2. - A Brave New World
Afternoons at Canterlot High were normally a very active time, thanks in no small part to Principal Celestia’s desire to have an abundance of extracurricular activities for the student body. At the moment, though, almost all of the activity on campus was centered squarely on the upcoming Battle of the Bands. Nearly every corner and alcove was filled with students practicing while demanding they each perform better, and each band was convinced that, with just a bit more effort, they could emerge triumphant and claim all of the glory of being the Top Act, along with any secondary perks that may come with such an honor.
The word almost had to be used, however, because there were six students who were simply lounging around and on top of the Wondercolt statue that doubled as the portal to the world of Equestria. For the Rainbooms, their immediate concern - and the reason for their apparent apathy - was because they awaited a reply - and a possible solution - from their pony princess friend in another dimension.
Of course, the tight-knit group still found small ways to occupy the time. Rarity was generously providing Fluttershy with a simplified manicure, Applejack and Pinkie Pie matched both wit and luck in a no-risk game of gin rummy, and Rainbow Dash idly bounced a soccer ball while sitting next to Sunset Shimmer and staring off into the distance.
Sunset, for her part, flipped through the pages of her journal, having little else to do while waiting for a response. It would be moons... or months, in her current location, before the portal could be opened, so scratching notes back and forth was about all the support she could expect.
Unless Twilight found a way to open it prematurely. Her friends believed that their Equestrian friend would be able to do so, but Sunset knew how magic really worked, and had her doubts.
There was a possibility her message would be intentionally ignored, but Sunset firmly put that out of her mind. Her former teacher and princess was better than... well, than herself. Despite the bitter and hateful separation, Celestia would never hold a grudge or withhold assistance out of spite.
Finally, Sunset came to the last entry she had written before fleeing to this world. She had been so arrogant and so self centered back then, blind to the truth and to the warnings Celestia was trying to impart. The power she had craved had led her down a path of ruin and destruction, and she was only now beginning to straighten out her life with the help of her new Canterlot High friends.
Sadly, it seemed that it was going to take the rest of her high school years - and probably all of her college career as well - to overcome her former reputation and to gain forgiveness for her actions.
Sunset snapped the book shut while Rainbow Dash sighed. “I’m starting to think she’s not coming.”
“Ah’m sure she’ll be along shortly, Dash,” Applejack replied from her perch on the statue. “We just need to be patient. If there’s a way to force the portal open, Twilight’ll find it.”
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps, and Sunset glanced up just in time to see a familiar administrator with technicolor hair before them. “Good afternoon, ladies! I’m a bit surprised you’re not practicing.”
“Principal Celestia?” Sunset stood and met the curious gaze of her current ruler. “We were just waiting for someone.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah!” Rainbow added. “She’s an old friend from out of town.”
“Very out of town,” Rarity said with a smirk.
“I see,” Celestia replied with a small chuckle. “And how long do you plan to wait here for our Princess of the Fall Formal?”
“I guess we could be waitin’ for a while,” Applejack said softly. “I thought Twilight would be here by now.”
“Excuse me!” another voice rang out. “Principal Celestia!”
“Oh, Mister Bean!” Celestia smiled warmly as the school’s new dietitian finished jogging up to them. “I thought you had gone home for the day.”
“I was just on my way out, but I noticed that you didn’t sign off on next month’s meal plans,” he replied while he caught his breath.
Celestia huffed and glared playfully at the earnest employee, and one hand went to her hip. “I thought I did sign off on that.”
“I thought you did, too, but I just got a tweet from Granny Smith saying otherwise. I won’t be able to get the school’s order in until you do.”
“Heaven forbid we have a school full of starving teenagers.” Celestia shook her head. “I’ll get it taken care of first thing in the morning.”
“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll make sure Granny Smith gets the updates as soon as you do.”
“Is there anything else I can assist you with?” Celestia asked with half-lidded eyes, and Mister Bean stumbled back a step with an audible gulp.
“N-no, ma’am. That was it. Thank you.”
“Are you sure?”
Sunset and her friends stifled a giggle when Mister Bean’s normally yellow face went beet red. “Oh, I’m sure I’ll find something, but … oh! Not like that! I mean with the meal plans! Good gravy, that’s all I need…”
Principal Celestia shook her head as Mister Bean staggered away and continued muttering something about his own impropriety. “All too easy.”
