Rabbit Hole
Twilight groaned in pain as the air was forced from her lungs, her back pressed uncomfortably against cold metal by the crushing weight of... herself. She struggled to extricate herself from under her duplicate, unsuccessfully.
The pendant emitted a chime that could only be described as 'cheerful', the green glow fading from around the rim. Her duplicate nickered, expression shifting from exasperation to abject horror.
"I am so dead."
"Sorry." Twilight offered again, smiling sheepishly
"Stop apologising."
"Sorry."
"Augh!"
"Sorry."
Her duplicate leaned in, nose almost touching Twilight's. "Shut. Up."
"Sorry."
A glare silenced any further apologetics, granting time for her duplicate to pull herself away from Twilight and raise to a standing position. Granted a reprieve from the crushing pressure, Twilight rolled over, taking the opportunity to examine the room into which she had been deposited.
It was bright. It was cold. It was very unfamiliar to the bookish unicorn, who had spent most of her time inside structures constructed of brick, wood and stone, lit by lanterns and sunlight. The floor was a silvery-grey metal, lined with strips of a black, grippy material Twilight couldn't identify. The walls were constructed of a similar material, curving upwards from the floor to meet the ceiling far overhead, where numerous small recesses shone with a sterile, almost clinical white light.
Twilight felt her breath catch in her throat as she realised there were no doors.
"Where have you taken me?" She breathed, on the verge of panic "Where am I?"
Her duplicate didn't respond immediately, looking around the room with a look of confusion.
"Odd. It doesn't usually take them this long."
Twilight gaped. It was as though she wasn't even there. Panic gave way to indignant anger. She opened her mouth to speak, only for a voice to echo throughout the room, cutting her off before a single syllable had the chance to form.
"Unscheduled Beacon Activation. Security Team Alpha report to Gate Three."
Twilight squeaked and covered her ears as a series of cracks echoed throughout the room. She tried to make herself as small as possible as the yelling started, holding herself to the floor and covering her head protectively.
"Identify! Now!"
"Sparkle, Twilight. Echo. Team Three-Eight." Twilight heard a clink of metal on metal as something fell to the floor. "Beacon Clear. No Contamination."
Twilight peeked her head up, staring at her duplicate who had sunk to the floor, forehooves behind her head, horn pointed up and away in a display of nonthreatening submission, her pendant lying on the floor next to her. Three other ponies surrounded her, clad in suits of dull grey armour and brandishing an assortment of what she assumed were weapons.
A fourth guard approached Twilight, a blocky rectangular device held aloft in their magic, pointed at her.
"You! Identify!"
"Twilight Sparkle?" she offered hesitantly
The guard continued to glare at her, clearly unsatisfied with the response.
"Um... I'm a student at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns?" She continued "My parents are Night Light and Twilight Velvet? I... uh..."
"Stop talking," The guard growled
"Okay," Twilight whispered
"Sparkle Echo," the guard began, still glaring at Twilight. "Who is this?"
"She spotted me." 'Echo' replied in an even tone. "Chased me through half of Canterlot."
"Is she hostile?" The guard barked, impatiently. "Analysis said that Room's disposition was friendly!"
"Analysis can go suck horseapples." 'Echo' replied, bitterly. "She's an Insider."
The guard stepped back in surprise, lowering the device he had aimed at her.
"You brought an Insider to the Exterior?" he asked, quietly "Echo, that's Rule Number One!"
"No, she followed me." 'Echo' corrected. "And got caught in the backwash when I Exited. Like I said, Analysis are complete featherbrains. That cell was not supposed to have another Sparkle."
"Analysis has never been wrong before."
"Suuure..." 'Echo' replied sarcastically, gesturing at Twilight. "Explain this then."
"Excuse me..." Twilight interrupted, raising her head slightly. "But where am I? What's an Insider? What is going on?"
"Can we just send her back?" the guard asked, nervously. "Would that work?"
"Possibly" 'Echo' replied "Though knowing my luck she'd find a way back here now she knows about us. She is a Sparkle."
