Double Residency

by marmalado

Portal Experiments

Finding the portal that was still open was a relief.

Stepping into her homeland once more was even more so.

Pinkie didn't necessarily have a good gauge on the world she had just gone to yet. She learned of the existence of "Odd Squad", saw and met kids in suits that apparently belonged to "Odd Squad", and visited a store that was far more expansive than Davenport's store any day of the week. And it had only been...what? A half-hour? An hour? Looking out the back door of Sugarcube Corner showed that it was at least the afternoon still, evidenced by the ponies walking and trotting through Ponyville.

Sighing, Pinkie closed the door and turned around. The portal was no longer there. A frown formed on her face before she mentally put "master the recipe that will activate the portal" to her to-do list and took a deep breath to prime herself for helping potential customers.

"Pinkie? Is that you?" Mrs. Cake called, trotting down the stairs. "Goodness, where have you been? We couldn't find you!"

"Sorry! I, uh...had to go to Carousel Boutique for a delivery. Rarity ordered some cupcakes for her and Sweetie Belle but couldn't pick them up, so I decided to deliver them firsthoof!"

Mrs. Cake moved behind the counter and headed for the kitchen. "Ah, I see. Well, in the future, would you mind telling me or Mr. Cake where you're going? And don't run off when you're not on break, either."

"Got it!" Pinkie grinned, reaching back with her hoof to give herself a pat on the back for coming up with a good excuse on the fly. Maybe she was getting better at those. If she was, then it would be a skill put to good use in the other world. Which reminded her, she had to finish crafting her "Olympia" identity...but that would be for later. She needed to recreate the portal first.

Throughout the day, she helped many ponies find the pastries they wanted, all while thinking of ways to open up the portal. All she had to go off of was that two cups of unicorn magic and rainbows were used, but as an Earth pony, she had no unicorn magic on her nor could she access any rainbows. So she was forced to stick with the cupcake batter and figure out what ingredients she used and how many. After all, crafting the perfect portal took careful measurements, just like in baking.

It wasn't until she had sent the last pony off that she had gotten an idea. How convenient that said pony happened to be a Pegasus.

"Hey, Cloud Trail!" she called, bursting through the door and making a mighty leap to land right in front of the white-furred Pegasus mare before she could fly off. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Oh, anything for you, Pinkie Pie! What is it?"

"Can you get me some of that liquid rainbow? The reeeeeeeally spicy stuff?"

Cloud's brow furrowed for a moment, as though wondering how Pinkie was able to taste the liquid rainbow she was describing. "Uh...sure! If I might ask, what do you need it for?"

"Just wanna try out some new recipes with it. I experimented the other day but the cupcakes that came out were totally tongue-tying! And not in a good way!"

"Hopefully not in a literal way either." Cloud chuckled. "Anyway, I'll get that for you and drop it off tomorrow before I go to work. How much do you need?"

Here was where Pinkie had to do some quick math. She wasn't sure how often she needed to remake the portal, but then again, she couldn't just dry up the weather factory's rainbow pools completely. She had to ration it, so that the Pegasi could still make rainbows. Unless there was another way to get liquid rainbow, but she never asked Rainbow Dash or any other Pegasus about it. She made another mental note to at least ask Rainbow later on.

"Hmm...maybe six large jars?"

"That much?" Cloud blinked in surprise, then shrugged. "Well, all right."

Pinkie scooped the other mare up in a tight hug. "Thanks so so soooooo much, Cloud Trail! You're the best!"

"Don't...mention it..." Cloud gave a dry cough. "Could you please put me down, though? I can feel my wingbones creaking..."

Pinkie suddenly flashed back to Otto doing the same thing to Olive, and quickly set Cloud down before she could become a mess of waving limbs and rattling hacks. "Oh! Sorry." She gave a sheepish grin before turning and waving. "See ya tomorrow!"

She didn't bother to hear the "bye" Cloud gave back. She was already making a beeline for Rarity's boutique to secure some unicorn magic. She wasn't sure whose unicorn magic she had to begin with -- Twilight had given it to her and she was too busy to answer the question of where it came from -- so she had to resort to asking all of her horned friends for assistance. Surely one of them had magic potent enough to create a lasting portal.

...Okay, that was a little rhetorical. Twilight had potent magic. And she was an alicorn, which would make the portal even better, even stronger, more long-lasting. Another win-win.