“I must say, you do seem to have a delightful fondness for tweaking our dutiful dietitian,” Rarity remarked. “Might there be an extra ingredient between you two?”
“I do believe that is none of your business, young lady,” Celestia replied with a sly grin. “But if you must know, the relationship between Mister Bean and myself is purely professional.”
“Is that right?” Applejack asked. “What about all them fancy breakfasts he’s been making for ya in the mornin’ before we get here?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow added. “I didn’t even know that there was such a thing as eggplant and walnut frittata until I asked him about your meal this morning.”
Celestia’s grin became a soft and pleased smile. “Just because I get here on time to get everything prepared for your day, doesn’t mean there’s anything going on between us that could be considered inappropriate. Those are sample dishes that he’s been preparing - on his own time, I might add - to see if they might be put on the menu for a future date - or rather time.”
“Ah see,” said Applejack. “Any other samples you been getting?”
“What my friend means, Principal Celestia,” said Rarity as forcefully as she could, with a quelling look at Applejack, “is that we all think he is rather charming. He’s obviously quite enamored with you, but is too humble to admit it. Perhaps if you were to give him the correct opportunity, with a private table at a restaurant, some wine, and a little discussion that does not involve the school menu, perhaps?”
Principal Celestia shook her head slightly. “Sorry, ladies. While I appreciate you taking an interest in my personal affairs, Mister Bean will remain as he is: a trusted and valuable member of the staff at Canterlot High.”
Sunset chuckled at bit at Rarity’s disappointed pout. Principal Celestia’s personality was nearly identical to her Equestrian counterpart’s, and Sunset was confident that the human Celestia would remain just as celibate as the pony princess was.
“However,” Celestia continued, “I could use your help. I have several boxes in my car that I need taken inside. Would you mind bringing in one or two for me while you wait?”
“Sure thing!” Applejack tossed down her cards and jumped from her perch on the statue with a smile. “I was tired of gettin’ whooped by Pinkie Pie anyway.”
* * ✹ * *
Baked Bean groaned as consciousness plowed into him like a loaded freight train bound for Dead Horse Point, and he rubbed the side of his head while his vision came into focus.
“Oo, that’s the last time I get anywhere near that mirror,” he muttered. “Where am I, anyway?”
Bean found that he was sitting, oddly enough, in the center of a concrete pathway of some sort. A large castle - or, what looked like a castle - towered before him, and he took a long moment to look around the grounds of this strange new world.
The author inside of him began to take furious notes on the architecture of the building before him, but that was quickly forgotten when a large ponyless carriage sputtered past on the nearby road with a thin plume of smoke emitting from the rear of it. Such a strange contraption! Did it work like the steam engines of Equestria, or did something else provide the means for locomotion? How far could it go? What did the youmuns of this world call this wonderful device?
Bean pushed himself up onto all fours with a grunt and a sharp twinge of pain from his rear leg, but that was instantly forgotten when he felt a peculiar and completely unfamiliar sensation in his front hooves. Instead of feeling a single point of contact with the ground, his brain began to receive information from multiple contact points.
He slowly looked down. A delirious grin began to spread.
There were not hooves at the end of his forelegs. There were claws. Real, genuine, honest-to-his-wife dragon claws, although somewhat shorter, blunter and softer than dragon claws should have been. In fact, they were very short claws on the end of very long digits, all fastidiously neat and clean. Claws. He was going to call them claws, even if they weren’t nearly as claw-y as what he would expect.
Baked Bean, at that point, let out a squeal of delight that he denied ever after.
It was still amazing! He quickly rocked back onto his rump to properly wiggle the fleshy digits at the end of his arms; he flapped them about with a flick of his fetlock - and even that wasn’t really a true fetlock anymore! - he poked one with another, pulled on the end one, and then he simply pressed them to his cheeks and giggled maniacally at the sensation. All that time, when he was trying to describe Megan’s features in his book, and he was so completely wrong! These things were awesome!
Baked Bean then ran his new claws over the rest of his face and head, and he tried to picture what he looked like in his mind. His face was rounder now, and his muzzle had shrunk down considerably. His eyes seemed to be smaller as well, but it was a bit hard to tell exactly. His ears had moved too, and he tugged on the slightly bean-shaped things on the sides of his head for a moment.