"Have I ever said how much you Sparkles annoy me, Echo?" The guard sighed, leaning his head to the side and muttering something into a black, fuzzy protrusion sticking out of his suit.
"Okay, enough," Twilight stated, rising slowly to her hooves and igniting her horn. "This day has been entirely too weird for me, and you all keep ignoring me. I want answers!"
The guards backed up, levelling their weapons at her. The closest guard, the commander, Twilight assumed, was frantically muttering into the fuzzy stalk.
"Security Teams Beta and Gamma report immediately to Gate Three. Intruder Alert!"
"I wouldn't," Echo warned. "You might be a Sparkle, but these colts are quite good at their jobs."
"What in Celestia's name is a 'Sparkle'?" Twilight demanded, levelling her horn at Echo.
There was another series of cracks from behind her. She yelped as a yellow-tinged magic field surrounded her, lifting her off the floor and shorting out her own magic, droplets of purple dripping off her horn and dissolving into the aether.
"Let. Me. Go!" She demanded, struggling futilely against the field.
"Oh dear. Now this is bad." came a male voice, regal and measured. "Shoot her."
"Wait! No!" Twilight yelped as one of the guards levelled their weapon at her. "Stop! Don't!"
"Hold," came a different voice, a female this time. "She's not a threat to the Exterior, not where she came from. Her cell was about as far from the Ruins as it's possible to get."
"How can you be sure?" Came a third voice, another female. "This wouldn't be the first time somepony from the Ruins had tried to escape by infiltrating the Interior. Not to mention the Falls, one of them could have discovered us and sent her here."
"She's not from the Falls," the second voice replied, spitting the word 'Falls' like it was toxic. "None of them even know who we really are, let alone have the capability to attack us here."
"You can't know that as a definite," The first voice challenged. "The Bureaus-"
"Are far too focussed on their own little campaign to even notice Outsiders." The second voice interrupted. "We're secure. This breach, through unique, does not threaten the integrity of the Exterior. Guards, you're dismissed. I will deal with the Insider."
The guards teleported away one-by-one, cracks echoing throughout the room as they departed, eventually leaving only the mysterious voice, and Twilight, suspended in the air.
She drifted slowly to the group as the field dissipated. The sound of hoofsteps echoed throughout the room as the owner of the unknown voice walked into her field of view.
"Princess Celestia?"
The Solar Princess gazed down at her, fixing her with a gaze that was equal parts amusement and disappointment, a strange combination that Twilight had witnessed on many different occasions. Despite the familiarity, Twilight knew this was a different Celestia to the one she knew, a fact given away by the distinct lack of golden regalia that typically adorned the Princess' neck and head, and the slightly pinker hue of her coat.
"Twilight Sparkle." Celestia replied. "I apologise for the zealousness of my guards. They are trained to deal with threats considerably more aggressive than yourself."
"I understand." Twilight lied.
"I hope you are not unduly stressed by the situation," Celestia stated soothingly, flashing a disarming smile. "I assure you, this is all an accident of celestial proportions."
Twilight chuckled at the joke.
"I understand, Princess," She replied, bowing in deference. "You don't need to explain yourself."
"Just Celestia, please Twilight. I'm no princess. Never have been," Celestia replied. "Besides. I am not even the Celestia you know, though I suppose that much is obvious, given the lack of..."
She gestured to her missing regalia, drawing an understanding nod from Twilight.
"I am what is called an 'Outsider'. So is everypony else who lives here." Celestia gestured to the room, before stopping herself. "Not in this room, obviously."
"Your speech, it's so..." Twilight trailed off, trying to find the right word.
"Strange?" Celestia offered
Twilight nodded.
"Like I said, I'm not the Celestia you know," She continued. "I'm not even the only Celestia that lives here. I am one of six, actually. We all have our little quirks that set us apart. I'm a bit more pink than the others, for instance. I am officially Celestia Alpha, owing that I was the first recorded Celestia to arrive here, though many of the ponies here have elected instead to call me 'Pinklestia' instead"
Twilight snorted, trying to hide it behind a cough.