Pinkie changed course. As she dodged pony after pony, her heart beat faster and faster with excitement, while her brain stirred with conversation pieces she could give to Twilight that wouldn't make her suspicious. Though Pinkie had an advantage in the form of "Pinkie being Pinkie" being offered as a reason behind a lot of her actions, Twilight was still a very perceptive pony, and she hadn't forgotten the alicorn struggling to find meaning behind her Pinkie Sense. Pinkie had to keep the other world safe. If other ponies like her went through it, who knew what would happen? If this "Odd Squad" really did get rid of oddities, they probably would exterminate ponies on sight just for not looking like that incredibly deformed unicorn.

When she got to the door, she began frantically banging on it, her eyes widening when the door creaked open after the third-or-so knock. She was quick to make her way inside, galloping through the halls as her head whipped back and forth and her vocal cords resonated with the call of her friend's name.

"Pinkie? Pinkie!"

Pinkie skidded to a halt, taking the carpet with her as it bunched up. She turned, her features lighting up when she noticed who had summoned her. "Twilight! Twilight Twilight Twilight Twilight-"

And so the name-calling continued, right up until Pinkie barreled into her target and sent both of them rolling on the floor like a marble on a decline. Pinkie was the one who ended up on the bottom, which was weird to her because she was usually on the top, but that was only a fleeting thought as she waved her front legs wildly.

"Pinkie, calm down!" snapped Twilight, before Pinkie could even speak. "And please get off of me."

"Oh, sorry!" Pinkie backed off, leaving room for Twilight to stand. "But I need to ask you for something! It's super-duper-ooper important!"

"...Do you mean 'uber'?"

"No, silly! That's for emergency favors."

Twilight fixed her with a half-lidded stare that held no trace of amusement. "Uh-huh. So what did you want to ask?"

"I need some...no, wait..." Pinkie tapped her chin. "I need three large jars of your magic! Stat! On the double!"

Twilight's expression was hesitant. "My magic? Why do you need my magic?"

"Well, you see, I had this unicorn magic in the kitchen that I used to make some super-awesome cupcakes but I don't have any more and so I thought 'hmm, alicorn magic would make these taste soooooo much better!' So I decided to come to you 'cause you're the only alicorn and I dunno about you but it'd be weird if I asked Celestia and Luna for their magic but you're my bestest friend so of course I'd come to you first! And also I need some liquid rainbow which Cloud Trail is getting for me but she won't deliver it until tomorrow and I really really reeeeeeally wanna try experimenting tonight so I kinda sorta thought your magic would be more powerful than unicorn magic and rainbows combined!"

For a minute or two, all Twilight did was stare at her in utter confusion -- a standard reaction for anyone when it came to Pinkie's ramblings. Still, the pinkest pony in the name of pink was confident she would trot away with what she was looking for.

"I...uh..." Twilight's eyes darted around the room in thought. "So, to sum up...you want my magic for a cupcake recipe?"

"Ding ding ding! You are correct!"

A small portion of confetti was thrown in Twilight's face, which was followed by Pinkie standing up on her back hooves and clapping with her front ones. Twilight rubbed a piece off of her cheek and stared at her friend. "Well, I don't know how good my magic will be in taste, but I'm happy to help. I'll get some jars from the kitchen."

As Twilight teleported away, Pinkie returned to four hooves again and glanced around the room. To her complete lack of surprise, it was filled with book after book, neatly organized by name, author, color, and series number. She tried looking for a book on the world she had gone to, just out of curiosity's sake, but nothing presented itself. As it should be. Looking for books on "Odd Squad" didn't turn up anything either, leading Pinkie to realize that there certainly wasn't an equine equivalent of it lurking in Equestria somewhere. Once again, as it should be.

It only took another few minutes for Twilight to teleport back, three fully-stocked glass jars floating in her purple magic aura. "Here you g-" She winced as her magic sputtered out, leading Pinkie to extend her tail and catch the jars vertically. "Sorry for the wait. I didn't think there would be too many adverse effects...but my head is pounding."

Pinkie watched as the jars seeped into her tail as though it were a vat of goo. "No, no, don't apologize! If anything, I should apologize! Common sense kiiiinda escaped me, I guess." She gave a bout of nervous laughter. "Anyway, thanks a bunch, Twi! I'll be sure to save a cupcake or two for you to try! Oh, and one for Spike too, of course."

"Thanks." Twilight began to meander towards the doors, clutching her hoof to her head. "If you find Spike out there somewhere, can you tell him to pick up some aspirin?"