“Sweet sugar snickerdoodles, I wish I’d brought my notebook,” he muttered in glee while he felt his short, stubby neck. “Maybe I can find one here to use.”
“Bean? What are you doing?”
Baked Bean chuckled nervously and scooted a bit to face his wife. Though her voice remained as perfect as ever, he was quite interested to see how she had changed when she had followed him through the portal. There were similarities to her pony form, such as her overall height and her long, multi-hued mane, but this youmun version of her was quite different in most respects. Her coat - er, skin color was more grey and pink than the familiar white of home, and it was going to take him a long time to get used to her walking on two legs instead of four.
It was her eyes, though, that concerned him the most. They were still the familiar magenta, but there was something off about them…
“Are you alright?” she asked, and her claw reached down to him.
“Yeah, I think so,” he replied. He groaned in pain as he used her help to stand, and he rubbed around the brace on his upper leg for a moment. “I need to be more careful, I guess.”
“What happened to you?”
Bean didn’t reply immediately. He remembered Celestia had told him about the taboos youmuns had with clothing their bodies, and he took a moment to admire the black trousers and blue button down shirt he was wearing. He smiled when his new claw found and then gripped his Celestial Crystal that hung around his neck, and he was grateful it had survived the trip.
“I’m not quite sure what happened,” he answered while he looked himself over. “No worse for the wear though, it would seem. You, on the other hoof,” he leaned back, and smiled as he studied her new form and missed her uncomfortable frown, “You look as beautiful as ever.”
“Now wait a minute, Mister Bean,” Celestia folded her arms tightly and went straight back to the prim and formal princess that Baked Bean had seen far too much of. “I do not approve of…”
“Yeah...I jumped in when I should have waited.” Bean rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, but he secretly relished the bizarre tactile sensation that came through his cute little claws with the action. “I’m sorry, my love. I was curious, and now look what it got me, again.”
“‘My love?’” Celestia’s eye twitched. “Mister Bean! You are way out of line.”
“I know, I know!” Bean put as much effort into his apology as he could, because his wife sounded angry. She had even reverted to calling him ‘Mister,’ which was most certainly not a good sign. “I’m really sorry, honest. We can just go back now, because I don’t want to get in Luna’s way. I have to admit, there is one nice thing about here that you didn’t mention to me.” He reached up and kissed his wife on the lips, then rubbed noses with her with an added rub of her belly. “You don’t have to bend down for me to kiss you here.”
He was still smiling when Celestia decked him with a right hook to the jaw.
~*~
Princess Luna inhaled deeply when she finished stepping through the portal and took her first look at the world of the humans. It was just as bizarre as Twilight had said it was in her reports, but the feel of this place had been lost in the faithful student’s technical description.
Her evaluation of this peculiar land was cut short by an ear-splitting scream, and Luna whirled to the sound with her own screech and a flailing of her new limbs that was intended to scare off whatever had made that horrid noise.
“Sister!” Celestia grasped the none too stable Luna by the shoulders and shook her. “I was just kissed! By ... that!” The school principal pointed at where a stunned yellow pony was sitting uncomfortably in the grass, nursing his jaw. “I mean, he wasn’t like that when he kissed me! He was a person! What’s going on?!”
Luna looked down at Bean, bit her bottom lip, and considered her words carefully. “I do not know for sure, but I would suppose that Prince Bean does not have enough magic to maintain his transformation in stressful situations.”
“Magic?” Celestia looked at Luna like she had sprouted a second head, then down at the pony by her feet. “Prince?”
“I don’t think that’s my Celestia,” said Bean. “She must be whatever analog to Princess Celestia exists in this dimension.”
“It talks?” Celestia looked back and forth several times before her legs gave out, and she collapsed.
“Ooof!” said Bean. “I’m glad I caught her, but she’s heavier than she looks.”
* * ✹ * *
“Principal Celestia? Can you hear me?”
Celestia groaned in reply, and she put a hand on her head to hold her headache still. “Fluttershy?”
“Oh, thank goodness. You took a rather nasty fall, it looks like.”
Celestia’s eyes popped open as the memory of kissing a human … or horse ... or whatever that monstrosity had been came rushing back to her. “Fluttershy, is Mister Bean anywhere in sight?”
“Um, not that I can see, no.”
“Is there a talking yellow horse anywhere?”
