Dimension Jumper

by redtau

Generous Laughter

Twilight checked her notes and maps. It had been a couple years since she and her friends had first ventured into the Everfree Forest in search of the Castle of the Pony Sisters and Nightmare Moon. Her friendship with Zecora and infrequent trips into the forest had revealed more than one path from Ponyville's outskirts to the ancient castle.

"Right," she held out one map with her telekinesis to Applejack. "Here is the long way round. The path is roughest, but the least traveled. You and Rainbow Dash take this route. Rarity-"

"Why are we doing this again?" Applejack interrupted. "Ah mean, why split up?"

"Ooh! ooh! I know! I know!" Pinkie Pie was bouncing up and down. "Because the thing we are looking for might be looking for us and six ponies wearing magical jewelry are bound to attract attention together and two can sneak where six couldn't and we are going in pairs in case there are traps and ambushes so we can watch each others back!"

"Um, yeah. Alright." Rainbow Dash said slowly, trying to process everything Pinkie had said in such a rush. She reached out and took the map Twilight offered.

"Rarity," Twilight continued, "You and Pinkie Pie will be taking the main path. Try and get some information from that big purple serpent-"

"Steve." Rarity corrected her friend politely.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Right, if you see Steve, ask if he knows anything about the creature. Fluttershy and I will be taking this route." She held up a map for everyone to look at.

"Um, Twi. Nawt that I don't trust yer plannin, but that path goes over a gorge."

"Which is why I and Fluttershy are going that way. I can teleport and she can fly the distance." She looked over her friends. "We can do this. The creature might be expecting all six of us, but not from different directions. Keep moving, stay out of sight, and we will meet at the castle gates."

With nods and smiles, the six friends split into pairs and walked off. Rainbow Dash challenged Applejack to a race through the woods. Pinkie started chatting to Rarity about a "victory party" and Rarity offered to help decorate. Fluttershy whimpered by Twilight's side, but the purple unicorn comforted her with a smile. "We will be alright."

Up above them birds of wood and vine looked down, their eyes glowing a blue-green. As one the spread their wings and took flight, each pair of ponies attracting a pair of birds. They followed, silently, watching.

---

Pinkie and Rarity were making good time through the Everfree. While no real roads existed, there was a rough path of sorts to the Castle. It led down a cliff, through a narrow pass, past a darkend section of the woods, over a river and ended at a rope bridge. Rarity had to marvel at how clean and clear the path was once they were down the cliff.

“The last time we came here we were just following Twilight's directions. Now look, the path is virtually unobstructed.” She frowned at the ground. “Granted its still dirt. I am going to need a light bath after all of this, but still, nothing I can't handle.”

Pinkie tackled Rarity into some nearby bushes, and Rarity found herself covered with mud, sap, twigs and leaves.

“Pinkmmmph.” Rarity's cries of distress were silenced by Pinkies hoof as she pointed up the path. Something was moving along. Rarity sat quietly, afraid as she waited and watched.

What came around the bend were not monsters nor the creature, but a small group of six deer. The deer were odd, as was everything in the Everfree, and looked like they were topiary.

Pinkie sprang from the bushes to land in the center of the path, making all the newcomers cry out in fright. “HI! I'm Pinkie Pie!”

“Argh, don't scare us like that.” A female sounding deer approached. “We were really worried, we heard there were terrible creatures in the forest today.”

“Oh?” Rarity poked her head from the bushes slowly so as not to frighten the deer any further. “What is it? Manticores? Hydras?”

“No silly,” the lead deer giggled, “Why would we be afraid of those? I heard there were,” she paused and leaned in, whispering, “Ponies in the forest.” The deer shivered.

“Yeah, those things are scary.” A seventh deer, no bigger than a filly, poked her head through the parents legs. “They EAT plants like us. I bet they would just pull me apart and gobble me up.”

Rarity stopped picking at the twigs and leaves in her fur and turned to look at Pinkie Pie. If she didn't know that Pinkie was a pony, she would have assumed she was one of the deer. She realized that she appeared similarly disguised, even if it was not nearly as fabulous as she would have liked.

Pinkie was firing off questions faster than anypony could answer.“So, where are you headed? Where are you from? What is your name? What do you like to eat? Do you-”

“Whoa, slow down.” The lead deer waved at Pinkie with both hooves. “I am Flora, and these are my companions Thorn, Willow, Root, Petal, Stem, and little Fauna. We are headed for the ruined castle, we heard there was a creature there that even the ponies fear.”

“That is where we are going too.” Rarity commented, “Maybe we should go together. 'Safety in numbers' you know.”

