//------------------------------// // To equestria (part 2) // Story: Heir to a Silenced Blood // by Rock Slide //------------------------------// When Splendid’s world came back into focus, she felt like her insides had been pulled out, and stuffed back in in a different pattern. Her outside felt like that too. She blinked, her eyes first finding the floor. At some point in the journey, she must have fallen over. She tried to move, but she felt an alien force constricting her limbs. She was about to panic when a familiar voice saved her. “Splendid, remain calm.” Hearing her mama’s voice pulled her back, and she released a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. “I’m going to let go of you in a moment, I just need you to focus right now. Do you remember the painting on your wall, the one with all the creatures?” “Yes, mama.” “Do you remember which one I said was you?” “Yes. You also said you were the one on my left.” “Yes baby, that’s me.” Sunset cooed. “Now close your eyes until I say otherwise. What did I look like?” Splendid did as asked. She thought back to her room. “You were a small yellow unicorn, with a red and yellow, bacon-patterned mane.” She heard her mother Adagio laughing somewhere off to the side. It was accompanied with another set of snickering she could have sworn she recognised. Sunset huffed. “Yeah, that’s me. Now open your eyes.” Splendid obliged, and stood before her was the spitting image of the painting. “Mom?!” The yellow mare nodded, tears starting to form in her eyes. Splendid found herself moving through the air and into the mares embrace. “This is the real me, baby.” Sunset sniffed. Another pair of limbs entangled her from behind. “Hi mother,” Splendid whispered. “Hey baby,” Adagio whispered back. A cough drew their attention, and the hugging trio looked around to its originator, a purple pony with both unicorn and pegasus wings. Splendid looked back at her mental picture of her bedroom wall, before smiling at the purple pony. “And you’d be auntie Twilight?” “Your mother said you were a clever one,” Twilight smiled while Splendid blushed. “Though I have to say you are taking all of this better than expected.” Splendid thought on it a moment. “I guess I am. But I can’t help this feeling that everything just seems right.” Smiling, Twilight nodded. “I think I can understand that. But I bet you’re going to have a lot of questions. Please, come through into the library. I’ve set up a large mirror so you can see yourself for the first time.” She motioned to the door with her hoof, and the group moved on, leaving the mirror to itself. It wasn't too much longer after Splendid, her mothers, and Twilight had left that the portal glimmered again. Spike was dusting the shelves just outside the room when he heard a groan followed by a gasp. “What was that,” he inquired to himself. Back inside the room, Sunny looked around, spotting a large mirror in the direction she had come from. The surface rippled like liquid before it seemed to dull and went flat. Its mirror finish came back, and she saw herself reflected back. “What the… I'm a pony... wait no I'm a unicorn?” “Who are you? How’d you get in here?” Sunny turned around and almost screamed in panic, “A dragon! Dragons exist too!” She felt herself start to hyperventilate, as the little dragon in her front of her was confused. He looked at the mirror and sighed. “You're from the human realm aren't you?” Sunny couldn't speak so she just nodded. “I’m Spike and you are?” Sunny’s voice refused to come back to her. “Erm, ok. Don’t worry, Twilight can fix this. Come with me.” Twilight finished up her welcome presentation, and answered any questions Splendid had about the whole arrangement, and throughout it all, she was still somewhat surprised by how easily she accepted everything. Sunset took advantage of the end of Twilight lecture mode to ask the most important question. “Twilight, can you do a scan on Splendid? We want to know how much magic she needs, and how long we are going to be here.” Twilight smiled. “Sure.” She focused her horn, and a beam of magic swept across Splendid’s new body. “Huh. I wasn’t expecting that.” Sunset and Adagio shared a worried look. “Twilight, what is it?” Sunset asked, her voice full or worry. “Oh sorry, no I didn’t mean to worry you. What I wasn’t expecting was just how far along she is.” Sunset and Adagio gave her a confused look. “She’s started maturing almost a year early. There’s nothing bad about it, but you will have to accelerate your plans, and she’ll need to stay here for a little while.” Twilight explained. “How long for?” Inquired Adagio. Twilight hummed. “Normally, I’d say two to three days. But you came at a bad time. The portal only becomes active once every three lunar months, for the rest of the time, our dimensions drift apart, and then back closer, kind of like a circle. I can use the diaries to force a connection, but you brought yours with you, didn’t you?” Sunset blushed, and look at the floor. “Yeah…” Sighing, Twilight turned to look at a calendar. “Unfortunately, the natural opening would have been two weeks ago. That means you three are stuck here for another 9-10 weeks.” Splendid suddenly burst into tears, and her parents flocked to her side. “Oh honey, shhh. It’s gonna be alright. I’m sure you’ll love Equestria.” Splendid sniffed. “It’s not that.” Adagio turned her daughter’s face towards hers. “So what is it?” Splendid looked her mother in the eyes. “For the first time, I finally made a friend I feel I connect with. And now, after a day, I go away for almost three months.” Sunset and Adagio both winced, looking at each other. “And now, she probably thinks something bad has happened. She’s going to hate me when I come back.” A loud cough drew the attention of everyone in the room. Spike was standing just inside the room. He held the handle of the door behind him, holding it almost closed. “Splendid, this friend of your; would she have pale butter skin and azure hair?” Splendid’s jaw dropped open. “How would you know that?” Spike smiled and pulled the door open. Suddenly a butter yellow filly sprinted into the room, tackling Splendid to the floor. The three adults in the room looked between the new foal and Spike, faces morphing from shocked to confused. “Spikkkkeeeeee,” Twilight whined. Spike crossed his arms. “Hey, this one isn’t on me. I was walking past the mirror room and I heard a noise; lo and behold she was in there.” Splendid and Sunny finally seemed to untangle from each other. Sunset levitated Sunny in front of her and raised an eyebrow. “You followed us, didn’t you?” Sunny didn’t answer, instead, she just kept looking at things around her, until Adagio moved over and poked her. “Huh? Oh, sorry.” She looked down sheepishly. “Everything is so cool here, and magic!” She then saw the looks on the faces of the three mares in the room. “Oh, yeah. I followed you. Sorry. I was just so worried about Splendid!” She flailed her forelegs in her direction, hoping it would convey her sincerity. Sunset sighed. “I guess there is nothing for it. Twilight; you might as well run your orientation again, it would be unfair to hide her for three months.” Twilight visibly started vibrating. Rolling her eyes, Sunset grabbed Splendid and Adagio. “Come on, let’s go get two of the guest rooms set up. Spike, mind leading the way?” “Sure,” Spike said, crossing the room and grabbing Splendid, lifting her onto his shoulder, much to her delight. “I’ll come back for… Sunny? Afterwards.” The four soon left Twilight and Sunny, the latter looking completely engrossed, and they made their way to the guest wing of the castle.