Fluttershy frowned. “I don’t know if he can talk, but there is a little yellow pony not too far away. Vice Principal Luna is trying to get him untied, but Applejack won’t let him go.”
“What?” Celestia bolted upright, but she regretted the decision to do so when the grandmother of all headaches flooded over her brain like a tsunami. “Applejack caught him?”
“...such impertinence in all my life!” Luna proclaimed.
“Look, ah realize he’s kinda cute an all, but you gotta trust me on this,” Applejack replied. “Ain’t nothin’ worse than a rabid horse, and we gotta get Principal Celestia treated quick if’n she got bit. Now, it should only take Big Mac a couple of minutes to get over here, and once we get a blood sample—”
“Thou shalt not bleed this innocent!” bellowed Luna, nearly shaking loose Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie who were holding her by the arms. “Call off thy leeches! What manner of barbarian medical treatments dost thou have for a simple case of thaumic deficiency? He is not a rabbit, nor is he a threat!”
“What is going on?!” Celestia shouted over the din while she stood with Fluttershy’s help.
“We was over there when we heard a noise, and when we come over, we saw you down on the ground, wrastling with this pony, with Vice Principal Luna tryin’ to pull the two of you apart, like it done attacked you and knocked you silly. Well, RD done got your sister pulled away and ah wrapped the critter up in my lasso - bein’ right careful about its hindquarters and that brace - before your sister started screaming somethin’ about it kissing you. Well, ain’t no horse of no size gonna go smooching up to a person unless it’s diseased. Rarity is tryin’ to call an ambulance for you, but Sunset is insisting that this pony is from Twilight’s world.”
“As am I!” Luna added furiously. “We have come here to assist with the sirens that were spoken of in the magical journal by Sunset Shimmer, my sister’s former student! I will not allow you to harm Prince Baked Bean!”
Celestia felt a wave of relief when she saw that Applejack had somehow hogtied and muzzled the smoochy little pony monster, who was now struggling ineffectually against his bindings with a wide-eyed look of panic. “How do you know the name of this horse, sister?”
“Because he is my brother-in-law! He is about as dangerous as a breezie, and that’s only when he’s really upset!”
“What’s a breezie?” Fluttershy asked. “They sound adorable.”
“That’s not Vice Principal Luna!” Sunset added to the cacophony while she tried to snatch Rarity’s phone away and prevent a call to the police. “That’s Princess Luna! She’s from Equestria! Twilight must have sent her here!”
“But you look exactly like my sister,” Celestia replied. “I mean, almost exactly. I can’t remember the last time Luna wore a poodle skirt. How did you get your hair up into a bouffant, anyway?”
The Luna lookalike huffed, but then a smirk came to her. “Applejack, are you sure you have the ‘rabid pony’ secure? He appears to be escaping.”
“What?! Oh no you don’t, you cussed little var…”
A stunned silence overcame the assembled group. The yellow pony in the grass had disappeared somehow, and had been replaced by a human who was picking his way out of the ropes with a grimace of pain on his face.
“Mister Bean?” Applejack stooped down and began to help untangle the dietitian. “How’d you do that? And what’d you do to your leg?”
“I’m not the Bean you know,” he quietly replied. “We came here from Equestria, just like Princess Luna said.”
Sunset stood before Luna and bowed her head in respect. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. Please forgive their enthusiasm in protecting this side of the mirror’s Celestia and ... wait a minute. What do you mean, ‘brother-in-law?’”
* * ✹ * *
For the second time that day, Sunset Shimmer found herself in Principal Celestia’s office with her friends, but for the moment, she had forgotten completely about the Dazzlings.
“I can’t believe Princess Celestia got married!” Sunset Shimmer pressed her hands against her temples while she paced the room and tried to comprehend this news. “Why didn’t she tell me?! I mean, I’ve got this magic journal that we can write back and forth in, and she doesn’t even tell me she got married? I could have…” Sunset slowed to a halt, and eventually put forward, “Bought them a toaster or something. Stop snickering, Rainbow.”
“My sister has made it clear that your departure was anything but amiable,” Princess Luna replied while busying herself with unlocking the secrets of the small coffee maker on the nearby credenza. “And there are several entries in the journal which implore you to return in quite heartfelt terms. I am confident she did not write because she felt that you had ceased to care.”
“And you say this marriage happened after the Fall Formal?” Rarity asked.
