A Twilight Landing

by MerlosTheMad

Chapter 20 : Nightmare Night Pt. 2

9:01 PM

What should have been a perfectly normal, safe adventure with some fun, was just that. Nothing horrible went wrong as the friends split up and entered the haunted house. Jo accompanied Twilight, despite Alice's protests, while she went with Satan and Penny.

Jo looked over at Twilight in the dim light in the building. Oddly, the Equestrian seemed a great deal calmer than she had been earlier, particularly after the scares she had been getting. Oh well, at least she's having fun. Jo eased out a breath and studied the foyer of the huge home once again.

The building was a bit of a mystery itself, at least to Jo, who had never before been inside. It was used for all manner of things from what she had heard, but apparently the owner rented it out to be employed as a local town attraction during Halloween. The twenty dollars a ticket probably didn't hurt, either.

"So Twilight-" Jo began, looking over at her strange, unicorn pal from another world. She was promptly interrupted by a cacophony of screaming and running feet. Two people, a man and a woman, nearly tripped around a corner up ahead, rushing past Jo and Twilight while screaming the whole way.

Jo stared after them, not noticing the shaking that began to creep into her legs. "Okay, then." She swallowed and turned to Twilight. "So, this isn't too scary for you?" The spot her friend had been in was empty. "Twilight!?" Her eyes widened and scanned the room, finding her a second later.

"Come on Jo, let's go the way they ran from!" Twilight smiled back at Jo in the imitation gas-lamp light of the hall. Laughing, she peered around the corner, hoping to get a glimpse of whatever had been so terrifying to the two galloping humans.

"Uh," Jo blinked, but took in a breath and jogged up to Twilight, adjusting the wizard hat on her own head as she came to a stop. "What's with you, I thought everything was surprising you with how scary it was?"

The two began walking slowly down the long hallway, looking everywhere as they went, with Jo following slightly behind Twilight.

Twilight looked over to answer her friend, still smiling enthusiastically. "Hehe well yeah, but it's still fun in hindsight! Plus, I dunno, but I feel great right now." She looked down at her hand a second, then back up at Jo. "Like really gre- In the name of Celestia!" She inhaled, a hand flying up to point down the hallway.

"What, what is it?" Jo set her face in stone, looking around herself warily. When she didn't spot anything she began to turn back to Twilight. "I don't see anythi-" Two arms grabbed her shoulders.

"GRAH!" The shout Twilight gave wasn't inherently scary itself, but it was surprising enough Jo cried out and pulled away from her.

"Twilight! What the Hell!?" Jo leaned against the wall, her heart rate through the roof.

Giggling uncontrollably, Twilight slouched against the other wall, her legs swaying. "Oh, oh in the name of Harmony, that was great." She leaned on her knees, trying and failing to catch her breath while still shaking with laughter.

Jo's scowl faded quickly at the sight of Twilight having so much fun. "What has gotten into you?" She chuckled some looking around herself and spotting the eyes of a nearby painting moving. "You know they're paid to be scaring us, right? You don't need to help. Save that stuff for Alice later, she deserves it."

Twilight looked up, smiling goofily. She straightened up and grabbed Jo's hand, already moving down the hall. "Lighten up, Trixie!" She giggled more. "Come on, let's-"

Before they could take another step, a shadow they had missed dropped down from the ceiling right on top of them, letting out a bone-shaking snarl.

Both girls shrieked from the complete surprise of it, bumping against one another. Without a second lost, Twilight pulled Jo around and they ran past the shape. "Run! IN THE NAME OF EQUESTRIA, RUN!"

Jo laughed a little in between screaming. "I AM RUNNING!" she shouted back. It came as a surprise to her already that she was screaming at all, let alone in earnest. She had expected to go in with Twilight and just try not to ruin it for her friend by waltzing past the actors. Well, they are pretty good...

The two all but charged around the bend at the hallway's far side.

The sound of a chainsaw kicked up and filled the next hallway. A figure with glowing red eyes and a gleaming weapon, originally intended for forestry, charged down the hallway straight for them.

The screams redoubled.

"Oof-" Jo winced after falling back on her behind, trying to reverse her momentum too soon. She felt two hands pull her up and set her back down.

"Run Jo, they're after us!" Twilight laughed while pushing Jo out of the room at their best speed.

Jo didn't need the help, even despite calming down as her rational kicked in; she was having a good time.

Fur-covered claws and teeth shot out of the dark of next room, not an arm's length away. They reached for both of the girls, accompanied by a howl of terror that was much too loud.

Jo had never screamed so hard in her life, and she began punching randomly.

"Ah! Geez lady, calm down." The werewolf moved back, rubbing his shoulder gingerly. Beside him, the howling continued from a nearby speaker until abruptly cutting out.

Twilight moved through a forest of fake cobwebs, pulling along Jo, who heaved her breath out. Together they moved on into the next room. "Sorry sir, sorry!" the equestrian of the pair apologized, while patting her friends' back soothingly. The giggles escaping her almost completely covered her words.

"Oh. My. God." Jo looked at Twilight, a hand pressed over her lungs.

Twilight grinned and paused with her to the left of the doorway, just in time to hear the chainsaw go off again and more screams follow them. "Are you okay? If it's too scary we can leave."

Twilight's expression was smug enough to make Jo want to knock it off her face. Instead, Jo returned it, once she'd calmed enough of course. "Whatever, I'm only getting worked up because you're screaming so much. Besides, if he'd grabbed you I would have had to take you back to the house so you could change your costume." She straightened her wig, combing the platinum hair with a hand to get it back in order.

Twilight furrowed her brow for a second, then grimaced through more laughter, catching on. "Gross, Jo."

Jo bore a smug look while she slumped against the wall to catch her breath some more. In front of them, the next group of people charged past, screaming for all they were worth. Once they were past, she spoke up. "Hey Twilight."

The other girl looked as though she had been about to pull Jo onwards through the house, but she paused. The tone Jo used was recognizable, she had something important to say. "What's up, Jo? You aren't really too scared, are you?" Twilight couldn't help but grin a little mischievously.

Jo let out a sarcastic laugh. "Hah hah, no..." She paused momentarily, thinking of how to say things without sounding like a dork, or too dramatic. "Not to sound lame, Twilight, and don't take this the wrong way, either, but... I'm really happy I got to meet you. I just wanted to say thanks, for that, I guess."

At first, the expression Twilight wore evolved into a huge smile, then softened some after a moment. She surprised the other girl confessing her feelings with a hug. "I'm glad I met you too Jo, and Alice. I gotta say, if there's any upside to be seen in all this, it's that I've made some spectacular new friends."

Jo's eyes had widened from the sudden hug, but she returned it begrudgingly, her own smirk not leaving.

Unbeknownst to them both, a tall, shrouded shape with skeletal features and a massive, ebony sword drew up behind them. It stood three heads taller, and was an intimidating mass in the dim light. The figure's head lowered less than an inch from them before they became aware of his presence and muttered, "Boo."

9:09 PM

Alice raised an eyebrow at the inordinate amount of screaming from inside the haunted house which sounded an awful lot like Jo and Twilight. The idea that she could distinguish her friends amidst the rest of the shouts and cries seemed a little farfetched to her. Still, the sounds of two voices that seemed to be awfully familiar and getting closer was undeniable.

A pair of blue and lavender blurs zipped out of the fair's attraction and past Alice without stopping.

"YEAH! Those are my girls!" Alice grinned stupidly, watching as Twilight and Jo ran all the way to the street without stopping.

"Heh, sounds like they had a good time in there," Satan responded absently.

Penny shrugged. "Eh, the monster dudes were doing alright in there all considering." She flicked her hair back over her shoulder absently. "They're still amateurs if you ask me."

Alice hooked an arm with the two friends on either side of her, skipping and dragging them along to her other two companions. "Now Penny, Halloween isn't about scaring people. It's about scaring people and having fun. That's exactly what I plan to do tonight, in spades." She glanced up at Satan with a knowing look, then looked at Penny again. "So, let's fetch Jo and Twilight and go do just that! Just about anything at the fair is going to blow her mind, I think."

9:31 PM

Twilight laughed along with Alice, Penny and Satan, the three of them telling joke after joke along with funny stories, too. It was clear to her that Alice was going out of her way to steer them in the direction of entertaining her; small things like asking them to tell her about a funny thing from another day hinted at as much. It was a really nice gesture.

All around them was a sharp contrast to the party and haunted house they had left behind. Flashing lights and a huge crowd of people teemed in the converted streets of the city's center.

Twilight was aware that Jo and Alice considered it a homely little town, but to Twilight it was a city, and that was factoring in how much bigger Ponyville was getting as of late. The surroundings were no Manehatten and certainly nothing next to Canterlot, but it was bigger than what she was used to after living in the quiet rural area in the valley nestled behind Canterlot.

"Alright, guys, Twilight, here we are!" Alice flourished her hands up at what she'd brought them all to. "So, what do you think?"

Twilight's eyebrows climbed a bit as she stared at what was apparently a fair attraction for humans. "Bumper Cars?" She read the sign hanging just overhead. The sound of Jo groaning beside her further raised her curiosity. Just like the real Trixie, Jo seemed to have an intense dislike of things she considered 'silly' or childish. It was very uncharacteristic for a pony to be like that. Twilight briefly considered if Trixie wouldn't enjoy being a human more; they were a fair bit more her style.

"Hey, wait for me!" Twilight turned to see that everypony had left her in the dust and meandered up to the booth. Except for Jo, anyway, she was leaning on the metal fence encircling the great empty space in the middle. "So what are bumper cars?" She looked from the alienated Jo, to the other three humans, now waiting in the attraction's line.