Rarity did her best to make civil conversation, but paled next to Pinkie who had somehow already made a friend. She and Flora were gabbing away about life, weather, sweet treats, all without revealing her pony nature.

They followed the winding path until it led to the river. In the past year or two somepony had built a small stone bridge over the river, which had become much deeper from recent rains. The bridge had no railings or sides, merely long grey stone slats on brick pylons. The deer went first, trotting over two at a time. Little Fauna went over with Rarity last, right behind Pinkie and Flora.

“Miss,” Fauna called to Rarity, “I'm not afraid of any ponies.”

Rarity smiled. “You sure are brave.” In front of her, Pinkie's tail twitched back and forth, and then started looking around worriedly.

“Yeah!” Fauna waved a hoof at her. “You just watch, if we run into any ponies, I'll jump on them and WOAH!” Fauna's excitement had carried her too close to the edge of the bridge. Rarity reached out, but the little creature slipped from her grasp and fell toward the rushing water below.

“I got her!” Rarity looked up as Pinkie turned and jumped down into the water below. She watched the pink pony struggle through the water, dragging the struggling young thing towards the shore.

“Come on, we have to help pull them out.” Rarity found her way blocked by Root and Thorn.

“We aren't letting you anywhere near her again.” Thorn said.

“Not after you pushed her off the bridge.” Root added.

“Pushed her?”

“We heard her cry out while talking to you.” Root said, stepping forward and forcing Rarity to back up.

“When we turned around, there you were, hooves out, shoving her into the water.” Thorn kept pace with his kin.

“Darlings, I was reaching out to help her.”

“HA!” The two pushed Rarity off into the shallow end, just as Pinkie surged onto the shore, dragging Fauna with her.

Unfortunately the dip in the water washed off all of their plant camouflage.

“PONIES!!!”

Root and Thorn threw small stones at Rarity and Pinkie as Fauna ran past them across the bridge. For a moment, as the water got into her eyes, Rarity could swear that Fauna looked like Scootaloo, and Thorn and Root like Twilight and herself. She blinked to clear her vision, and saw on the far side a fight going on.

“Stupid.”

“Traitor.”

“Idiot.”

The remaining deer were beating up Flora.

“I didn't know!” Flora protested, shielding herself as best she could.

“You were awfully friendly with that pink Pony. What were you planning? Going to feed us to it?!”

“HEY!” Pinkie was advancing up the bridge, as Root and Thorn fell back in fear. “YOU MEANIES LEAVE HER ALONE!”

“It's even coming to her aid!” All the fauns but Flora fled into the underbrush. Pinkie ran towards the battered creature, hoping to help it.

“No. NO!” The faun was dragging itself towards the trees. “Leave me alone! Don't eat me! Please!” She was crying, battered. The greyish dust and her bruised face reminded Pinkie of a pegasus she had seen somewhere. Pinkie started to follow, when she felt a hoof upon her shoulder.

“Pinkie,” Rairty said softly, “We can't help her now. Any aid we give will only alienate her further. And we have to get to the castle, Twilight needs us.”

Pinkie just nodded and turned towards the distant castle. She swore she would find a way to make it up to Flora someday.

---

As the bearers left, the topiary deer fell apart. Their part done, Nightmare's magic unwound from the leaves and branches. She left them standing together in a small glade, smiling and holding hooves.

“You see,” I waved my hand at the image projected from a scrying circle painted on a sheet. “No one was hurt.” I turned to Princess Luna, smiling.

“But why the act?" The princess and I sat in the Night Court, sipping tea. "To what end do thy expend thine energies in this farce?”

“To stall. To needle. To sow little doubts.” I pulled out another painted sheet as the scrying circle started to fade on the one we had been using. "I want them to THINK a little about how things can be... misunderstood."

"To show that all thy crimes are not but simple confusion? That thou art not bad?"

"Oh no." I smiled at the princess as I got the next circle going. "I am evil. They decided that for me already." My voice broke a little as I talked, so I hushed up and turned away, trying to hide the tears forming in my eyes.

Princesses Luna looked at me with a confused expression and sipped her tea.

Author's Note:

So Rarity and Pinkie Pie have made it through the Everfree and are nearing their goal.

As always constructive criticism and comments are welcome.

Comments

[Dragonfox]

Now that was a grate chapter. You are doing a grate job on the story and I can't wate for the next chapter. I can't wate to see how she will bring her points to the girls. To have Princess Luna, seeing the proceeding is a stroke of inspiration. Now Luna can see for herself whit has been happening. I wonder whit Twilight's friendship report will be to Princess Celestia this time? A lot of laps of judgment have ben made. I do hope to see a new chapter soon. Keep up the grate work and I mean Grate!

[OPAL]

that was awesome. great job man.