“Yes, but it was early summer for us then,” Bean replied. He took a moment to find a comfortable spot in Celestia’s chair and relaxed once he propped his leg up on the pillow Rarity had provided. “I guess time runs different here, somehow.”
“So it would seem.” Principal Celestia made certain the door to her office was locked, and after a moment’s thought, stuck a chair under the knob. “The Fall Inferno... I mean Fall Formal was only a couple of weeks ago.”
“So why did you two come, and not Twilight?” Sunset asked, but then she gulped and withered a bit under Luna’s intense glare. “I mean, not that I’m ungrateful, Your Highness…”
“Twilight wanted to come, but she was needed somewhere else,” Bean replied with a small frown. “I think she’s fixing yet another one of my mistakes.”
“Stop that.” Luna thwapped him over the head with the manual to the coffee pot. “We do not know why Twilight Sparkle was needed. What we do know is that there is a potential threat that has come to this fair establishment.” She paused, sniffed the air, and then wrinkled her nose. “And this coffee smells horrible.”
“The taste matches the smell,” Celestia replied. “Luna - or, the Luna native to this world, that is - tells me it’s better with cream and sugar. Lots of sugar.”
“So, did Twilight say what we should do?” Rainbow asked.
“No, but she would be unable to offer any sound advice without full knowledge of the situation,” Luna replied. “That is why Prince Bean and I are here. Once we make sufficient observations, the solution should become obvious.”
“It’s a bit strange that they just showed up out of nowhere,” Bean mused. “Even with the time difference, the sirens were sent here a thousand odd years ago. Where have they been for so long, and why are they showing up now?”
“I believe Twilight Sparkle’s last visit may have something to do with it.” Luna tapped the carafe and frowned at the muddy brown liquid that was trickling into it. “Harmony is powerful magic indeed, and introducing it here may have permitted these sirens to regain their own dark magics.”
“I believe you are all overreacting,” Celestia replied in the clipped words of an administrator trying to gain control of a troublesome situation. She folded her arms and regarded the inhabitants of her domain, both worldly and otherwise. “Royalty or not, I will not allow any of you to interfere with the upcoming contest.”
Bean hesitated as Principal Celestia’s eyes flashed green for a brief moment before glancing over to Luna, who nodded slowly. “Neither of us want to cause problems, Cel— er, ma’am. We just want to make sure that if the sirens are here, they are dealt with appropriately. If the Dazzlings are not our sirens, we will return home without incident.”
“You will?” Celestia glared at Luna, but the visiting Princess nodded.
“Cross our hearts, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eyes.”
Pinkie Pie suddenly began to giggle and snort. “I like that! It’s lots better than dying and getting stabbed by needles.”
“Very well,” said Celestia. “I’m sure you will find nothing amiss, but you are welcome to observe, so long as that is all you do.”
“What Luna said,” Bean replied. “So, does anyone know where the Dazzlings are right now?”
“Oo! Oo! Pick me!” Pinkie stuck her hand in the air and waved it wildly.
“Yes?” Bean pointed to her as if he were a teacher in one of the classrooms.
“There’s a big party tonight for all the bands who signed up for the showcase. That would include the Dazzlings.”
Bean nodded. “I guess we’ll just have to wait until tonight, then. In the meantime, may I borrow your journal, Miss Shimmer?”
“I suppose so,” she replied with a shrug. “Why do you want it?”
Bean’s gaze went distant. “Well, I would like to let the Princess know that we arrived safely and that we have contacted you. She was really worried about you fighting the sirens.”
“She was?” Sunset asked softly. “Wow. I didn’t think … I mean, I assumed that she would still be upset with me, at least.”
Luna smirked. “My sister wanted to come herself, but it was agreed that travelling through the portal might endanger her pregnancy.”
Sunset froze, and one eye twitched. “Princess Celestia is pregnant?!”
“Indeed. Prince Bean and Princess Celestia are expecting to have a beautiful baby filly.”
“A foal?” Sunset’s voice was high, nearly a screech as she waved her book overhead. “Not only did she not tell me she was married, but she promptly went and got—”
“Careful,” cautioned Applejack.
Sunset bit back several words, eventually releasing, “Busy. I was going to say busy.”
“Not much better,” grumbled Applejack. “Keep digging.”