"Go on, laugh, it helps to ease the tension, trust me."
"Um, Princ... Celestia?" Twilight began, hesitantly. "I would very much like to go home."
"Ah," Celestia answered, slowly. "I was afraid you were going to ask that. Honestly I was hoping you were going to take longer to get to that question, though I can see why it would be foremost in your mind."
Twilight merely stared, waiting for a response.
"I'm afraid you cannot go home." Celestia explained. "Not permanently, at least."
Twilight gaped, unable to form a response.
"You see, you're an anomaly to us," She continued. "No Insider has ever, ever in the history of everything managed to get here. It's never happened before, and by all rights, it shouldn't ever happen. It's not something we even have contingencies for."
"I don't understand," Twilight replied, apparently still processing the fact that she wasn't going home.
"I don't expect you to. This is a lot to take in at once." Celestia sighed. "Ten minutes ago, you didn't even know this place existed, let alone what it implied."
Twilight took a deep breath, taking stock of her situation in as close to a level-headed fashion as possible.
"You're taking this rather better than I expected you to, Twilight."
"I'm not going home?"
"No. Not until we discover what your presence here implies for us."
"How long will that take?"
"I don't know. Maybe a few hours, maybe entire years." Celestia admitted, glancing nervously at the floor. "Maybe never."
"Oh."
They sat in silence for a moment, the larger alicorn regarding the small purple unicorn with an air of concern.
"I'm sorry. I can only begin to imagine how you must be feeling." Celestia said, trying her best to console her. "I'm sure you will see your friends again, once we sort all this out."
"Don't have friends." Twilight corrected flatly
"Oh? What about your companions, the Elements of Harmony? Did you have those where you came from?"
"I don't know what that is."
"Have you ever heard of a pony called Nightmare Moon?"
"No."
"Spike?"
"No."
"Discord?"
"No."
"Princess Cadance?"
"No."
"...Shining Armor?"
"That's my brother. But I don't see him much anymore."
"Your family?"
"Don't see them much either. My studies take up most of my time."
"Being the personal protégé of the Princess would do that..."
"I'm not her protégé." Twilight corrected. "You're thinking of Sunset Shimmer. I'm just a student at the school."
They both stared at each other for a moment.
"How unique," Celestia pondered. "Forgive my bluntness, but you seem so alone there. Why are you so eager to return?"
"It's what I know," Twilight explained. "I don't know anything about here. Or even what 'here' is."
"Well!" Celestia explained, getting to her hooves. "What say we change that, then? How about a tour? With the excitement over, It should be quite easy to show you around."
"I'd like that."
Stats
Page generated in 0.025 seconds
Total duration
887 users online
627,526 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I don't understand the downvotes; there are some minor typos, but overall the story is consistent and intriguing. I especially enjoy you exploring a friendless and less egotistical Twilight. Here's hoping you continue the story and shed some light on the odd situation she's managed to find herself in.
Well this looks like it will be interesting. Thank you, Horizon, for sending me over here.
Horizon sent me. And I'm glad he did. I like where this is going.
This is fascinating! I want to know more!
Curious.
Goddammit, Someone used Outsiders/Insiders earlier than me. Though it is a pretty basic name that probably a lot more people use.
In any case, I am really enjoying all these clones. And ShutIn!Twi.
Damn this story is really interesting and so good so far can't wait to see how this turns out.
Keep up the work lad
A bit rough to be honest, but that is a nitpick, because this is a great story so far, and it has me intrigued and wanting for more.
I am very intrigued by whats going on, and I take it that this is quite a different Twilight then we are used to seeing isn't it. When I started reading, I just took it as it was Twilight before she was sent to Ponyville, but apparently not. Something about her past is different apparently. I assume we will be hearing more about that as we go along.
Blame Horizon for sending me here. Or thank him, you know whatever is appropriate.
Since I am on my phone, pms are a pain, but id be interested on the prereader bot. Also thanks, Horizon.