"Hah, exactly what the name implies, Twilight. You get in a car, and well, bump." Alice wiggled her eyebrows at Jo for a reason that wasn't exactly clear.

"Alice, stop that." Jo let out a tired breath where she leaned over the fence, letting her head hang in defeat after speaking. "I swear, you're hopeless."

Alice slinked up next to Jo and put and arm over her shoulder. "Aw, just like your sex lif-"

Twilight frowned slightly at the amount of cursing Jo burst out into, fighting rambunctiously with a giggling Alice. After listening to Jo say them a few times and some subsequent research, it became clear the nature of human curse words had very unsavory meanings. Twilight didn't exactly approve of that, but what could she do? She had considered it a few times, but in the end, pushing her own ways on others seemed as wrong as letting them go on the way they were. A sigh escaped her slightly parted lips, taciturnly watching Alice give a struggling Jo a hug after being faced with getting punched.

Satan tried to get between Jo and Alice. "Ladies, please, we're here to knock each other around in bumper cars, not just willy nilly. Besides, we need to stay in line if we want our turn." He gestured over to said line, which was politely not being filled up ahead of them despite their antics.

The gate opened up ahead of them, and the enthusiastic fair workers motioned their group forward.

"Jo, aren't you coming?" Twilight stopped at the entrance, looking back to where Jo was hesitating.

"Ah, I'll just wait for you guyssSS-!"

Alice had snuck up behind Trixie and begun pushing her in, towards Twilight. "Oh no you don't, party pooper! You're having the time of your life whether you want to or not!"

Laughing, Twilight grabbed Jo's hand and led her in. However, she stopped when faced with the purring contraptions all lined up in front of her.

"Come on lady, get in." The man ushered Twilight into the seat before she knew what was happening or could even protest. She hiked her dress up some to get into the car better, and didn't understand why the man helping her strap in seemed so embarrassed by that. She shrugged it off though and eagerly looked forward.

The gates holding the cars were small and just big enough to contain them. It seemed they would all open when the red lights hanging overhead would turn green, sort of like something she had read about called a stop light.

It suddenly occurred to Twilight, that amidst Jo's and Alice's antics, she had forgotten to ask exactly what she was doing. She knew these were like miniature cars, and she had to... bump, the others, but she wondered how.

"Hey, girls, what do I d-?" She looked over at Alice, who was grinning manically and seemed to be mashing her leg up an down on the floor of her bumper car. She was cackling, in a way that made Twilight a little afraid of her. Uhm, okay? She slowly turned her head to face to the other side of herself, where Penny was stationed. "Penny? What am I supposed to do?"

Penny looked over at Twilight, her own smile fading somewhat after making eye contact. "What do you do? Seriously?"

Twilight nodded, smiling calmly. "Sorry, I've never done this before." She laughed a little nervously, running her hands over the strange, empty wheel that hung just in front of her.

Penny sighed, then leaned over towards Twilight some. "Alright, these are bumper cars, there's no break because you aren't supposed to stop. The object is just to hit others as hard as you can. The pedal on the floor will make you go."

Twilight's eyes widened after hearing the exact explanation of what the fair attraction was all about. "Wait, what-?"

Before the pony could get a response, a buzzer sounded and the gates separating her from certain doom, were lowered.

9:37 PM

Twilight had never felt so queasy in all her life. It took every bit of her concentration to hold onto her lunch. She looked around herself slowly. Her friends were off getting food. How could they be hungry after that? Geez, what is wrong with Alice? The blonde Starswirl the Bearded had been relentless in attacking both Twilight and Trixie, shouting threats and jeering remarks throughout her assault. It had taken the mounted efforts of both unicorn mares in order to put a stop to it.

It had been more fun than Twilight could remember having since well before leaving Ponyville, if a bit more chaotic, too. "A little chaos isn't so bad, though." She chuckled, then winced when her stomach turned again. "Uggh, what did I eat?"

"Did someone say eat?" Mr. Satan laughed and stuck something breaded up underneath Twilight's nose. "Hah, look Twilee, corn dogs!" The voice he used sounded very odd, like a cliche surfer pony or something. "Heh, you get the joke, right?" He grinned around the side of the food he was giving her.

Twilight swallowed, then studied the off looking food on a stick a moment. "O-oh, yes, hah, funny..." What is he talking about? She wasn't sure, but more worrying to her was the name he had given the strange food.

Twilight swallowed hard, and began stammering out her question, not taking the food from him. "W-what's a Corn... dog?" Her eyes widened a fraction, an image of Winona playing over the little fair treat being held under her nose. "Th -th- th- that's not really, dog, is it?" The expression she made was twisted from terror at the thought. Her stomach was threatening to surrender to the nausea she'd felt in the bumper cars right there.

"What?" The other man's reaction and incredulity was instant relief. "No way, that's just a name. I think it's because hotdogs are long and tube shaped, like a certain breed of dog."

Twilight breathed out a sigh of relief. "Oh, alright. What is in it then-"

Before she could finish, Alice swooped in and snatched it away from Satan's hand. "Wiener dog! Thanks, Dale!" She looked up at him and winked taking a bite. "I was getting starved." Patting her tummy, she strolled away with Twilight's treat in her mitts.

Mr. Satan raised an eyebrow after Alice, smirking. "Well, I'd ask why you don't know what a hotdog is either, but I just remembered you're a vegetarian, so that's my bad." He looked at her again, a skeptical quality to his eyes.

"Here, Twilight, I got a giant pretzel if you'd like some." Jo walked up nonchalantly, offering the other girl some of her food. "I miss anything?" she mumbled around a bite of the salty fair snack.

"Thanks Jo, but my stomach's been feeling off the last hour... I think I'll pass on the thought of food." Twilight smiled around a slightly pained look, holding her midsection for effect. "You haven't missed anything either, I don't think." She ran her smile over the other members of their group, lingering it hesitantly on Mr. Satan for a moment. "So, what's next!?"

"Well, the concert's going. Jo, didn't you want to dance in that?" Penny held one hand up, offering the idea to the other woman flatly. "I figure we've entertained Ms. Energizer here for a while, why not go out there and hope she burns herself out?"

Alice began cackling while moonwalking through the middle of their circle. "Impossible! I am fueled by the friendship I share with Jo, which is never ending and as vast as the stars themselves!"

The other four people stared as Starswirl the Bearded continued to moonwalk in a circle before them.

Jo slowly turned to Penny. "Yeah, it's worth a shot I guess." She stuck out a hand and caught Alice by her shoulder, ceasing the other woman's rendition of a Michael Jackson energizer bunny. "Come on MJ, let's go dance where it's appropriate and won't earn us weird looks."

Alice laughed and grabbed Jo's arm, looking up at her starry eyed in the most exaggerated way possible. "Oh Peter, I thought you'd never ask me to the school dance!"

The group laughed at Jo's expense, even Twilight who didn't get the joke. Together, they walked through the throng of people and costumes which only seemed to grow as the night went on. Twilight would ask Jo what some of them were, the ones that looked interesting or may be from one of the many human shows. In her head, lists of things to look up when she could find a moment were made. There were things called Wookies, Gundams, Batmen, Powerful Rangers, Smorfs, Pikachus and more. She of course recognized many others from her own myths and in fact, several that were real in her world. There weren't any gryphon costumes to be found, or many others she would have expected, but she spotted a minotaur as well as a dragon. Changelings were nowhere to be seen, but after some thought she decided it would be a bit hard for a human to dress as an equine shapeshifter.

Amongst the myths that her world shared with Earth, she spotted at least a hundred vampires, zombies, ghosts and werewolves respectively. The zombies especially seemed outrageously popular with humans, and she couldn't figure out why. They were a bit frowned upon in Equestria, and a tad dark. Spike loved them of course, to her exasperated chagrin. The vast majority of the costumes were fine, but some of them really exemplified how dark, or strange humans could be. One of the oddest was a strange, green man rolling around a giant ball that sang a song. Alice had called it a 'katamari'.

Ignoring that music though, the music from the concert could be heard from any corner of the fair, and followed them wherever they walked. Once they had gotten far enough on their way to enjoy it firsthoof, it was positively thundering. As was the enthusiasm from the crowd listening to it.

Twilight tried to clamp her ears down to shut some of it out, then grimaced when she remembered human ears didn't do that. She swished her tail angrily instead. Looking back, she aimed her grimace at the decorated cloth on her gown that passed for her tail right then. Pony feathers. She huffed a breath out and continued towards the crowd with her friends.

"Twilight, if it gets too crazy, just walk out of the crowd, okay? Just, remember what I said and stuff, and-" Jo had a worried look on her face, which was endearing.

"Jo, it's fine." Twilight laughed and patted her friends shoulder. "Thanks, but how bad could it really be?"

Jo's look serioused up further after Twilight said those words. "Twilight, every time someone says that Murphy's law kicks in. Don't you guys know that? I know you saw TV tropes that first day you scoured the internet."

Twilight adjusted the floppy lavender wings on her dress absently, thinking back. "Oh yeah, I remember that one, too."

Alice laughed happily, adding in her own thoughts. "With as many goofy villains as Equestria has, a website like that would be an invaluable resource I would think. All hail humanity, whose logic, or absence thereof, slayed the Jabberwock!"

Twilight pursed her lips in a state of complete loss. "The what?" She blinked, then shook her head and moved past Alice's confusing contributions. "Nevermind. Alice, they are not goofy, but... admittedly, humans have thought over scenarios to an admirable extreme. I feel bad for anything that does attack you guys."

Jo rolled her eyes at that. "Well, we're a little too busy fighting one another for that to even matter, if you think about it."

