The Rift Between Worlds

by kurusagi16

Other Worldly Encounters

After getting over his confusion, Flutterbye left the cottage and headed for Sweet Apple Acres, hoping that perhaps his friend Applejack could provide him with some answers. As he approached the outskirts of the farm, everything seemed normal enough. That is until he got into view of the farm house and saw three ponies that made him freeze.

The first looked like Applejack, hat and all, except she was a mare. Then there was a big stallion who looked a bit like Big Macareina. Finally, there was cute little filly that reminded him a lot of Apple Bud. A million questions swam through Flutterbye's head, trying to figure out what in Equestria was going on. Was this all just some bad dream? Was it some kind of spell? Flutterbye was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard somepony hollering and crying out.

"Let go of me ya varmints, I'm not leaving my house and that's it!"

Taking a closer look, Flutterbye could see that the three ponies were trying to get Grampy Smith to come out of the Farm House. He felt slightly relieved to see at least one pony he knew.

"Please sir, ya gotta come with us to the town hall." Said the mare pleadingly.

"Eeyup." The stallion said in agreement.

"I'm not going anywhere with a bunch o' strangers like you." Grampy declared, stamping a hoof as her stood on the other side of the door.

"We're just trying to help ya, mister." The filly said.

"I don't need no help." Grampy said stubbornly. "Now git going, before I decide to come out there and send y'all packing myself!"

The mare sighed. "Well, I didn't want us having to do this." She turned toward the stallion and said, "Big Mac?"

"Eeyup!" The stallion replied, stepping toward the door and pulling it open.

"Hey! Stand back! I got a frying pan and I'm not afraid to use it!" The elderly pony cried.

The stallion, Big Mac as he seemed to be called, paid Grampy's cries no mind, and instead hoisted him up onto his back, where he then proceeded to flail and beat his hooves against Big Mac's side.

Unable to watch this any longer, Flutterbye ran up toward the ponies. "Stop, what do you think you're doing?!"

The ponies turned to him, only looking momentarily surprised before the filly said, "Looks like we got another one."

The mare stepped forward and asked him, "Excuse me, but, you wouldn't happen to be one of the ponies from the other world, would ya?"

Flutterbye blinked. The only response that came out of him was, "Uh..."

However the filly interjected saying, "Of course he is, sis. Just look at him." She pointed a hoof at Flutterbye. "He looks almost exactly like Fluttershy, so he must be from the other world."

"Apple Bloom." The mare scolded.

"What?" Asked the filly innocently. "It's true."

'Fluttershy?' Flutterbye wondered to himself. He then remembered the picture in the cottage, the mare that looked like him and Applejack, one of whom was now standing right in front of him. Had he really entered another world?

Grampy, who was resting from all that flailing, looked up and spotted Flutterbye. "Hey! Aren't you that fella who's friends with my grandson?" He asked.

"Er, yes sir." Said Flutterbye. "I am."

"Ah yes, I remember you, Butterscotch is it?"

"It's Flutterbye actually." He said.

"That's what I said." Said Grampy. "Now, can you tell these disrespectful youngins to let me go and get off my farm?!"

"What are doing with him?" Flutterbye asked.

"Ya see, in case you didn't know til now, there've been ponies coming in from another world, your world, into ours. Some of the townsponies have been trying to get these lost ponies to town hall, so that we can have everypony together for when we send them back home."

Flutterbye nodded in understanding. "So, there's a way for me and the ponies from my world to go home?"

"Ah well, not yet." The mare admitted. "But we're working on something. Twilight's got Discord helpin' her so--"

"Discordia? She's here?" Flutterbye asked, seeming to brighten up.

"No, I said Discord, not Discordia." She clarified.

"Oh," Flutterbye's ears drooped in disappointment. That is, until a thought occurred to him. "Would it be okay if I met with this Discord and Twilight?"

"Uh, I don't see why not." The mare said.

"Where can I find them?" He asked.

"On the other side of Ponyville." She said, directing him with her hoof. "It's the giant castle made of crystal, so you can't miss it."

Flutterbye smiled gratefully. "Thank you." And with that, he was off galloping toward the direction of the castle.