It's certainly intriguing, though the pace could use some work. Two chapters in with no explenation of what's going is a bit much for my attention span to handle.
Oh well. I usually don't read AU fics but this one seems interesting, so I think I'll keep an eye on it.
Sooo...This is a universe wheree Twi never met the Elements, never became Celestia's student, and never met Spike?
I can go with this.
Okay, attempting to decipher the lingo:
Exterior: The universe the two Twilights and Pink Celestia are in now.
Interior: Every other dimension.
Falls: Fallout Equestria and any variants thereof.
Bureaus: Same as above, but with The Conversion Bureau.
Ruins: ??? Another fanfic universe I haven't heard of? Or possibly a corrupt cluster of universes.
You bet your ass I'm going to see where this is headed.
Fascinating.
I have little to no idea what's going on, though.
full attention grabbed. (hidden just cause I don't like to spoil stuff) I am going out on a limb and saying there is 5 or 6 parallel worlds with different creatures that inhabit them and the 'inside', which is the equestria we all know, is the one in the middle of them. with a little bit of time difference between the worlds. insta fav and like.
It appears you have my, and others, attentions by the balls. I'm too tired to give helpful notices to errors or give meaningful compliments, but now I am deeply interested in what happens next.
Alternate universes I guess though... this will be interesting indeed.
Assuming this isn't banished to eternal stagnation.
Ooh, that dark tag... That tends to turn me away. Still, I've been rewarded for pushing past it a few times. Perhaps this will be one of them.
you a question, but I'm not sure what would reassure me.
I feel I
4210300 My guess was that 'Ruins' would be Fallout Equestria. Falls would be where the dimension fell to evil with Nightmare Moon in charge or something.
4210300
4210993
4211444
Ooh! Speculation!
Gonna need a good stock response for this one... hmm... Oh! I Know!
Spoilers!
4209652
In the past I've tended to be a bit... enthusiastic in my forays into fiction-writing, and revealed too much too quickly (or just straight-up info-dumped), and it felt rushed. I'm trying to actively reign that instinct in and pace things out this time, which is why it might feel a bit slow.
4211295
Go ahead and ask it, I'll do my best to give you a straight answer provided it won't outright spoil future chapters.
In terms of the 'dark' tag, That was added because the descriptors in the FAQ fit (Specifically, the presence of violent war and death). I personally wouldn't describe the story as excessively dark, though.
4211257
With the number of people who have expressed interest, you can rest assured that I do not intend at all for this fic to fall into the mists of incompletion and obscurity (I woke up this morning to 136 Fimfic notifications. Spit-takes were involved.).
Currently, I'm aiming for a weekly release schedule, and have a few chapters already buffered up and awaiting editing.
I was thinking something other than Fallout for the Fall, but it WOULD still make sense, and keep the other for the Ruins. Both in turn could be true. I shall follow this along curiously.
4211645
By the way, if you're doing alternate universes, which you seem to be, I hope they are not alternate timelines. Parallel worlds in the FiM-verse probably wouldn't be temporally linked due to the way time is hinted to work. I tend to reason that they're more like reflections of each other. (Or shadows, if you've read your Zelazny.)
This seems interesting, especially seeing as this Twilight is so different to the one we know.
4211645 Sometimes I think we need a River!Pony tag just for the spoilers.
Really, you have my attention with this story. I'm really keen on seeing what is going on and where it will lead.
Hey, this is neat! Keep it up!
This story reminds me of a story idea that I am playing with. It revolves around the idea of the formation of an inter-dimensional organization, not unlike this one.
My idea, however, revolves around the quantum theory that there is a universe for every possible possibility, and by extension, the effects of an organization that can contact and travel to each version of their own world and organization as they form. In my interpretation, this allows the organization interesting tools, as well as a near infinite number of every agent. These agents then go into a class of agent, not unlike your "Sparkles".
The theory goes above the heads of my intended audience so I am focusing on the journey of someone who has no experience with such an idea being thrown into this forming organization, not unlike your story.
I for one am just surprised at the similarities of the concepts.