Alice butted in again, as enthusiastically as always."Hey, come on you two, the band up there's playing the monster mash. The monster mash, guys! That's premier Halloween music. We can talk hobgoblins and ghouls later!"

Jo frowned, replying. "Yeah, I noticed, I thought they were just playing ska, what happened to the imitation bands and good music?"

Penny glanced over and answered the question. "Taking a break I guess, no reason not to hop in though. Dale's already in there."

Twilight tilted her head slightly. Dale? Oh, Mr. Satan, right.

Jo grimaced as they approached the crowd of people dancing, or what might be dancing, at least. It was getting a bit too loud to hear one another now that they were all so close.

Twilight spotted Jo trying to say something to her, then leaned nearer, cupping a hand to her ear. Gosh, humans are way too loud, how can they enjoy any of the music? "What!?" She shouted the word.

"I said-!" Jo winced and just shook her head. "Have fun, Twilight! Try not to get lost!" She managed to work a smile onto her face, grinning encouragingly to the Equestrian beside her.

Twilight returned Jo's happy look, doing her best to outdo it. "Only if you do!" She shouted back. "And don't worry, I won't!"

Alice jumped in between Jo and Twilight, holding herself up a moment off of the ground by their shoulders. She let out a long, piercing cheer, then screamed, "I LOVE THE MONSTER MASH-!"

She had managed the outcry, as loud as she could, just as the music cut off abruptly. "Ssshh- wha?" She and everyone else in the area were looking around, confused.

Twilight looked around as well, at a loss. "What just happened?"

Jo stared up at the stage disinterestedly. "Looks like they broke something. Sorry Twilight, I guess the concert's a bust." She gave Twilight a disappointed shrug, a little upset herself.

...

The lights set up around the open field all shut down as if on cue, and the stage went dark. A lot of people in the crowd let out screams, of excitement, terror, enthusiasm, to name a few.

"Jo!?" Twilight felt for her friend in the darkness, but came up empty. "Jo, where are you!?" She screamed out again. Oh Celestia, Jo said that the worst would happen and it did! What is it? Discord? Terrorists!? Oh no, did humans have any villains that I need to worry about!?

The stage lit up again with a thunderous boom, purple light bathing everything up at the front of the crowd, which went wild immediately. Fog rolled and roiled out in waves from all around, and single jet of flame shut up over the stage.

"It's okay Twilight! It's all planned!" Jo smiled over at Twilight, who was currently latched onto her arm.

A slow chorus of music began to fill the air, the crowd quieting to listen to what sounded like the soft tings of bells. It was a very powerful feeling, so many moving as one. Twilight recognized it. Then, the music kicked up, a drum roll from the men on stage thundered out quickly, chaotically. The crowd exploded into cheers, quieting only for the singer to scream his lungs out over them anyway.

"Niiiiightmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare!"

10:13 PM

Twilight panted from the fun she'd had out amidst the humans. It wasn't as though she were quite dressed, so to speak, for any sort of dancing involving much more than her arms, but it was fun all the same just moving with them all and enjoying the music. The atmosphere was as vibrant or alive as anything she had seen at home in Equestria, but different; it was definitely, different. Humans were rambunctious and random, shouting their emotions and enthusiasm in pure, unfiltered excitement. Ponies, at least from her experience, were more reactive and calmer, often following a lead, even in large celebrations. It was obvious to Twilight that in this horde of humans, even at the concert, every person had their own distinct agenda.

Aches poked annoyingly at her body, so Twilight cracked her back and rolled her stiff shoulders to try and lessen that. My back never hurt before. Maybe I should try sleeping in a different position. She had a very strange headache as well. Headaches weren't something she often got. She had always been very careful to not overtax her magic back in Equestria, and it didn't make sense for her to get them on Earth, as a human, at all. Her stomach still felt kinda off, too.

Sighing, Twilight ignored the alien sensations and set about trying to find somepony she recognized in the teeming crowd. Somewhere along the lines, Jo had gotten separated from her. Jo won't be happy about that. Giggling to herself a little guiltily about her over-protective friend, she spotted one person that might be able to help her.

Twilight side stepped, hopping slightly to stand in front of the person with the familiar hat. "Van Helsing?" She looked up under the cover's brim, and a look of recognition stared back at her. "Oh, it is you! Hi!" she greeted happily.

"Oh, hey. It's Twilight, right?" The man smirked back at her, snapping what might have been a small metal box shut to tuck it into his pocket. He had a strange little stick held between his lips. "What's up?"

Twilight studied the strange paper stick interestedly, but broke eye contact with it to speak to the person holding it. "Nothing huge, I'm just separated from my friends right now. I can't find the girls or Mr. Satan anywhere." Shrugging, she moved out of the way of the crowd coming and going from the front of the concert's stage. "Are you here listening to music too? I gotta say, that was some... interesting stuff. I couldn't make out most of the lyrics, but wow did it feel intense. I've never heard anything like-" she resisted the urge to face palm, realizing how she was talking a little too late. No take backs, Twilight; roll with it. "I mean, I've never heard anything like it in person before." She grinned widely, in the most convincing sort of way she could muster.

Van Helsing raised an eyebrow, holding the smoldering paper stick in one hand while giving her a studious look. "So," he finally said. "That was your first concert? Sorry to hear it, heh. That show was alright, but it wasn't anything special. I'm kinda sorry I left Chris with the party to check it out." His gaze panned over the fair before returning to Twilight. "This is mostly community funded, so it's just big enough to warrant visiting. Were you not bored, at least?" He grinned, then held the stick up again, doing what appeared to be sucking on the unburnt end.

What kind of... is it medicinal perhaps? Humans do have a far greater number of diseases to worry about. Oh dear, maybe he's sick? Twilight blinked away the worry, deciding to ask if it came up. "Well of course! Jo, Penny and Mr. Satan and I had more fun than Rainbow at the Wonderbolt museeeum..." She trailed off, bouncing on the balls of her feet slightly from nervousness. Her carelessness was such that she couldn't believe it. What is with me!? I'm energetic one minute, dizzy the next, energetic and unable to think again right after. Celestia, give me strength! Her stomach felt off again, too.

Despite the questionable slip of the tongue, Van Helsing only laughed. He dropped the stick to the ground and smothered it with a boot. "Mr. Satan, who's that?" he asked, thankfully instead of something that might be awkward to explain.

Twilight furrowed her brow. "Oh, uhm... shoot, I keep forgetting his real name, actually." She had to think to recall that Mr. Satan even had another name. Did I hit my head? Come on Twilight, focus. She looked up when a response didn't readily come. "Hm, what's that, Van Helsing? Oh, a pen, I like pens." A happy grin of recognition bloomed, watching as the other human scribbled something on a piece of paper.

The man looked up at Twilight, a lopsided, amused smile splitting his face. He let out another chuckle and straightened, pushing his hat back some. "Hah, okay. I like pens a lot, too." He laughed again, then held out the paper. "Hey, I know you're with your friend Jo tonight, and I don't want to get between you and your friends, but... maybe if you'd like to sometime, you could call me?" His smile was small, but warm.

"Call you?" Twilight looked at the paper, it had a little number scribbled on it. "It's a phone number!" She laughed out loud and studied the little numerals carefully. After holding it in her hand a moment, the thought of where to put it to keep it safe came up. Shoot, I don't have any saddlebags. She spun once, confirming the thought. "Oh, I know."

Van Helsing stood and watched in surprise as Twilight put the phone number down the neck of her dress, where a convenient spot for safe-keeping lay.

"There! That really is pretty convenient, actually." Twilight flashed a smile to the odd human. "I saw Jo do this once at a restaurant. I might wear clothes more often when I get home!" She giggled merrily after her enthusiastic reply, then hummed in thought.

"So, wait, why do I need to call you though?" It dawned on Twilight a second later. "Oh! You want to be friends!" Her smile grew enormously then, she felt so happy by the revelation she gave the newly acquainted acquaintance a hug. "That sounds great! Say, how are you at taking notes?" Pulling back, she spotted a sort of crestfallen appearance on the man's expression, mixed with a bit of severe confusion. "Oh no, was that too- I am so sorry, was that inappropriate of me? I'm not really good with understanding what's appropriate as far as tactile interaction between persons- I mean- Uggh, I can't talk right now."

Twilight put a hand up to her forehead and rubbed it, smiling sheepishly, in what she hoped was a sufficiently earnest manner.

Van Helsing blinked, at a loss. "Aah, yeah, haha, it's fine... I think."

A short silence passed between the two, both looking around at the teeming crowd. Twilight felt as though she had made some mistake, based on her limited knowledge of human relations.

"Well, yeah, I'll see you around Twilight, I actually have to go." Van Helsing began to leave, scratching the back of his head with a look that sort of said he was unsure.

"Oh, alright. Are you sure you can't stay? We were going to do some more stuff before we were done." Twilight looked behind herself in the direction of where she thought her friends may be.

The man laughed, but turned to go, shaking his head. "I don't think Jo would care to have me around. It's alright, really."

Twilight frowned some, certain this was her fault now, but decided to let it go. It seemed Jo was also to be blame a little, too. Honestly Jo, why are you acting like that? "Well, alright." She began waving goodbye, when another, last second thought came to her. "Oh, Van Helsing," she called after him.

The man turned around to face her.

"What's your real name, or is it really Van Helsing? Because you don't sound like much of a singer, no offense." Twilight realized after asking that she would probably have to give him her own in return, but shrugged it off and smirked instead. I should ask Jo if I could listen to the real Van Helsing's music. A famous singer is quite the interesting costume choice.

