//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Equestria.....We have a Problem! // Story: Horse and Pony Show // by TheSpectralCob //------------------------------// Twilight easily exited the portal. It did get easier to adjust to the transformation as you crossed worlds. She walked out of the portal and stood to look around and see if she saw anyone. "Twilight!" She turned around to see a surprised but very delighted Pinkie Pie right before she flashed next to her and gave her a tight hug. "Hey Pinkie. How come you're here?" "Meh. Had a funny feeling you would be here." She gave a little giggle. "Guess it was a right feeling." Just then Spike came trotting out of the portal. "Hey Spike!" Pinkie then swooped down to pick up Spike the dog in a big hug. "Hey-Pinkie," Spike said a bit breathlessly. "Hard-to-breath." "Whoops!" Pinkie eased her hug before setting Spike back down. "Sorry Spike." Spike shook himself. His doggy ears flapping. Just then there was a woosh and a rainbow blur flew out of the portal, followed by a thud and a pained exclamation. "Ow!" Twilight, Spike and Pinkie winced as they looked over. "Rainbow...?" Twilight asked uncertainly. There was some rustling before a mumble could be heard. "What happened?" Came Rainbow's voice. It sounded like she was partly talking to herself. "Um.....Twi...?" Twilight felt alert at the uncertainty that crept into Rainbow's voice. "You okay Rainbowdash?" Twilight took a few steps toward the bush concealing her friend. "Um...," she was quiet for a long time before she began to move in the bush making her way out. "What qualifies as Okay?" Twilight wasn't sure what to think as her friend exited the bush but she was still a pony. And she had no wings. "What was supposed to happen?" came Rainbow's uncertain voice. "Ah! You must be pony Dashie!" Pinkie said excitedly. Before Twilight could respond with a coherant thought, Pinkie the pony bounded out of the portal followed by Rarity and Applejack dragging Fluttershy by the tail. "Pft, weren't we supposed to change going through that portal?" Applejack asked, her surprise at still being a pony evident in her voice and expression. AJ's words seemed to encourage the other ponies to look at themselves and they too also were still ponies although minus their respective horn and wings. Twilight looked between her still-pony friends then the human Pinkie Pie. She raised an eyebrow as Human Pinkie was rocking back and forth on her heels with a smile and eyes brightly watching the others. Suddenly Pinkie the Pony bounded up to Pinkie the Human and looked at her. They each took a giant breath then spoke at once. “Perhaps when we occupy the same time and place in space in this universe, there can’t be two of the same?” Both Pinkie’s blinked as they turned as one to look at Twilight. Twilight gazed at the Pinkies and felt her legs sway, she felt something gently nudge her legs steady again and turned to see Applejack next to her. “I’m guessin you ain’t used to your two legs again yet,” AJ said with a smile but Twilight could tell she was not her confident self. She had felt completely out of place the first time Celestia had sent her through the mirror to retrieve her crown. “Yeah, thanks Applejack.” She looked back at her pony friends. Fluttershy was hiding behind Rarity who was looking around in fascination. Rainbow Dash was gazing back at her wingless back in horror and turned in a circle in the opposite direction just to assure herself she wasn’t seeing things. “This is some Discord kind of wrong,” Rainbow said in a dejected tone. Taking a breath Twilight stepped forward to address her friends. “Don’t worry girls. We’ll figure this out.” She turned to the human Pinkie who was making funny faces with Pony Pinkie. Except for the species difference, they were somehow making the same exact faces. Twilight felt her eyes widen a moment then shook her head vigorously. “Pinkie Pie!” Both Pinkies looked over at her at once. “Yes Twilight?” They both said brightly. Twilight shivered uneasily before shaking it off. “The human one!” Human Pinkie took a step forward and stood to attention. “At your service Your Princess-ness!” Twilight face-palmed before speaking again. Dealing with one Pinkie was bad enough at times. She still had nightmares about the Pinkie duplicates. Dealing with two real Pinkies would be trying. “Pinkie, please call our friends. I think we will need their help.” “Okie Dokie Lokie!” Pinkie fished her pink smartphone out of her pocket before furiously texting on the device with rapid strokes of her thumbs. Pony Pinkie suddenly materialized in front of human Pinkie on her hind legs looking at what human Pinkie was doing. “OOOH!” Pinkie the pony exclaimed. “What are those things your thumbs?” “Emoji’s,” Human Pinkie responded brightly. Twilight walked away from the Pinkiefest and over to her other friends who seemed to be putting on brave faces but for their lost expressions. Except for Fluttershy; she wasn’t even attempting to put on a brave face. She was just hiding her head under Rarity. “Don’t worry girls. Sunset Shimmer and the others should be able to help us figure this out.” She gave them a big smile and Rarity and AJ gave her what they tried for reassuring smiles in return. Twilight leaned against the statue base that held the portal and hoped the others had answers she didn’t.