The More Things Change

by The Crane

All together now

And now, Casie and Amanda have reunited in the library. While the two recount their last few days on this wonderous new world, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle exit the room to another to give the two some privacy.

"So, Casie, where have you been?" A blue coat pony with short black mane smiles a little as she had found one of her friends. She makes herself comfortable next to Casie on the furniture.

"EH. around." She scratches the back of her head with a forehoof. Quite contrary to her friend, she has a red color scheme. "Cats stuck in trees. Fires. Little old ponies across the street."

"Bored out of your mind?"

"Pretty much. You?"

"Thought I ran into Sundae. Turns out it was a little kid who lives around here. Now she won't come near me. Any word on Bobbi?"

"She'll show up. She's always running late."

"I am not!!" another shouts from outside. The door opens on its own and a mute-gold pony walks through with a similarly colored horn. She wears a wrap around her body and a stern expression. "I am NOT always late."

Twilight trots into the room again as she heard the door open again. "Hello," she greets happily. "And who might you be?"

"She's with us, Twilight," Amanda says with a smile. "Pardon her blunt intrusion. She's always a little behind."

The purple princess looks between Bobbi and the other two for a moment. "Alright," she says. "I'll be in here." Even she can see a bit of tension in the air as she walks backwards away from the situation.

"You were the last to show up out of us five."

"Dramatic entrance!!" Bobbi snorts. "I beat Shifter, didn't I?"

"Yeah. You beat up Tonya. Good for you." Casie tries to give Bobbi a thumbs up, but lacks thumbs to stick up.

Bobbi raises a hoof to correct her comment, but can't think of anything valid to say. While it is true she fought an evil presence, it was possessing Tonya's body at the time.

"You missed most of the Forgotten War."

"You all thought I was dead anyway. And besides, I was trapped on a different planet!!"

"Out of five of us, you are the last to arrive here."

"NO!! I don't see Tonya or Kat. So HHHHAAAA!!"

"Oh, I wouldn't think that," Kat mentions from nowhere.

Three ponies look around to hear Kat's voice, but see.... nothing. "Telepathy?" Casie asks.

"Nope. Just lovingly invisible. I think I'll change my codename from 'Tel' to 'Invisipony.'"

There is a loud roar coming from the floor. One would think it was a lion in the basement, if there was one. "Twilight," Amanda asks towards the other room, "did you forget to feed your library?"

For reasons unknown, Spike suddenly races by and out the door. He nearly trips up Bobbi, but she dodges just at the right time. "I'll get right on it!!"

"Casie," Amanda wonders, "what was that, anyway?"

"Methinks our couch is hungry."

"But that's--" Amanda hops to her hooves and walks around the furnishing for a moment. "I don't think this is a couch.."

Casie hops off as well and inspects it from the other side. "Is this...."

"Tonya?!" comes a chorus of four voices.

Bobbi walks up and taps the 'couch' with her hoof for a moment. There is a flailing motion from behind as a leg reaches over and momentarily itches in such a spot. "Hmm... Not dead yet."

"Surprising," Kat chuckles. "With Casie's heavy butt on her."

"I am NOT heavy!! I have seen you pack away a few donuts in my time!!"

"And muffins," Amanda adds.

"And pancakes," Bobbi adds.

"Bacon is your passion," Tonya adds from below.

"Bacon?" Fluttershy asks. "What's that?"

"You know," Tonya remarks. "Bacon. Take a pig. Skin it, fry--" Her comments are cut off again as an invisible force glues her mouth shut again. In the meantime, Fluttershy faints where she stands.

"No wonder," Twilight murmurs as she walks in. She slides a pillow under Fluttershy's head for comfort. "That cloud you sat on supported your weight, but you were able to push it all the way to the ground. I have never seen anypony do that before..."

"Et tu, Twilight?" Kat groans.

"Yeah," Twilight returns as she tosses a blanket over her yellow friend. "I too," she replies while pointing at her fallen comrade with an irrate expression.

"Forgive her," Kat says quietly. "Where we're from, it's not all vegetarian diets. I know for you it's probably close to murder, but our world is different."

For a long moment, Twilight ponders the idea and realizes she has to give them all a little leeway. Their way of life is different from hers. "Alright. But, if Fluttershy's in the room, I don't want to hear anymore about it. And as long as you're ponies, you'll eat like one."

"Fair enough," Kat smiles from invisity.

"Where are you, anyway?" Amanda asks. "I hear you, but I don't see you."

"I think its our Crystals," Bobbi notes. "Just look at us for a moment. Casie's red, like her Crystal. Amanda's blue. I'm gold."

"I'm crap brown," Tonya sneers.

Bobbi pauses for a moment with a flat gaze and slightly open jaw. "Apparently Tonya's still in need of a therapist."

"Tonya..." Kat says quietly. "You can't be so hard on yourself. What happened--"

"--not my fault," Tonya finishes. "Blah blah blah. Heard it before. Try and prove it. You girls go out and have your fun. I'll be here if anyone needs me. I'll be sure to be nice and fluffy for all your behinds."

"Bobbi," Amanda asks, "are you thinking that Kat is invisible because of her Crystal?"

"Seems logical," Bobbi returns.

Twilight walks over and pulls a book off the shelf with her horn's magic. "We've been trying to find a way to get her... unstuck, I guess you could say."

Casie smirks a bit. "Any way we can seal Tonya's mouth shut?"

"There is," Twilight mentions. "But I won't tell you. Awkward as it is for the rest of us, it's her way of expressing herself." She walks with an open book floating in front of her. "Kat, you seem to be awfully close with Tonya. Surely you realize this?"

"Of course I'm close to Tonya!! She fathered my child!"

There are three face-hooves from Amanda, Casie, and Bobbi as Kat realizes what she just said. Twilight stands in place while the book hits the floor. Her eyes widen to the size of saucers. Her hoof is raised, and her jaw opens, but nothing complete is said. The wheels in the alicorn's head grind to a hault as the thought of one mare conceiving a child with another mare... impossible!!

"Congratulations, Kat. You broke her."

Tonya, for kicks, raises a hind leg and tips her over. Twilight remains in that pose even as she hits the floor.

"It's official," Amanda sighs. "We're evil."