Jeremy tipped his hat. "It's Jeremy. Nice meeting you, Twilight Sparkle." Smirking, as if he'd done something clever, he put his hands in his coat pockets and strode away.

"Huh." Twilight stared after the odd human until the crowd swallowed him and he disappeared from sight. "What a strange stallion. Oh well, still not as weird as that guy in Ponyville obsessed with jelly." She scrunched her face up in horror at the memory of the odd neighbor. What was his name, Hugh? Oh well. They really come in all ways back home. Here too, actually, I guess.

Shaking her head, Twilight turned and walked back towards the concert some, still a bit of sway in her step. Her trip back was short lived. Standing by a food stall was another friend, though still not the one she was searching for, exactly.

"Penny! Hey! Have you seen Jo, or maybe Alice?" Twilight jogged up to the taller girl, who looked as though she was doing something with a small, pocket-sized electronic device. "I've been looking for them, but I can't find them."

"Huh? Oh, hey Amelia." Penny didn't look up from what she was doing, but moved her head slightly as though she had been considering doing just that.

Twilight blinked at getting called the fake name again, but shook it off. She was getting a little more used to it. "Oh, that's a cell phone, isn't it?" The little device had cropped up a lot in conversations with Alice before; Jo didn't have one.

Penny looked up ahead of herself a moment, then panned over to raise an eyebrow at the strange purple haired girl beside her. "Are you Amish, Amelia?" she said in a questioning tone, then held the cellphone up between them both.

Twilight didn't recognize the name. "Amish? What's that?"

Penny harrumphed. "They're people that don't believe in using technology. Are you telling me you've really just never seen a phone before? It's the year twenty-twenty-three, everyone and their dog and pet fish have a cellphone. I mean, no offense if you haven't, it's just... Well, you'd have had to grow up under a rock for that to be true."

Twilight concentrated on an explanation. "Oh, uhm, we just didn't have them where I grew up a whole lot. My family... just used the phone at our home." She felt a bit embarrassed referring to Spike as a phone. In truth, phones were somewhat commonplace place in Equestria, but they used magic, and were typically public utilities, not private.

Penny studied Twilight a moment. "Every kid at your school didn't have a cell phone?" She put a hand on her hip, tilting her body to the side. "Actually, Amelia, where are you from? The way Alice has been talking about you, and judging by your reactions, it seems like you'd never seen... Well, anything, before. Especially here at the fair. It's nothing really that special..." Her eyes glanced over the shabby looking rides and meager sights.

"Oh, really?" Twilight asked innocently, with a touch of unwanted uncertainty in her voice. She searched her thoughts quickly for her alias' story, but couldn't come up with it readily. Once again, there was that fog that had been in her head all night keeping her from thinking too hard.

"Uh, well, I've just I- I'm from nowhere special, just a couple cities away, actually." Twilight was more bothered by her inability to think straight than having an awkward conversation with Penny. After all, there isn't much bad that can happen exactly from anyone thinking my story's off. Right? "I just never left home, really. I studied a lot with most of my time." That was true at least, she considered. "We never had a fair there, either, so it's interesting." An earnest smile spread across her face.

"Huh, sounds like a strange town." Penny shrugged, but seemed to buy it. "Answer me this then, because I'm curious. How'd such a nice girl like you from a few cities away start to hang out with a jerk like Jo? You are younger than her, right? Are you just renting a room while you go to college here or something?" The older human scrutinized Twilight closely, her eyes squinting some.

Twilight blinked at first, still struggling for a good explanation or story. Luckily, Penny had provided a quick one with her question. "Yes... I'm renting a room." The questions, however, made Twilight frown back at Penny.

"Hey, Jo's a really nice person though, once you get to know her." She felt less on the defense now, and pressed the advantage. "It's really kind of unfair of you to say that. Don't you think it makes you a jerk yourself, just by pointing that out?" She stood straighter, squaring herself up and folding her arms against the other human. Surprisingly, it did little it seemed.

Penny rolled her eyes and let out a short laugh. "Oh yeah, you're way too nice to be hanging out with Jo." Her tone was a little condescending, but only a little. "Alright, I'm sorry, and you're not wrong about that, I guess. Still, I went to High School with Jo. Granted that was awhile ago, but... she has, or had, a wicked anger streak, and never forgives anyone. Maybe she's changed, I hope so. I don't mind her at all on a personal level, but she held a grudge against a guy, and that ruined a lot of friendships, as you put it. That's putting it lightly, she was at the center of enough drama to be a one girl reality TV show."

Twilight tried not to scowl back, especially because she didn't quite understand what Penny was saying, but she got the jist. "Well, that was what, a decade ago? You were all just fillies and barely out of-" she bit her lip for a moment, remembering the strange school system humans used. "What I mean to say is, you all didn't know better I'm sure. Didn't everypony apologize and become friends again, afterwards? I mean, I didn't really have many friends growing up, myself, but I do know that it's better to come to an understanding over a disagreement."

Penny tilted her head, as if confused slightly, but nodded. "Yeah, I agree. She didn't though, and..." She let out a short laugh again. "Everypony tried to, but her. At least that's how I remember it. Maybe she'll say something different, but it's not important." She let out a tired sigh, shaking her head a little, then visibly brightened. "Sorry for bringing it up, Twilight Sparkle!" She grinned widely down at the other girl, straightening up. "Jo did seem to be having a lot of fun, tonight. I guess she is a better person than I remember to be friends with someone as cool as you. I didn't want to rule out she was taking advantage of someone really naive, but then again, Alice has been hanging out with you both lately, huh?"

Twilight lightened up some with the other girl's apology. She seemed like a really nice human, just a little... opinionated. "Heh, uhm, yes. Alice has been keeping us both company a lot and visits often." After smiling and smoothing her mane with both hands for a moment, she looked up to see Penny again typing on her phone.

"I actually have to get going," Penny said. "But hey, the pony-isms were cute. I hated the show myself, was never my thing. A perfect world where everyone pretty much gets along and dragons can live off eating rocks? It's adorable, but completely dumb. Heck, that's not even to mention the other weird stuff, like controlling the sun with stupid magic, the gender ratio, or even a nation of horses to begin with." She shrugged, laughing and already walking away. "Oh well, later Amelia, hope to see you again soon!"

Twilight waved goodbye, fighting to keep her face from forming into a sudden, a rictous snarl. "Byeee!" Once Penny turned around to stroll away calmly, Twilight's lips pursed in a seething look, her cheeks aflame.

"Magic!? Stupid?" Twilight's left eye twitched uncontrollably. She growled in frustration and kicked a foot. "I'll show her stupid..." Calming herself, she put a hand up to her front, then waved it out calmly, letting go of the stress. It worked perfectly. I need to thank Cadence again for that when I get home. She took more calming breaths, dispelling the anger that Penny had kicked up unintentionally. I wonder what she's up to? I haven't seen her in ages. Her old foal sitter was always a welcomed, happy memory.

At the moment, it was at odds with some of the strange things Penny had said about Equestria. Not all of them sounded familiar. What was that about a gender ratio, though? Oh never mind, a cartoon show hardly has any bearing on reality. Now, where is Jo and Alice? Smiling once again, and at a loss of what to do now, Twilight looked around herself and began trying to find her other friends.

Twilight shuffled her feet a moment, stood up on her toes to look around herself over some of the crowd, but otherwise was coming up empty. It's been a while since I've seen Jo now... Yup, she's going to lose it. It didn't escape Twilight that Jo was a little protective of her. It was sweet, in a sisterly way. Jo seemed to transcend it a bit and go overboard though. Maybe I can talk to her about it- Oh, there's Alice!

"Hey Alice! I-" Twilight cut off, her mouth hanging open mid-sentence. "In the name of everything hooved." She blinked in complete shock at what she was looking at. Right before her very eyes, Alice was kissing Mr. Satan, right out in public. Not only that, she was being very... enthusiastic about it, too.

Oh dear. Twilight felt very much like Fluttershy right then, her face lighting up with an embarrassed heat the likes of which she'd never experienced before... Before coming to Earth, anyway. She put a hand up to her eyes and shied away, looking at the ground.

"Hey Twilight, there you are." It wasn't too loud this far away from the concert and music, so Jo's voice called out in almost a normal indoor volume. "I'm really sorry if I'm starting to sound like I've appointed myself your guardian, but I was worried maybe that crowd had swallowed you whole." She let out a nervous chuckle at that. "What's wrong, is there something on the ground?"

Twilight looked up to see Jo studying the spot she had been distracting herself with. "I-it's Alice," she hissed, then glanced at the girl and her partner quickly to make sure she hadn't been noticed.

"Alice?" Jo asked, looking around herself. "Did something happen to her?"

Twilight shook her head fiercely, sending waves of purple hair to either side of herself. "No! It's not what's happened to her, exactly..." The image flashed in her mind, and she shut her eyes on instinct for a moment.

Jo folded her arms, donning an angry expression underneath her light blue wizard hat. "I see, what did she do, then?"

Twilight groaned aloud and pulled Jo over, pointing at Alice and Mr. Satan, who were still entertaining themselves with one another's mouths, eyes shut in concentration. "Jo, is that normal!? I always thought nuzzling in public was rather bold, but that... that's just... I don't even know." She couldn't help but stare now that she'd looked at the blonde girl again. "I didn't even know you could kiss like that."

Jo wasn't exactly sure what to do. She considered telling her friend to stop, or dragging Twilight off behind a fair booth straight away, but neither of those seemed right. "Well, Twilight, honestly that's a pretty common way of kissing around here. Status quo, really." She looked over with a smirk at the blanched expression Twilight still wore. "I gotta agree with you though, it's a little weird, or rude at least, to go at it like that in public. But... Is Equestria really... okay I don't want to say boring... but, kid friendly? Sometimes I wonder if it's just you that reacts this way to stuff."

