two others, my friends, and landed in Equis, a world inhabited by Ponies, Gryphons, Dragons, Yaks, Horses, Diamond Dogs, and other creatures. Dealt with enough time problems that I spent thirty years in a dummy and I’m scattered across their history to the point where I am the oldest being still alive. And then someone came, stole a powerful artifact, and ran through a rift to this place.” Hammer Strike stared at him for a moment. “Wow. Eventful.” “You’re telling me.” “I am telling me.” “Wow, even I can’t resist a bad pun in this dimension.” “Got to keep myself entertained some way.” Shawn face palmed with a heavy sigh. “What? You don’t create random gear for random cases? Experiment with dangerous tech and magic that could kill you in the blink of an eye?” “Tech, yes. Magic, that would be interesting.” Hammer hummed to himself. “Wait, you don’t have magic here? I swear I can feel a slight charge going, at least enough to charge my field.” “Yeah, I’d like to mess with that, if I could, but I can’t, so ... out of luck there.” Hammer shrugged. “Unless you can teach me how to use it?” he asked, raising a brow in question. “Haven’t tested it yet, and I’d rather not kill me, considering the effect I have on this world.” “Would it be suicide if you killed me?” “Good question.… I think it’d be a yes.” After a few moments of sitting in silence, Hammer Strike looked over to the living room and then back to Shawn. “Want to watch some TV?” Shawn shrugged. “Yeah.” The group stood by the bleachers, watching in the distance as Rainbow Dash and Applejack talked to each other with Vital Spark standing cross-armed not far away. “They’re actually talking! That’s a good sign,” Rarity noted hopefully as the two gestured wildly while they spoke before they embraced each other. “Hugs! Ooh, hugs are always good,” Pinkie noted as the three people moved to approach them. “There. Problem solved. Now, if you all would kindly excuse me, I have some frustration to work off,” Vital said, immediately vacating the arena as he made his way towards the gymnasium. “Somebody, and I think we all can guess who, told Rainbow Dash that my bakesale had been moved to a different day. Dash showed up with the softball team and thought that I’d cancelled on her!” “Rainbow Dash idly bounced a soccer ball as she appraised Twilight. “So you’re looking to dethrone Sunset Shimmer and become Princess of the Fall Formal, huh? Gotta say, I’d really love to see that happen. I’d totally help you out. All you gotta do is beat me at a game of one on one!” Rainbow said. “What?” Twilight asked, bewildered. “First to five goals wins,” Rainbow said before dropping and kicking the ball, which immediately hit the far goalpost. “One-zip!” The match that followed was almost painful to look at. Twilight’s battle mage training had improved her physical capabilities, true enough, but her physical skills were nowhere near strong enough to keep up with Rainbow, who ran circles around her, quite literally at one point. The match got to the point where Rainbow simply let Twilight have the ball. Twilight’s kick went wide, but scraped the ball, which caused it to roll slowly towards the goal post before stopping gently at Dash’s feet. She gave it a kick and scored her fifth goal with seemingly no effort. “That’s game,” she called to a panting Twilight. As Twilight approached her friends, Rarity attempted to encourage her. “I ... really thought you would pull it off there in the end,” she offered halfheartedly. Rainbow smiled at Twilight. “So what’s the plan? How can I help you be Princess instead of Sunset Shimmer?” Off to the side, Grif stripped off his hoodie and left it on a nearby seat, the epée wrapped up inside it. “But … I … lost,” Twilight said between breaths. “Of course you did. I’m awesome!” Rainbow seemed not to hear the low growl from behind her as she continued. “But I’m not going to help just anybody beat Sunset Shimmer! The princess of the Fall Formal has to be somebody with heart and determination, and you proved you got them both.” “Rainbow Miriam Dash!” Grif called from the soccer field, holding a soccer ball in his hand. “You, me, best of five, right here, right now!” His eyes seemed to blaze as he spoke. He knew he shouldn’t be focusing on her, but he had been fraying at the edges with the incredible arrogance of the Pegasus for some time, and her human self’s double dose had finally pushed him over the edge. It was time to force-feed someone a slice of humble pie, and right now he could care less who. Rainbow scoffed. “Yeah, right. Do you really wanna do this? I’d hate to make you look bad in front of all your friends.” The smile that claimed Grif’s face made her skin crawl. “Humor me,” he said, before dropping the ball, catching it on the back his leg, boosting it up, and bouncing it off of his right bicep before kicking the ball. To the trained eye, they may have picked up the slight twist of his foot that lessened the force on the ball, stopping it short on the net, but Rainbow wasn’t well trained. “Ha! You missed!” She ran to the ball, dribbled it between her legs, kicked it over her head a few