Pinkie followed, bouncing ahead of her. "Sure thing!"

As Twilight was about to give another thank-you, her horn sparked, causing her to give a sharp yelp as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'll...be fine. If I just rest for a little bit, I think I'll be set." Twilight responded, her voice raspy. "See you later, Pinkie."

Pinkie didn't give her own goodbyes right away, instead bouncing out the doors and watching as Twilight went to her right and stumbled her way towards...well, wherever she was going. Probably her room.

"Try not to use any magic!"

"Uh-huh..."

As much as Pinkie wanted to stay behind and make sure Twilight got the rest she needed, she had things to do. Besides, Spike should be around to help Twilight get into bed. Maybe. Hopefully.

So with the jars of alicorn magic in hoof, she raced back to Sugarcube Corner, theories and experiments running through her mind like carriages on busy Manehattan streets. She had to get this portal right. She had to get to that other world again. And she had to find out what this "Odd Squad" was really about. If they were going to get in her way of her goal of spreading joy, then she needed to find a way to deal with them before they dealt with her.

---

Pinkie had lost track of time.

It was very uncharacteristic of her. But in between the experiments she ran and the peeks into other worlds that weren't Toronto, all she knew was that it was nighttime. She hadn't even noticed the Cakes going to bed by the time she had depleted one jar of Twilight's magic and had moved on to the second one.

Now, she was beginning her third jar. A few stray mane hairs popped out of place as she unscrewed the cap. Her bottom eye twitched as a desperate plea by her facial muscles to let her organs rest for the night. Her teeth ground together in frustration as she tried to figure out one thing:

Where am I going wrong?!

She lost track of how many cupcakes she had made, too. No matter how much she tried to recreate the recipe, something seemed off. She remembered adding a pinch of something to the cupcakes...maybe? She couldn't recall.

It was only when she had taken a bathroom break that it hit her.

Last time, the cupcakes fell on the floor and made the portal. So by that logic...what if...

It was a true eureka moment. She quickly washed her hooves and rushed downstairs, eyeing the freshly-made batch of cupcakes sitting on the kitchen counter. Knowing where she wanted the portal to be activated -- assuming she even had a choice in the matter -- she moved her head under the tin of pastries to lift it up, then went back upstairs. From there, she dashed into her room and closed the door behind her, making sure to lock it in case the Cakes woke up and decided to investigate the cause.

A sigh slipped from her lips. Her blue eyes scanned the walls for what felt like hours, and when she found the perfect spot, she trotted over.

"Here goes nothing!"

A flick of her head, a quick pivot on the tips of her front hooves, and a quick buck sent the tin and the cupcakes flying towards the wall. The cupcakes splattered, while the tin clattered to the floor.

Pinkie held her breath.

The ruined cupcakes began to glow a bright purple, then suddenly seeped into the wall. Seconds later, a circular portal formed, starting small and growing outward until it was a reasonable size for one pony to fit through. Completely entrenched in the wall, it didn't look like it was going anywhere anytime soon.

Her jaw dropped. A breathy chuckle forced its way out, which seemed to be a trigger for her eyelid to go mad again. If someone had walked in and seen her in her current state, they would have called her insane. Not that it mattered to her, because she had come across a complete breakthrough.

She leaped up into the air with an excited squeal. "I did it! I made the portal!" she cheered, giving no regard to anyone else sleeping in the building. Once she landed, she rushed through the portal without a second thought.

"Here I coooo-"

She was met with nothing but a landscape of pure night. Toronto was largely quiet, though there were still oddities roaming around. "Odd Squad" didn't seem to be around to take care of them, though, which surprised her but also didn't surprise her at the same time. She made a mental note that this world, much like the other human world, didn't have any temporal disparity -- if it was nighttime in Equestria, it was nighttime in Toronto too.

A noisy yawn that she had inadvertently been holding back came out, and the back of her hand rubbed against her eye. "Ugh..." She turned towards the portal. "Guess my job here's done for the night. Still got a lotta work to do, though."

Which included cleaning up the kitchen, much to her dismay. However, she found herself utterly incapable of doing that, as she meandered back through the portal and promptly collapsed onto her bed. Had she noticed that the portal was still active despite her exit, she would have been surprised and very excited. But with it being Celestia-knows-when in the night (the morning?), all she wanted to do was sleep. Whatever needed to be worked out with the portal, as well as with the identity she would assume while she was in Toronto, could wait, for now.