Twilight chewed her lip while Jo spoke, until that last sentence. She bristled at that one. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Jo put a hand behind her head and studied a nearby popcorn stand. "Well, I just mean to say that you might be... a little shut in, what with Equestria not having the internet or TV. So maybe this stuff is normal there, you just haven't encountered it yet? You're not that old, after all."

Twilight bunched her annoying human hands up into fists and planted them on her sides. She didn't have hooves to stomp, so that would have to do. "I'm shut in? That's really funny coming from you, Jo!"

The two girls faced off against one another, glares deepening.

Jo started laughing first, and was quickly joined by Twilight.

"Alright, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, Twilight." Jo wiped away a fake tear.

Twilight sucked in a breath and looked back at Alice and Mr. Satan. "It's okay, and you could be right, I guess. But I get the feeling any other Equestrian watching this would react the same as me. Except maybe Rainbow... She'd probably lose her lunch."

Jo snrked at the thought of the pegasus she had heard so much about. "Maybe, but anyway, Alice here just isn't the type to be ashamed much. She likes the attention. It's just how she is." Shrugging with a sigh, Jo walked off in the other direction a ways. "How's your stomach, actually? We can try a couple more rides if you'd like and are up to it. As for Alice, we'll call her later. We should give them some privacy, I think. They might just take off for the night, though, at this rate. Actually, where's her other friend? That girl, Penny, have you seen her?" She turned around. "Uh, Twilight?"

Twilight barely managed to, but the sound of Jo's voice getting quieter behind herself made her wrench her eyes away from the sight of Alice and her other new friend doing... that thing. "Huh- Oh, Penny?" Pulling up her dress's hem, she sped up after Jo. "I did notice, actually. She left just before I found you." She didn't bring up what they had talked about. "And after bumping into her I just found Alice and Mr. Satan... kissing, and..." Trailing off, her eyes wandered back to Alice again. She couldn't still be kissing, could she?

The sound of snapping fingers brought Twilight back.

"Focus, Twilight." Jo frowned.

Blinking and looking back at Jo, Twilight grinned sheepishly. "Eh heh."

Jo rolled her eyes above an expression that made her look like she was at a loss for words. "Come on, let's give them their space." She scanned what remained of the fair's offerings; there wasn't much. The tilt-o-whirl was probably a terrible idea considering how upset Twilight said her stomach had been after the bumper cars. That left the only other ride there. "Have you ever been on a Ferris-wheel before, Twilight?"

Twilight looked over, expression open, then traced Jo's gaze to the tall, circular thing that spun slowly, sort of like a windmill. "Oh, that huge thing? No, actually." Her grin grew more as she looked at the curiosity. Interesting, it's another ride along the same lines of a balloon, kind of... "I think I'd like to, though."

"Awesome." Jo nodded, grinning up ahead at the ride. Together, they started walking slowly towards it. "So, been having fun?" Getting bothered by her wig and hat—it was hot having it on all night, after all—Jo pulled off the costume parts and fanned them out. Her actual, short brown hair beneath was matted firmly against her head somewhat.

Twilight laughed and put a bounce into her step as she answered. "Yes! This is exactly what I needed, Jo. I can't thank you enough for all of this. I saw all that money changing hands by the way, I promise to pay you back in full before I... before I leave for Equestria! Whenever that is." The little buzz of happiness she had faltered for a moment, but stayed put.

Jo chuckled; she put her hat and wig back on then folded her arms over the front of her blue costume. "It'll be soon, Twilight, I'm sure of it. It's like you said, Celestia will help."

Twilight smiled wanly up at the Ferris-wheel as they approached its base, a long silence settling in.

When Twilight broke the silence, her voice was level, with maybe a tinge of happiness. "If I don't get home, Jo. Can I stay with you?" She paused, then added, "At least, for a little while." A weak, pathetic laugh escaped. "Heh, I'm sure I could figure out a way to get by on my own with some time, but..." It was clear after she had spoken that the faux happiness in her words had been forced.

Speechlessness pierced Jo. She looked over at Twilight. "..."

The other girl had a tear at one corner of her eye.

Jo couldn't come up with anything to say exactly, except, "Yeah, Twilight, you can stay." The line between them and the Ferris-wheel shrank entirely before she could say anymore. Unknowing souls walked calmly around the two, talking amongst one another about this thing or that.

Jo eventually worked up the nerve to give her friend the reassurance, even if it might be empty, she knew she had to say it. "It won't come to that, Twilight. You've only been here, what? Almost a month? We're going to get you home, somehow." She laid a hand comfortingly on the refugee's shoulder.

Twilight kept staring up at the Ferris-wheel. "I know. Thanks, Jo." She smiled, while one of her hands gripped the side of her dress.

The lights on the Ferris-wheel twinkled and flashed, holding Twilight's attention. The sound of the crowd shifting continued to fill the air above and around the town, distracting her from having many thoughts. She watched the giant wheel for a time, then the sky and its strange clouds beyond it.

"Twilight, we're up," Jo called to her.

The fair worker they passed wore as disinterested a look as was humanly possible. He waved the girls up. Quietly, they took their spots in front of the car and sat, Twilight having to move around some in order to get comfortable. A metal bar lowered over their heads and clunked in place, securing them safely to be spun around up into the air at a leisurely pace.

The Ferris-wheel banged into motion.

"Ah-" Twilight put her hands on the bar, snapped out of her trance. Her stomach still felt off, but it was bearable. "Ooooh, boy." She smiled a little, cheered up by the sudden distraction she was now riding in. Fascinated by the churning sounds of machinery, she watched as the ground slowly moved further away. "This is really amazing." Her voice was a quiet murmur of awe. She looked over at Jo. "Human engineering is really something else. I wish we had half as many great discoveries back in Equestria, Jo." The grin couldn't be kept off her face.

Jo, meanwhile, shivered from the wind that was blowing relentlessly that high up. "It's nothing great, Twilight. It does help us a lot, though, I guess. I couldn't imagine not having running water."

Twilight laughed. "Me neither. We have running water, too, Jo."

Jo harrumphed. "Alright, internet, then." She grinned back with a wry look.

Twilight shuddered, getting a chill from the wind, and pushed her friend's shoulder jokingly. "Now that one I can certainly do without... Well, most of it anyway."

The Ferris-wheel came to a stop, allowing more people onto the ride while they were at its apex for a couple minutes.

Jo sighed. "I imagine magic is way better than what we have anyway, Twilight, judging from what you've told me. Also, Christ it's cold up here. I should've just worn my normal clothes. My legs are freezing." She pulled the two bare limbs up closer to rub them furiously with her hands.

Twilight smiled over at Jo, then laughed at her friend's frantic movement, unable to help it. "You make such a great Trixie, though, Jo. That outfit and cutie mark suits you! You're unapproachable, proud, like to push my buttons, and that's just to name a few things."

Jo picked up on the poorly hidden amusement in Twilight's voice. She ceased trying to warm up and looked over flatly. "Gee, thanks, Twilight. I'm so happy to have a friend as thoughtful and flattering as you to call my own." She stuck her tongue out, then rebusied herself with warming up.

Twilight laughed again and looked out over the edge of the Ferris-wheel's seat. "Oh, whoa, hey Jo, stop shaking the seat, heh." The feeling building in her gut was strange. Uh oh. A sense of vertigo rocketed through the bottoms of her feet all the way up her back and into her head, which began to swim. She stopped her chuckling immediately, but for some strange reason was unable to look away from the dizying height below her.. "Oh no." Suddenly, her stomach did a back flip.

"Hm?" Jo looked over at Twilight, then, the ground far below them both which she was staring at. "Are you alright, Twi'? There's nothing to worry about, this thing's perfectly safe. They keep them up to standard and everythi-" She was cut off by Twilight jerking and trying to stand up by the look of it. "Whoa! Twilight, easy, what's wro-"

"Jo! No! Get back! I need to get down and find a- I'm gonna- gonna!" Twilight covered her mouth with a hand.

Jo was getting worried. "Twilight? Twilight!? What's wro-" She recognized the look on Twilight's face too late.

10:52 PM

"I am so, so, so sorry, again, Jo." Twilight looked sadly at her friend, who still wiped at the dress she wore with wipes.

Jo grunted, but replied a second after. "It's fine, Twilight. I already said that. I shouldn't have brought you on the thing after you said you were sick, anyway."

Twilight stared sadly at the ground, feeling really bad for doing that to her friend. She'd tried not to, but it surprised her. The swimming, hazy feeling she'd had all night seemed to be gone though, for the most part. "I've never been sick like that though. I felt so great all night, too! It's really uncharacteristic of me to do that..." She trailed off, holding a hand up to her cheek in shame.

"Well, it looked great from the ground." Alice added in, smiling. The bubbly blonde had been in line with Dale, and saw the whole thing. Jo had practically been up in Twilight's face, worrying over her, when the Equestrian had lost her lunch. Most of it went over the edge to splash harmlessly on the machinery. Most of it.

"Haha, very funny, Alice." Jo gritted her teeth and snarled at Alice, then looked away angrily when the other girl gave her a look of sympathy rather than make another joke or laugh.

"Alice, I am so sorry about the dresses, too. I got both of them!" She sighed and buried her face ashamedly in her hands, which were cleaned. She was surprised by a tap on her shoulder and looked up.

"Here." Mr. Satan was holding out a bottle of water for her. "You'll want to rehydrate probably, but drink it slow."