I just wanted to get these thoughts out there, keep up the interesting idea.
4211645
Now that you've clarified based on the tag's descriptors, I already have my answer! (Which is interesting, since what I'd been saying was that I didn't know the question.)
Oh my glob! I thought it was a story about PonyBoy, Steve, Two-Bit, Dally, Darry, Johnny, Soda and other people till I read description!
Pinklestia FTW!
4211645
just one question. is there time dilation between the different worlds or what?
Well, this seems to be an interesting idea, will follow. Let's see where this ride takes us...
Interesting. It's good to see someone starting something new.
So... this has potential!
Favorite and upvote. Looking forward to more!
4210300 4211444
My guess is that "Outside" is more literal than that: these particular ponies have discovered some mechanism for breaking out of traditional spacetime and their home base is in someplace at right angles to reality. "Inside" would then refer to when they have reinserted themselves into an Equestrian timeline.
Ooh, I didn't even think of Fall, Bureau, Ruins etc. as referring to other story universes. They're semi-generic words and I could see them going either way, but it's an interesting interpretation.
Hey, this is interesting! You have my attention!
Wow, poor pre-elements Twi. Guess this was a reality where Sunset Shimmer didn't go running off, hehe.
4224015 Try the Clock Repair Shop in Ponyville, ask a stallion named TimeTurner about it. Trust me, it'll be worth it.
I only just found this and it seems... intriguing. Right now it's just in the 'wtf is going on?' stage, but it's done a good job at that. Hopefully it stays interesting once we start getting some explanations.
Two places called "Inside" and "Outside". A Celestia that is not a princess. Can return home but not permanently.
Twilight will probably be some sort of "Chosen One" to save them all.
Why do I think of The Matrix?
4211645
Well, you DID get a signal boost from a pretty high source
The fact that you got notifications shows you did well enough to keep them :D
4210300 Huh. Wow, that stuff didn't even occur to me. On second thought though, I'm thinking that the Outside refers to the toys (hence it's "outside" the show and related fictions). After all, Pinklestia, or Celestia Alpha, was the first one to "Arrive".
*Edit* And on third thought...
They're Background Ponies.
Well this sure seem interesting, though there is the nagging voice in the back of mind that's telling me that you're ripping off The One staring Jet Li and Jason Strathom. Like that you give a date for your next update, reminds me of another story I'm reading.
Six celestias? What a wierd coincidence.And she has a color.Tell me out of the six is she the more cheerful one?
4213274
Holy crap, it's been so long since I've read that book that I'd forgotten about it. (wow... that makes me sound old...).
4224015
If you do find one, lemme borrow it for a bit so I can go into the future and steal the completed fic off myself. That way I can spend the time I would be using to writethisstory writing another one alongside it, then go stealthatfrom the future...On second thought, don't give me a time
machine. It can only end badly.
4212094
4214933
Time travel, time dilation, and various time-related shenanigans are not slated to appear in this fic, nor anywhere within a 50 kilouniverse radius of this fic.
Or I could be lying.
To much sci-fi brain fuck for me, sorry but I'm outta here.
AU TWiLiGHT?!
This is relevant to my interests
Also, does anyone know why the hell this: , happens every time the letter 'i' is typed?
Twilight admit she's fat. Very fat
Forgot your end symbols. Mostly commas.
Though.
4315411 i concur! I can just tell...
img0.etsystatic.com/022/0/5437590/il_340x270.479853850_8ikz.jpg
Pun intended.
4387919 Featherswift.exe has experienced a funny error, please reboot as soon as possible with fan and water.
>With the excitement over, It should be quite easy to show you around
*it
4315411
You say that as if it were a bad thing
Typical canadian :P
Intriguing. Very intriguing...
Now this is an intriguing premise. I hope we get to see the promised tour and other exposition for Twilight, since we're (or at least I'm) nearly as much in the dark as she. (Though I can make some inferences, mostly involving parallel universes, some of which are perceived as superior to others, and some of which may be or host hostiles.)
Aaaah. A Hub. A branch of Interdimensional Travellers.