"Hey! Where are you going? Get back here and help me!" Grampy cried. But it was too late, as Flutterbye was already far out of sight. Grampy then grumbled, "Youngin's these days, got no respect for their elders."

---

Once she got over her initial shock, Fluttershy asked the Doctor if she knew of any way of helping her get home.

"Sorry." The Doctor said, "I'm afraid that I won't be able to help you."

"Oh." Said Fluttershy glumly. "Thank you anyway."

"Though," The Doctor added. "I do know somepony who might be able to help you out."

"Who?" Fluttershy asked.

"There's a Unicorn named Nightfall Shine who lives above the Golden Oak Library in town. I've heard that he's traveled to other worlds before, so maybe he can provide a solution to your problem."

"Wait, the Golden Oak Library is still here?" Fluttershy asked in amazement.

The Doctor chuckled. "Pardon me for saying so miss, but you must try to remember that this is an alternate universe, meaning that it's different in some ways from your own. Yet similar in some ways too."

"Oh, right." Fluttershy said sheepishly.

The Doctor waved a hoof and said, "Oh don't worry, you're new to dimensional travel, so things like this aren't common knowledge."

Fluttershy stood up from her seat and said, "Thank you so much for your help." And then hurried out of the house. "Goodbye!"

"Auravoir!" Cried the Doctor, waving farewell.

Dippity Doo then crashed down onto the floor, looking in the direction of the doorway. "She seemed nice. Think we'll see her again."

The Doctor merely chuckled again, passing by the Pegasus to analyze her data.

"Is that a maybe?"

---

Evening Star had just finished getting the mirror back down to the lab and putting it back where it belonged. As he climbed up the stair to the library, he wondered if Discordia was almost done sealing up the holes. Once he made it back on the main floor, the door slammed open, and in rushed two figures that Evening had hoped he wouldn't have to face until much later.

The first was a lavender Unicorn, the Ambassador of Friendship himself, Nightfall Shine, and following close by him was a small, female dragon, his number one assistant Barb.

Evening froze and put on a nervous smile. "Nightfall! Barb! I didn't expect you two to get back so soon."

Unfortunately for him, Nightfall saw right through him. "Evening, what's going on out there?"

"Er, what do you mean?" He asked.

"The town's gone crazy!" Said Barb, pointing a claw toward the door. "Everypony is in a panic."

"And with good reason." Said Nightfall. "I got a report from the mayor that ponies have been disappearing all over town, and that strange doubles have reappeared in their place."

"What?!" Evening cried. "Are you serious?"

"Does it look like we're joking?" Barb said seriously.

Evening's brow furrowed as he ran a hoof through his mane. "Oh man, I knew there'd end up being trouble, but I didn't imagine anything like this!"

"Evening, I think it's time that you told us what you know." Nightfall said, waiting to hear his student's explanation.

Realizing he couldn't prolong the truth for any longer, Evening Star recounted what had happened, how he'd tried to study the mirror and how Discordia interfered despite him telling her not to. Both Nightfall and Barb listened intently until Evening was finished.

Nightfall reached out and placed a hoof on Evening's shoulder in a show of support. "We'll talk more about this incident later." He said. "For now, we have more pressing issues to deal with."

"Then...you're not mad?" Evening asked hopefully.

"I didn't say that," Nightfall said. "But mostly, it's Discordia that I'm mad at, seeing as how she's the cause of all this."

"She's been trying to close up the rifts since she left." Evening said. "I haven't heard from her so I'm not sure how well things are going."

Just then, a soft knock sounded on the library door.

"I got it." Said Barb, as she reached out and opened it.

Standing on the welcome mat was a Pegasus mare that everypony in the library could tell was one of ones from the other world.

"Um, hello there." She said, cracking a nervous smile. "My name's Fluttershy, and I was told that somepony called Nightfall could help me?"

Comments

[zachary12]

nice work.

[PonySage86]

But it ain't Discordias fault, Evening messed with her spell.

Also I guess Tirek never happened in the gender swapped universe?

[kurusagi16]

8727466
Yeah, that's the idea. To me, it's kinda like adventure time and Fionna and Cake. There are similarities, but there are differences in timelines.

[titanhades70]

8727466
Actually, it is. Evening warned her to get away.