Twilight smiled weakly and nodded. "Thank you," she replied simply. That had to be only the third or fourth time she'd ever gotten sick like that, the first few times being from some sort of poisoned cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner, and an over enthusiastic Rainbow spinning her around in the air for a laugh.

Jo sighed at the stain that was spread across her front, and the gross smell she had covering her right then. "Well, I'm ready to go home! Who's with me?" Her smile and enthusiasm were obviously fake, but the others agreed quietly. Except for Alice.

"Aaw," Alice whined, then perked up and looked between everyone, beard swaying. "What about the masquerade ball going on over at the park? Or the video game arcades? Or the party back at Jeremy and Chris' place?" She was cut off by Mr. Satan putting an arm around her and smirking.

"I think your friends will want to clean up and get some rest, Alice." The horned human chuckled.

Alice blew a raspberry, standing on her toes to come close to his face. "Oh, rest is for the weak, Lucy."

Jo raised a hand to cover Twilight's eyes at a moment's notice.

"Wait, his name is Lucy?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a filly's name?" She looked, confused, at everyone around her.

Lucy and Alice moved apart in surprise from that, the former laughing out of control.

Jo sighed. "Twilight," she said simply, not really having anything to add.

Twilight frowned, and protested. "Well, it sounds like one. I-" She stopped herself from asking about 'human' names. Lucy wasn't in on her secret, after all. Instead, she decided to ask about something else that had been bothering her. "Jo, I was wondering, about Jeremy-" Twilight looked up at her friend questioningly, only to be cut off abruptly by a groan from the other girl.

"Aaugh, can we not talk about him." Jo turned some, as if to go, but only took a step away from the group.

Twilight scowled before she knew it, but softened it to a light frown before her friend saw it. "Jo, he's really nice." She paused to sigh, considering things like the differences between ponies and humans, and other stuff she'd learned. She hurried to continue before Jo could start arguing. "I know what you're going to say, that I don't know him. I think you do, but that was ages ago, right? Plus," she added. "It's not right to dislike somepony because of unrelated circumstances when you don't know them." Jo's eyes widened a little at that, but Twilight kept on talking, confident she had worded Penny's words a lot better. "After all that, maybe he... isn't nice, but friendship and being kind can change those things about anypony! Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Jo. I learned that the hard way in Equestria."

Twilight smiled victoriously, and was disheartened right away when a grim-faced Jo stared back at her, as stubborn and stony eyed as ever. Twilight struggled for something she could add, someway to coax her friend out of her shell. "A-and- ! Look, he even gave his phone number in case I wanted to be friends with him. Wasn't that thoughtful?" She dug around in her bra for moment, desperate to find the friendship winning slip of paper. Ah hah! There you are, you slippery little thing. She smiled down at the slip of paper in her hand after fishing it out.

The expression Twilight saw on Jo wasn't quite what she had expected. "Uhm, Jo?" Her congratulatory look faded slowly, watching her friend.

Jo eyed the thing in the other girl's hand as if it were a poisonous viper.

Alice whooped and tossed a fist in the air, breaking the silence. "Whoo! Go Twilight. See Jo? You could learn a thing or two from-"

"Alice-" Jo finally moved by knocking a fist against her own head and cringing inward slightly.

"Whoop, sorry." Alice kneaded her robes and took a few steps back, bringing Mr. Satan along too.

"Twilight-" Jo started then went slack in her arms and looked up at the sky in defeat. "Look he was friends with- a guy. Just hand me the paper, and let's go home."

Twilight frowned, but reluctantly did so. "Jo, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upse- Hey!" She lunged for the phone number being torn up, but stopped short, too late to do anything. "Jo?" The torn bits floated to the ground. "Why in the name of Princesses did you do that?" She looked up at Jo, unable to keep from looking angry.

Jo looked up, then frowned at pieces again. "You wouldn't understand, let's just go ho-"

"I would understand, Jo." Twilight set herself in her friend's path, squaring up. "Things are different here, maybe I do need some stuff explained, but right now I know something's wrong. What is it?" She let some compassion show on her face, fighting away the reaction she'd had to the paper's destruction.

"I-" Jo took a step back from Twilight, her voice cutting short of actually speaking for a pause. When she did speak, there was pain evident in her tone. "Twilight, alright, fine. I destroyed it to protect you from him. You're stuck here and-"

"I'm flattered, Jo." Twilight made up the step Jo had taken away from her by taking one forward. "But that is not why you ripped up Jeremy's phone number. I'm not a part of this. You reacted the same way when he spoke to just you." She put a hand on Jo's arm and held one of her hands in her own. "I know it's wrong of me to pry, so I apologize, but I'm a part of this now, too. So please hear me out, I want to know, and help. Why are you acting this way towards... stallions?"

The reaction Jo made in response to Twilight was sudden, as if on command. Her jaw set and a glare that transcended pissed off burned in her eyes. It flashed away in a moment, not looking away from Twilight then returned again, though slightly diminished. However, her voice was still seething. "Look, Twilight, I get that in Equestria it's sunshine and happiness and maybe your guys are a whole heckuva lot nicer, but here they're rotten more often than not and it can take a lot of time to figure out if they're worth getting to know. Or, if you don't care and you're like Alice you can just sleep- you can just take risks like she does." Behind them both, Alice flinched at overhearing that, still hanging back. "That time is something I'm not willing to waste, and something you don't have to waste."

Twilight frowned sadly back at Jo. Thinking hard, and fighting sadness back from the way her friend was speaking to her, she took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. Her arms stayed locked at her side, though. "Jo, you didn't answer my que-"

"It's none of your business!" Jo shouted. She pulled back after, winced, and faced away from Twilight. "I don't want to talk about it." She spoke again in little more than a mutter. "I like being your friend Twilight, but sometimes friendship isn't a be all solution. This is just me.”

Twilight watched her first friend she'd met on Earth walk away slowly.

11:01 PM

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you, Amelia. Great costume, too.” Dale kept his eyes on Alice and Jo, who were standing a little ways away, talking quietly.

The four of them had migrated slowly to the edge of the park, where no one but the occasional overly gruesome human costume was wandering.

Twilight sighed and muttered a half attentive thank you to the human. “Thanks, Lucy. It is a really nice dress. My friend, Rar- Another friend of mine makes ones for me just like this.” She ran a hand over the cloth adorning her, smiling slightly.

Lucy looked over from the other two women and stared speculatively at Twilight. He thought about bringing up all the strange in character stuff Twilight had been doing, but decided not to. It was too early to reopen an argument wound, he decided. Coughing, he stayed on the subject of the costume, instead.

“So, I could barely even tell that your hair was dyed. You should have redone it before coming, your roots are showing. Still, that costume is pretty amazing, Alice and Penny outdid themselves." Lucy leaned forward some, inspecting Twilight's hair from a polite distance, then straightened. The light from the lamp post overhead was just enough.

Twilight smiled. "Thank you Lucy, your costume is great, too.” She stared at him a moment, thinking over the bits of what he said which she didn’t understand. “What do you mean about my hair and the roots, though?" She shook the man's offered hand, tilting her head at the same time in a questioning way.

Dale chuckled, folding his broad arms in front of himself and explained what he meant. "You can just call me Dale, Amelia. I didn't mean to offend, sorry. I don't really know anything about hair." He shrugged, glancing up at her hairline again, before pointing. "Your hair, it's naturally black, isn't it?" He was surprised when Twilight grabbed the sleeve of his suit.

"Wait." Twilight's expression furrowed some from worry. A little bit of it was fear over something that didn't make sense. "No, no this is- Sorry, Dale, this is important." She licked her lips, pulling back her hands of his arm, but not lowering them to her sides. "Are you saying that my hair isn't purple right now?"

Dale raise and eyebrow, looking up at the hair in question for a moment again. "Well, the purple stops pretty abruptly there. Still, it looks great. You should have worn a wig maybe, like Jo. I know dyeing can be rough on hair. It mostly is- Hey, is something wrong?" Before he could finish, Twilight was sprinting over to where Jo was talking to Alice.

"Jo! Jo," Twilight panted. She couldn't find the words for her question, and her voice came out as a croak.

Jo looked at Alice, who nodded to her. Steeling herself, Jo faced the Equestrian again. "Twilight, look, I-.. I’m sorry, I shouldn't have said that stuff and-" She was cut off quickly by Twilight's hand waving and a cry.

"No, it's fine! I'm sorry too, and I forgive you. There’s something else important right now, please, help me." Twilight looked at Jo with the utmost seriousness after she stopped panicking quite so much.

"What's wrong?" Jo blinked, unsure of what was going on in the least.

Alice looked equally confused. "Twilight?"

"My mane." Twilight pointed up at the hair, then grabbed and shook it. "My- Is it still colored?" She shook her head, struggling to get her thoughts straight. "The roots, Dale said the roots are black. Are they!?"

Alice and Jo looked at each other skeptically, then back at Twilight. Alice looked around Twilight at Dale, who shrugged.

Jo pulled out her cell phone, turning on the light. "Let me look."

Twilight complied, the sinking feeling in her middle getting worse and worse.

Alice gasped, which wasn't what Twilight wanted to hear.

"Oh my God." Jo blinked, looking intently at Twilight's bent over head. "Twilight, your hair."

"Ooh noo." Twilight pressed her hands sadly to her eyes. She didn't know how she should feel, but she felt an unbearable sadness over the discovery.

"It's...it's pitch black," Jo murmured.

Twilight couldn't help it anymore, she started crying. "What does this mean? First my coat, my hooves, what I am, why my mane!?"