“And why not?” Luna asked. “Surely, it is within the rights of a husband and wife to share the pleasures of their bodies, to merge in the immortal dance of pleasure and procreation, and bring forth from their passions new life. Oh, and they plan on naming her Epiphany.”
Sunset tossed her journal on Celestia’s desk and turned for the door. “I’m going to need a minute. It’s all yours.”
“I think it would be wise for all of us to step out and get some air,” Principal Celestia announced.
“Indeed.” Luna nodded. “But once we have sent our report to my sister, perhaps we could trouble you to give us a tour of your fair school?”
Bean flipped Sunset’s journal open while Principal Celestia agreed to the tour, and he accepted the pen Pinkie Pie offered with a small thanks. Once everyone had filed out of the office, he took the pen in mouth and began to write.
Celly,
This is Bean. Luna and I have found Sunset Shimmer and we think we know where the sirens are.
He hesitated for a moment, but then continued.
I didn’t mean to go through the mirror, and I’m sorry. I will return home in just a few minutes.
“Oh, so you plan on abandoning me here?” Luna quipped.
“Yes. I’m not supposed to be here and we both know it. Celestia is going to be furious with me.” He paused, but then he added “Do you think she’ll use my tail for a violin bow, at least?”
Luna scoffed, and she tapped the page before them. “I think you’ll find that she has other plans for you.”
Bean winced in fear when he looked down at the glowing words that made up his beloved’s reply, but that was quickly replaced with confusion and wonder.
I love you, my dear Bean, and I am not upset with you. In fact, I am pleased you have joined Luna.
“She’s not mad?” Bean glanced up to Luna, who smiled and gestured back to the book with her cup of fresh coffee.
“Keep reading.”
You have followed your heart, and I believe you will be able to offer vital support. My former student can learn much from your own humble example. The forces of Harmony are at work in this, and I know you would not have gone through the mirror without that influence. Please keep me apprised of the situation, and I will provide you with whatever you deem necessary. Go forward with my love and my blessing, and when you return, I will ensure that there is a fair and generous reward for you.
Also, please tell Luna that I have asked the Royal Archivists to begin searching for any information that we have regarding the sirens. If they should find anything that will be of use, I will pass it on to both of you without delay.
With all my love,
Celly
“Ugh, my sister’s counterpart was right.” Luna pulled a disgusted face, and she frowned into her cup. “This is not coffee. I’m not even convinced this is appropriate for consumption.”
“Celly wants me to stay here with you,” Bean said while he reread the words thoughtfully. “She thinks there’s something I can teach Sunset Shimmer.”
“I agree. There is much you have to offer, and there is much good that you can accomplish.”
“But what can I do? I’m just a busted, broken-down commoner.”
“Perhaps.” Luna again tried to sample her drink, but she gave up after the taste of her foul concoction hit her tongue again. “Or, perhaps you are a pony who is wiser than you realize.”
Bean scoffed at her suggestion. “No, I’m not. I’m an impulsive idiot who doesn’t think his actions all the way through.”
“Your impulsive decisions have worked out well thus far.”
Bean snorted. “I think my bum leg would provide more than enough of an argument to the contrary.”
Luna tut-tutted quietly under her breath. “That is nothing more than an unfortunate complication. Consider that your impulsiveness had resulted in your marriage to my sister, it assisted Twilight Sparkle in her efforts to defeat Tirek, and you have befriended a changeling. I have personally watched nations rise,” Luna paused for a moment, and her gaze went a thousand yards beyond the end of her cup “and nobility fall on the power of friendship and the lack thereof. Your friend Thorax may prove to be of great value. If there is one changeling who is willing to change his ways, is it so hard to believe that there may be more?”
Bean grunted, but his eyes went back and forth in thought. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I still can’t help but feel like I screwed up with Tirek and Chrysalis.”
Luna smiled. “Let me share with you a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Bean put a claw on his Celestial Crystal while he mulled over Luna’s words. “Is that really true?”
“It was your heart that led you to Celestia, after all. Do not disregard your feelings, Bean. My own downfall began when I became preoccupied with all of the ways I had been slighted, whether they were real or imagined. I forgot how to love, and was left with jealousy and spite. The lessons that can be learned here will go both ways, if you will allow it.”
Bean nodded slowly. “So, what should I do?”
“I think you and I should take a tour of this school,” Luna replied. “And then we should find something to eat.”