times, juggled it with her knees, kicked it back and forth with her heels, then kicked it as high as she could before jumping up in mid-air, turning over backwards, and slamming the ball with her foot, which sent it flying towards the opposing goal post. The others watched as the ball hurtled to the goal far to Grif’s side. For an instant, it looked like it would go past him and right into the goal, only to be stopped at the last second in a blur of motion as Grif intercepted the ball with his forehead. He sent it rocketing forwards before racing after it. Sweeping with his legs, he sent it towards Rainbow’s goal with blazing speed. “What's this, mon petite cherie? All style and no substance!” Rainbow barely managed to get to the post in time, taking a heavy hit to the abdomen as the ball made impact, knocking the wind out of her. The rest of the game didn’t go much better. It was two minutes later when a panting Rainbow Dash looked up at Grif as she took the soccer ball from the net and dropped it in front of her. If Grif scored this last time, he would win the match he’d asked for. Fire flickered in her eyes, but a smile Grif could read showed that he might have won her loyalty as well. “Ladies first.” Grif bowed theatrically. Rainbow Dash did something incredibly surprising. For once, she didn’t dash forward. She moved cautiously, maintaining full control of the ball as she kept it close to her feet. Doing her best to psyche her opponent out, she crossed the field in a zigzag pattern. Her eyes darted back and forth between the ground, ball, Grif, and back again. As she reached the last quarter of the field, she darted once again, only to find empty air in the place Grif should have been. Suddenly, she couldn’t feel the ball between her legs. In a controlled burst of speed, Grif had made his way past her, neatly stealing the ball. Almost taunting her, he slowed himself down. Rainbow Dash gaped as he began to dribble the ball across the field towards her goal post. She turned around and raced after him as fast as her legs could carry her, but surprisingly, she didn’t look angry, she actually looked excited at the challenge. “I must say, you are fast, my friend, but your attitude needs work. What is the purpose of the sport if you are not sportsman like?” Grif smiled as she moved to swipe the ball. He kicked it up to avoid Rainbow Dash’s foot before spinning around to send the ball hurtling towards her goal with a forceful kick. There was no question whether he scored as the ball landed in the net. “You may just ruin the game for the other players.” “Maybe you should watch my next match,” she snapped. “You ever think that maybe I’m just tired of hearing all the other girls in the school saying they’re going to beat Sunset only to back out at the last minute? I am sick of hearing all talk and no action.” She picked up her ball and held it in the crook of her elbow. “But you guys are different. She,” Rainbow Dash pointed at Twilight. “She is different. And I can see that. Wither her, I know things can happen, even with that stupid video Sunset put out. So when do we start, boss?” “Yes, but the important thing to consider is if your ego crushes everyone else to make them feel insecure.” Grif’s tone was flat “Then will they not grow to resent you for it? Learn this lesson well, Rainbow Dash. There is always a bigger fish. There is always a sharper predator. Let your actions brag your achievements. Then others will respect you all the more for it.” Rainbow Dash almost acted like she was going to refute the comment before she huffed. “Well maybe you can use that big brain of yours to help Twilight win against Sunset? We only have four days counting today.” “Oh non non, mon cherie. I am merely the the spark. The brain has yet to reveal itself for this little group.” He smiled. “Now we shall finish this at lunch, I think. The bell should be ringing in…” Grif went to check his phone as the school bell rang. “There we go. Let’s run!” And with that, Grif was racing towards the school, the group following after him. “I have never seen anyone run that fast for the start of school in my life.” Applejack muttered as Rainbow Dash quickly took off in what looked like an impromptu foot race. Pinkie Pie laughed as she joined the race, while the others followed at a more dignified pace. Pensword paused and swung around, poking his head under the bleachers, and saw nothing. He frowned. He could have sworn he’d heard snickering under there. Sighing, he shook his head, still frowning as he turned to face Lunar Fang. “Dear, be on the lookout. We may have some spies under us.” “Oh, I know. I could hear Snip and Snails giggling to themselves.” “I thought so,” Pensword responded. “So, we see what they have planned and we shut them down?” “No,” Lunar Fang answered. “I think you should leave a noodle in the head of one Flash Sentry. He’s been been giving Twilight the googly eyes the last couple of days.” Pensword laughed and shook his head. “Ah… paying it forward, I see,” He teased, planting a small kiss on her cheek and taking her hand as they strode for the doors together.