Dale walked over, having caught most of what was said. "Alright, I gotta ask, what is going on-"

"Not now, Dale." Alice chided warningly. She gave him stern look and flicked her finger as if to say, wait over there.

Dale shrugged and began to move away, causing Alice to sigh and quickly add, “Hey, lets go ahead and call it a night. I’ll call you after work, okay?” She stood up on her toes and gave him a quick smeck.

Dale gave a nod, and a quick glance at Twilight. “Yeah, sure. It was fun.”

Twilight watched Dale walk away down the street. He glanced back at them, occasionally. Or is he looking at me? It distracted her from trying to keep calm outwardly. Her breathing had slowed though.

Jo beckoned her, Alice standing close at her side. “Hey, Twilight, let’s go.”

"Twilight," Alice spoke up. "When did- It's not so bad." She gave her friend a comforting look, not quite a smile.

Twilight couldn't manage a response readily.

11:31 PM

The three made their way back to the house.

Alice trailed behind the other two slightly, thinking about the situation. Gears turned inside the blonde’s head as she stared at the natural purple hair, its base a dark black in the light of each passing lamp post. She mulled over the last month and various observations. Thoughts bubbled to the surface about what she considered facts. She spoke quietly to keep anyone from hearing her, muttering softly to herself. “It’s her natural color...”

The long walk to Alice’s home was almost completely silent between the three friends. All three girls unwilling to bring their thoughts to surface while the illuminated decor of houses passed by. Twilight wanted to speak, to talk more with Jo, but didn’t.

Twilight’s eyes drifted and tracked as some houses passed by, parents chaperoning their costumed children as they collected candy on their Nightmare Night. For a moment she could set aside her worries and problems and smile at this.

“Trick or treat!” A small group of them chorused in unison, one person answering their door and dispensing candy.

Alice was strangely quiet. It was almost unsettling because as long as Twilight had ever known her this was the longest she kept from speaking.

The drive from the apartment to Jo’s home was equally quiet; Jo staring out the window, Alice driving with a stony look, and Twilight sitting in the backseat, her hands folded in her lap. In one hand, the taciturn girl rubbed a lock of her long hair absently.

Jo stretched after making her way up her front steps of the house. From the corner of her eye she watched a slightly drained Twilight following her. Throughout the walk and drive back they hadn't necessarily spoken much. Twilight had spoken a few words in return to Jo's questions if she were alright, but not much else.

Once inside Jo’s house, Jo offered Twilight her shower. Letting her have a chance to clean up first. Even after Twilight started the shower, she could hear Alice and Jo speaking outside, keeping their voices low. It didn't take long for the two human girls to raise their voices enough for Twilight to overhear the conversation. She listened in growing distress as her friends continued.

“Then what was that with Jeremy's phone number? Huh? I know why you’re acting like this and you have no right to block her like that.”

“Oh, and you know what’s good for Twilight?”

“Well you sure don’t! So Jeremy made a move, Twilight clearly didn’t even understand. You could’ve waited and explained things!”

Twilight clenched her hands into fists as the warm water cascaded down her body. The vapors and heat finally clearing her head of its fogginess. It was so easy to tune out the arguing pair in the other room.

“Jo, I'm not mad at you, I'm mad because you need to move past-”

Every part of Twilight wanted to intervene with the arguing pair, but the relaxing rinse of the shower kept her where she was. She turned her head letting the shower head rinse noisily into her ears. The stress of listening to Alice snap and poke at Jo and Jo’s abrasive comebacks getting worse and worse.

“You practically called me a slut in front of Dale!”

"I didn't mean it like that, Alice."

Twilight opened her eyes and stared at the popcorn ceiling texture. She reached forward, blindly turning the shower off before stepping out slowly. Perhaps she was moving slower to keep from going outside too soon.

As Twilight wiped her hand over the fogged mirror, she looked at her bare form in the mirror, the words of her friends blending into the steady dripping of the faucet, releasing its final few drops of water into the shower. Her eyes stared at her reflection, the clear light drawing her eyes to the line of black hair, and the purple strands growing out from it. It was another part of her that seemed to be taken away from herself… Something that bonded her more with these humans, rather than remaining a simple vestige of what she once was. Wrapping a towel around herself Twilight looked out of the door.

Jo stood there alone, her expression saturnine as she was alone.

Twilight blinked. Where's Alice? she wanted to ask out loud, but hesitated.

The other human looked up at her, smiling weakly. “Hey, Twilight."

Twilight took a step forward, sensing a friend in need. "Are... are you okay, Jo?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Alice said to tell you goodnight." Jo's hat and the rest of the costume Alice had made her sat on the table. She wore plain clothes now.

There were all sorts of things Twilight wanted to ask, or say, things she would have with... anypony else she knew at all. With Jo though, none of it sound right to her thoughts. "Do you- Do you want to talk?" She looked down at her towel and managed a laugh. "Uh, I'll get dressed, first, of course."

"No." Jo simply replied, sighing. "I need to cool down, Twilight.” She turned away, walking past and into the shower room. Her memories and emotions got the best of her.

Twilight went to the bedroom and looked back to the bathroom door. She weighed whether talking to Jo or waiting until later to ask was better. The latter option seemed to fit best with Jo’s personality. I wish I had the right words to help. She got dressed in some pajamas and decided to wait until Jo was out. Her friend stayed in the shower for close to half an hour. When she did leave, she donned a tank top and shorts, then sat at Twilight's reading table with a soda.

Twilight took a seat next to Jo, whose stare was a million miles away. Her eyes blinked rapidly a bit, as if to read the wall a moment before looking quietly at Twilight. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn’t will anything to come out.

Jo shook her head, as if a silent conversation were happening between them.

Twilight leaned back with a nod, saying that she understood.

They sat quietly, both exhausted from the long night.

Twilight watched her friend sip at her glass, and soon got up to fetch herself some water.

Jo watched her go, and finished her glass. She got up as well to top it off. They both stood there, drinks in hand and looked at each other.

Thinking over the nights events, Jo finally spoke, catching Twilight by surprise.

“I had fun.”

Author's Note:

Originally had the lyrics to the song, but, after that post came up I felt it better not to catch any flak over the matter, and removed it.

Now, if you can't guess why I thought that song was appropriate then I apologize, I'll get the crayons and draw you a diagram pronto.

Oh, and I'll just dispel it here, because I don't want speculation over this. No, I'm not shipping anypony, or anybody in this fic. I've got an overarching plot to worry about, and even ignoring that, I despise shipping in a story focused on something other than the ship. I also despise most shipping, anyway. It's great if not done with the main cast, honestly, but ships involving anything from the show but background characters, or comedy ships, kind of irk me.

Just throwing that out there, guys! More to come soon!

Also, I find it terribly clever, but Mary and Bobby made up in their story, and Twi' and Jo did the opposite after a fashion. It probably degrades any cleverness that might actually be there by pointing it out, but I can't help it!

Sorry this was so late, meant to publish it three days ago, yeesh.

Lastly, a huge thank you to both Stormy Weather and Firebirdbtops for helping with editing, this was a huge chapter, and they were a big asset to me while writing.

Comments

[Firebirdbtops]

and thus ends month 1. Only 2~3 more before we get another chapter of Mary, right?

[MerlosTheMad]

3157580

Well, Mary skipped through it in only two chapters, mostly just because I love Christmas... Or is tht the only reason?

[KingOfTheMuffins]

Now we wait for the next chapter...

[Bigby Wolf]

Twilight is loosing her pony...ness and becoming more human. I've got such a bad feeling about this.

I wonder when...maybe IF she'll ever get home to Equestria. And whether any changes will be for better or worse.

Who's the guy that made Jo so angry and will Twilight ever tell Penny off? I hope these questions will be answered in the chapters to come.

[MerlosTheMad]

3157839

Well, it takes time for roots to grow out. It's less losing and more a reminder of what was lost really. Humans don't have naturally colored hair after all.

[Norshep]

Things are getting really interesting! Jo was starting to fight whatever was in her past and become more social just to have her revert to her old ways in an instant! Then it seemed like the whole "doubt whether twilight is really twilight or some girl with amnesia" motif was dropped for a few chapters just to reappear here. The whole "her hair is naturally black" definitely made me feel like twilight maybe just a really obsessive fan who hit her head to hard on strange crystals. I really can't wait for the next chapter. Please update soon

[Arcane Howitzer]

Now, I understand how it could be assumed that Twilight's hair changing color is a sign that she's losing her pony-ness. Black is, after all, a much more natural hair color for humans than purple or pink.
But something just doesn't add up, what with the very specifically placed aches (headache similar to magic strain, and back pain right about where wings would be) and the nature of Halloween itself (when the barrier between worlds is thinnest).
And then there was that seven-foot skeleton guy in the haunted house. Call me crazy, but he seemed a bit out of place in there; too nonchalant, and yet too skilled in scaring to be a hired hand. What part does he play in all this?
As if you'd just tell me!
Keep the chapters coming! I look forward to unraveling this mystery with the rest of you!

[MerlosTheMad]

3158207

I... think I need to cut back on the narrative, you guys are finding red herrings where there are none now.

(mostly)

As for giant skeletons...

[TheBBofC]

Unbeknownst to them both, a tall, shrouded shape with skeletal features and a massive, ebony sword drew up behind them. It stood three heads taller, and was an intimidating mass in the dim light. The figure's head lowered less than an inch from them before they became aware of his presence and muttered, "Boo."

I've actually done that a couple of times when I worked at a haunted house. Such happy memories of frightened children and screaming women.

[MariusIoannesP]

Aww, Twilight accidentally broke that dude Jeremy's heart. I hope he isn't a brony. It'd hurt a lot for a brony to be friend zoned by a girl dressed as Twilight Sparkle. Twilight's hair is turning black! That can't be good.