* * ✹ * *
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Oh God… Bean is going to play match Maker with himself and Principal Celestia! This is going to be amazing! XD
Also, poor Sunset Shimmer.
So…neither Bean or Luna are going to tell Celestia that he kiss another woman? Hmm, perhaps he is waiting to tell it in the next chapter.
"Dear Celly. I'm extremely sorry, and I only did it because I thought she was you, but I…might have kiss your counterpart. I understand if you are mad at me, but I did promise I would not keep secrets between us. I just hope you will forgive me"
I do like the fact that you immediately sank the expected sitcom shenanigans. Thank you.
I'm confused. Bean went into the mirror because he was 'curious' then told Celestia that he didn't mean to go into the mirror? Is there not a more concrete reason why he did what he did because that seems rather flimsy at best. Did I miss something? I hope it's better explained later.
And also, Bean, come the fuck on. A princess married you for who you are, you helped in the daily lives of ponies to better them (Trixie, Pokey, Wysteria etc) AND you helped a town defeat a demonic creature, if NONE of those things are gonna help you see yourself have SOME self worth then NOTHING will. Because to any other person it would definitely help change their view even a little.
Hopefully by the end of this story his character you know...actually develops.
And the desperate, junkie-like desire for more chapters begins... looking forward to it, Irri. ;3
Hmmmm.... still a good story, but again, Bean's motivation for going through the mirror is weak, and detracts from the otherwise good quality of the story. Really, it feels like you just needed him to be there and thus reality warped to accommodate the plot, instead of the plot unfolding in the constructed reality, with motivation hand-waved after the fact.
Quite disappointing. Still, the rest of the story seems good, so I'll keep reading, but man, this is a step down for you.
9403057
His trip through the mirror will be explained. Trust me.
As for his self worth, you are right. The problem is Bean is focusing on his failures. All he can see at the moment is the problems he caused - the damage to Ponyville, the almost success of Chrissy's plan, and the pain he caused Celestia. It's rather easy to forget the successes when you have a string of rather large failures like that.
9403062
Oh, there shall be more. No worries there.
Featured!
9403177
Huzzah!
Wait, so Bean changes back into a pony when he's under stress because of a "magic deficiency"? I am 99% certain that's not how the portal works. The transformation is incorporated directly into the spell matrix of the portal, so the physical transformation should be completely independent of the subject's magic reserves.
On the other hand, having seen Fruits Basket, I am rather curious what kind of shenanigans this will allow for.
Little did we know of this world Celestia's previous career in college of being a Golden Gloves champion. (snerk)
9403325
Eh, it's an alternate universe. Perhaps the portal uses magic that Starswirl learned from studying changelings. It would explain not being able to use magic in the alternate forms, yet still activating magical artifacts just fine.
(And the "transform into humans" thing always seemed a bit BS in the first place.)
You know, I earnestly hope that the EQ Celestia and Baked Bean hook up by the end of this story.
9403325
Fruits Basket... Oh lord the memories
Gawddammit I’ve just finished off the last one and now there isn’t any more of this one! Graaaaahghhhhhgghh!
I have to admit, I'm surprised that Principal Celestia hasn't reacted to the idea of Baked Bean not only being married to her pony counterpart, but also from the idea of her pony counterpart being pregnant. Granted, the spell keeping her complacent might be dulling her thoughts at the moment of that conversation, but still!
9403325
My bet, Changeling venom residue. Sunset has been zapped, blasted (rainbow and non-rainbow), and what not she doesn't change back. Princess Twilight Sparkle keeps bumping into things in that world, doesn't change. Pinkie Pie (outtakes or not) swaps with her main series self and only Bean changes into a pony with enough force. Can't use being exposed to Discord because Princess Twilight and Pinkie Pie both have been exposed to Discord. Rules him out. What has Bean been exposed to that alters its shape? Changelings, specifically the venom. That is our culprit for these shenanigans.
"Oh, my sister and Bean got married. And fell in love."
"Don't you mean they fell in love and got married?"
"I meant what I said."
9403325
The mechanism of how the mirror transformation works was never explicitly stated in canon, so it can be however the author wants it to work, really.
Honestly i was gonna give this one a miss. I like your writing but ive never cared for eqg stuff. Also not to much a fan of fish out of water stuff. Adding an irate luna and a sunset with issues to this mix has kept my interest
Wow, she hit him hard.
9403030
Are you trying to get him killed?
I am getting some Sunset may join the family vibes
Finally a male to amend the fences between this mother/daughter like duo who both don't know how to approach the other.
9400459
Some bad pun about the nose being tripled
But i prefer icbms
9404768
Do you prefer if he lies to her? A relationship base on lies can't sustain itself. And hey, Celestia is reasonable. Maybe she will only kiss THAT Bean at the end of the adventure, and boom they will be even
9404758
Knocked the human right out of him!
9404710
I'm sure you're in the majority with your feelings. Equestria Girls is controversial to begin with, so I'm sure that's keeping away some who have read the other Bean stories, and fish out of water is hard to pull off.
I do appreciate you giving me a chance, and I'm going to do all that I can to make sure you and the other readers who decided to read this story find it was worth it.
Hopefully I succeed.
9404388
9404345
I'll get to that. Trust me.
9403096
For that, I do apologize. I feel bad when I let readers down; I want you to enjoy the story and that can't happen if my writing is subpar.
Hopefully I can redeem myself on that count, but if not, then I hope the rest of the story makes up for it a little.
9403036
You're welcome.
I can just picture something amazing happening in this story.
You know I just noticed a distinct ABSENCE of an explanation for what compelled Bean to go through the portal. Maybe it was unintentional, but it does lead to the interesting possibility that Bean was not entirely aware of what he was doing in the first place. Perhaps as a result of a certain Draconequis? Food for thought.
But yes this was very entertaining, the scene where P. Celestia decked Bean reminded me of when Penny decked Howard in The Big Bang Theory. Of course now I'm eager to see if the Dazzlings have any trouble affecting Pony Bean, one brainwashing is enough for anyone I should think!
9405678 It's Bean, he followed his nose.
9408452
Oooooh, I LIKE that
9405042
Don't give me that look. I'm not Crocker crazy. I'm just a little unhinged. :3
I am so glad I didn't just clear my feed and actually checked it. I would have missed this! Already off to a great start too!
9408856
thumbs.gfycat.com/AptFrequentGypsymoth-small.gif
9410155
Thanks! There is more goodness to come!
9410911
Nice but again not that crazy. Just this crazy.
i.pinimg.com/236x/aa/62/96/aa6296fe9279078b491b2a16c8808cbf.jpg
I just happen to do a lot of spy checks when someone mentions anything undead, mimic-like, or changeling like. Mostly Zombies.
9411277
Ah, gotcha. Healthy crazy, not fairy godparents crazy.
Checking for spies is always a good thing. :)
9411482
Indeed. Never know when sneaky Spies are coming onto your bases or when GIANT UNDEAD GRAB YOU FROM BEHIND WHEN YOU JUST WANT THE ONE FREAKING RIFT CLUSTER IN FRONT OF YOU! *automatically threw down about 30 throwblasts around me in that run*
To be honest, I can't help but feel a little bit disappointed that Bean & Luna didn't show up on the other side of the Mirror Portal as butt-naked humans for comedic effect.
The whole "unclothed ponies magically show up as clothed humans" sequence has never made any sense to me. Then again, the Equestria Girls universe does follow Hasbro logic and not any intuitive rules of matter conservation. Oh well. I like how the story is progressing thus far and I look forward to seeing more.
i.imgur.com/x5kLoVP.png
I didn't know this existed until recently. This makes me very happy.
9432562
Excellent.
9434679
Can we please get artwork of Luna and Bean arriving in the EG world! Luna in a Poodle skirt makes me laugh
SUNSET.EXE HAS ENCOUNTERED A CRITICAL ERROR.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO REBOOT.
Y/N
Wow, she sounds like a daughter getting mad that her mother got married and got pregnant without telling her
So quick question: Does Star Struck and little Twilight exist in this world ?
Celestia is screaming on the inside...
9557669
Very loudly, too. :)
9557685
He is gon' get it when he returns. Death by snuggles.
Oh I am going to love this. Already had a cackling fit when Bean kissed the wrong Celestia--saw it coming as soon as he saw her, and it was glorious--and I am so looking forward to how this goes down.
This chapter was just priceless. The entire thing.
Applejack!
About that...
9720533
"Sunset? Could I have a word with you?"
I half expected her to say that with a blush on her face and a look at Bean.