[clonezero]

Though this chapter would end with sadness but, thankfully, that bit at the end lifted the mood a little bit.

But this those end this arc of the story so one has got to wonder what in store for the next time.

[Bigby Wolf]

3158104 Regardless, I hope my favorite character is going to be okay.

[B_Munro]

"The whole "her hair is naturally black" definitely made me feel like twilight maybe just a really obsessive fan who hit her head to hard on strange crystals."

If that's actually the case, I think I shall hunt down the author and punch a kitten while he watches, helplessly.

[MerlosTheMad]

3159047

[FoxySkittles]

Dang this is getting serious now. That'd be one depressing end to find out Twilight really is just a human with a messed up mind. Though somehow I doubt that's the case. There's really no other way to explain the big freakin crater in Jo's backyard. On top of that, if that was hair dye I doubt it would take a whole month to wear off. Or would it? I don't really know how hair dye works to be honest...

[Arcane Howitzer]

3158464
You cannot hide your surprise plot-twists from me for I AM THE ALL-SEEING DERP!

But I kinda knew when I wrote that comment that I was probably reading too much between the lines and mistaking a coffee stain for a treasure map.
But remember, I'm on to you!

[MerlosTheMad]

3159350

I need to get on with things so you guys can rest for once!

[Gordon_Freemane]

3159351
I'd prefer if you got on with MLM first, it's the story that got me into your madverse, and the one I anticipate the most!

[MerlosTheMad]

3159589

Nrg, yup, I keep feeling guilty about that. I have so much left to tell in it, too! :O

Soon Gordon. Soon.

[Gordon_Freemane]

3159604
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/rsz/mlfw8402_medium.png

[Blankscape]

I couldn't stop smiling when I finished this chapter, what with her hair turning black. The moment I read that part, I imagined you'd go 'My Little Dashie' on where this is all going. I can see it now. Chapter 26, 10 years later Twilight is married with kids while it's only been 10 days in Equestria

Sigh, if only the next chapter were already here.

[TestaccNo2]

Two more months... two more months and we will be at the time of the phone call... Gotta ask: Are you going to go directly for the timeskip and make it December, or are you going to take your time?

[MerlosTheMad]

3160980

well, to repeat my blog post, I have a couple more chapters planned, that'll put the stories at an equal footing pace and word count wise.

[random reader]

Hmm, spine, stomach, hair, and head. Sorry, I'm not able to draw any kind of conclusion of what those areas being affected could mean. I hope I find out soon though.

[khatre]

a friendly google search told me that human hair grows about a half inch a month. If the color change is natural growth of Twilight's new human hair color then her hair must grow Really Really fast ...
so ... Magic.
Twilight seems to be loosing her magic (assuming that she still had magic and it was just unavailable for her to use)
I have two theories on what it could mean.
1) Twilight's magic is slowly leaking out and when it is done she will end up permanently stuck in the human world.
2) Twilight's magic is slowly leaking out because it is being used to keep her in the human world and when she hits zero the spell/potion will end and she will get yanked back to equestria. Twilight will go home without dying. she will miss her new friends.

now to figure out how to bring Jo (at least) and possibly Alice (too many Pinkie Pie's anyone?) to equestria.
This sounds like a job for ... Pinkie Pie!

[MerlosTheMad]

3162715

Hm, she's been on earth about a month, so that's an inch of hair grown. If anything, her hair grows really really slow... or Jo and Alice are blind and just didn't notice until it got pointed out like that.

I'm surprised I'm actually answering a comment calling me on the opposite of what I had worried about! Well, my explanation for that, is that perhaps her hair slowly fades from purple to black, and isn't an instant shift in color.

-edit A job for Pinkie Pie? Well, perhaps, she's tied up fighting in her own story though.

[MerlosTheMad]

3162757

?

[AppleTank]

We need to do more experiments with freaky crystals.

[NightCore]

Kinda late in the story to be asking this, but are reading the other stories necessary? This is the only story of the madverse that I'm reading at the moment. Will not reading the other stories have much of an impact when the final conclusion comes about? Or will I just be ignorant of the experiences of the characters from the other stories?

~Have a good one.

[djthomp]

Well, that could have gone worse. Nobody is dead, and Jo apparently had fun.

It does strike me a little odd that Twilight's entire body turned human, but her existing hair stayed at least partially pony. Why wouldn't it have changed too?

[MerlosTheMad]

3163901

Eventually, perhaps. I am trying to have the characters feel each other in naturally as they discover one another, that you don't need the other stories.

Eventually, however, they will include one another, so reading the others will in all likelihood proooobably be necesssary.

[Raistlin]

Now I wonder about Jo´s bad experiences with guys.

[Deamon]

3163902
Unless there's something to the notion that she was dropped into Jo's backyard, and in that form, intentionally by someone or something. If so, leaving her hair the way it was could have been on purpose.

What about her eyes? I don't recall her eye color being mentioned, and eyes that shade of purple, while not humanly impossible, are extremely rare.

No, I'm not shipping anypony, or anybody in this fic.

[youtube=MOs4vsthLD0]

[MerlosTheMad]

3168354

[MerlosTheMad]

3173206

You know I hadn't even thought of the mechanical aspect. Perhaps she talked Alice through it? They were both half clothed after all.

[Nyerguds]

Just like the real Trixie, Jo seemed to have an intense dislike of things she considered 'silly' or childish.

Nahh. It's the wheels

Remarks and corrections:
(feel free to send me stuff before you publish it, btw... if it's from a story I'm tracking anyway, I'll gladly go over it so I don't have to sully your comments with these corrections sections)
> Jo eased out a breath
Double space before "breath"
> What the Hell!?
You capitalize "hell"?
> "Sorry sir, sorry!" she apologized
I assume this is Twilight, but it could stand to be made more clear.
> Once they were passed
Should be either "Once they were [past]", or "Once they [had] passed".
> Twilight briefly considered if Trixie wouldn't enjoy being a human more, they were a fair bit more her style.
This is a perfect place to use a semicolon instead of that comma!
> It had taken the mounted efforts of both unicorns in order to put a stop to it.
Isn't Starswirl also a unicorn?
> all shut down as if on que
"cue". Not to be confused with "queue", meaning a row of waiting people. "que" is not a word in English. You may have better luck in Spanish or French with that one
> I imagine magic is way better from than what we have anyway
Not sure what the word "from" is doing there.
> I am so sorry about the dresses, to,
should be "too", I think.
> "I need to cool down Twilight.”
This sentence depicts Jo saying she needs to cool down Twilight. She'll probably stuff the poor girl in her fridge or something.
(always separate addressing terms from the rest of the sentence with commas)
> who's stare was a million miles away.
whose

[MerlosTheMad]

3174460

Pst, Nyer, in the private messages if you would sir.

Danka

Changes made, thank you again sire.

[Nyerguds]

3175239
Ah... awwright. Shall do that next time

[Sarikano]

Hmm, you know Mary and Twilight story seem to proceed much faster then the others. Why do I feel like they are in an accelerated world compared to the others? That could explain a certain mare problems to contact Woona.

[Corundum]

gah, never got the update notice for this because i accidently had it thumbs downed(corrected that mistake)
also I WANNA DIAGRAM AND DONT FORGET IT HAS TO BE CRAYON

[Straker]

Awww, we got a chainsaw maniac but no Freddy or Jason? Not even a Michael Myers? i consider this to be a lost opportunity, lol.

[MerlosTheMad]

3179253

Hah, I don't disagree, but it was long as is.

[Straker]

3179268 Aww butt hey only had to be in the haunted house in mention. One room, where the silhouette of a man in a hat with long pointed fingers scraping them on some copper pipe on the wall and laughing maniacally XD

That aside...I almost get the idea that Jo might be sort of...taken with Twilight? I'm kinda wondering if her over-protectiveness might be something more in a way.

[Flash_Magnus]

Finally I'm caught up

This story is full of random,funny and some drama?

Anyways,I loved reading every single chapter and it's all smiles for me! I can't wait for the next!

Now time for me to start reading the 4th Madverse Story So Many Wonders

[MerlosTheMad]

3192986

Hypo, what would you like I change it to that makes more sense, I honestly just kinda winged that.

[nemryn]

3192986
Well, they'd be on Xbox 4 because it would be the fourth model of Xbox. That's the joke I was making, that they apparently went 'Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox 4', instead of having any kind of sequential or even consistent order.

3193047
I don't think you need to change anything.

[Super Trampoline]

MOAR!!!!

[totallynotabrony]

I only just found out that this updated. It didn't appear in my favorites for some reason.

Anyway, good chapter. Interested to see what Twi will do about her hair. (Cut it! Oh wait, it isn't socially normal for a woman to have a buzz cut? )

The best haunted house I ever went to planted uncostumed people in the line the guests waited in. That way, they listened to your conversations and knew your name before you went into the house. Fun fun.

[MerlosTheMad]

3196742

Heh, right?

sounds like an awesome haunted house.

[Jphyper]

I despise shipping in a story focused on something other than the ship. I also despise most shipping, anyway.

FINALLY, SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS HOW I FEEL!!!

Every time I try to explain to an author that the shipping seems tacked-on, has no significance to the the plot, and is actually distrupting the flow of the story, they always claim the ship was part of the premise, and that the story was intended from conception to be a shipfic, even though the story was clearly written as though it was not. It's "shipping simply for the sake of shipping". Some people just don't understand that romance is not the only way to generate emotional drama, and it's not always the best one, espeicially when it leads to particularly OOC behavior.