> Two Portals Away
>  by RowanSkie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Portal Away - Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight Sparkle looked at me before moving the crystal portal near us.

"Ready?" she asked, my heart pounding fast.

"I..." I looked at my hoof and my flank. "I'm not quite sure, Twilight."

"Oh, you're blushing," Twilight noticed, before noticing it myself. "You're not joking, are you?"

"But..." I struggled to say something, but I stopped with a familiar answer. "Will this ever hurt you?"

She froze, and looked at me. "Will it be?" she said back.

I trotted closer to her and nuzzled Twilight before looking at the portal.

'Well then, mister, home's just the second portal away...' I began moving closer until Twilight stopped me and kissed me on the mouth. We stopped kissing and nuzzled each other, before I waved goodbye and entered the portal.

On the other side, I felt dizzy. I shook my head and looked at my hoof, or, rather, hand. Hands! Oh, I missed them! I kissed them before I saw a familiar hand. Sunset Shimmer's hand. I reached out and stood up straight.

"Hey, welcome back to the human world, Doc," Sunset greeted. "Your friends are waiting."

"The other lab boys back at the Labs?" I looked at the crystal portal and touched it for a little bit before looking back at Sunset. "Lead the way."

We began walking and I waved to a few persons I knew before I went through the portal. Among those persons were the Sisters ruling the school, the Rainbooms, who were practicing another song, Sonata, who waved back, and lastly, a local who was aware of the school's crazy antics.

"I'll leave you here," Sunset said, stopping. I stopped too. "See you soon, Emerald."

I winced at my new name. Emerald. Sounded like a good name after all. I went along, wondering about the name, when a hand touched my shoulder.

"You okay? Victor, you okay?" a voice asked. I looked back, and nodded. "Tell me about it, Doc."

"I..." I thought about my friends before pulling out my Chronosocket and pressing the EMP button. "Sorry, dear Jane."

The supposed-EMP blast created a five-mile smoke cloud, enough to escape Alerith Labs' security. I quickly ran into another house, entered, and locked the door. The persons inside, Sunset Shimmer and Mina Alexa Santalune, claps and cheers for me.

"Victor, welcome to Station 17, now," Mina proclaimed. "Tell me the journey from the start. I'll relay it through Rarity, then she'll relay it to Twilight. Your Twilight."

"Deal. I hope she gets it..." I breathed deeply before starting.






"Eldrick! Stop! You do know that Equestria is highly not recommended to be visited by us!" a scientist shouted to me.

I almost forgot to introduce myself, I'm Dr. Victor Von Saphyr. I'm a scientist at Alerith Laboratories, a science and magic facility. I was a test scientist, one of the new rookies of the facility. I'm also known as Eldrick Von Saphyr, for I am his twin brother. And they confuse me for him a lot.

"My name is Victor, for Christ's sake!" I shouted back, "AND LET ME!"

"No, and Victor, you don't know why we aren't letting anyone," a voice commanded over the speakers, "because the last one who volunteered didn't come back."

"I don't exactly remember someone volunteering to go there," I defended, "it was rather the opposite!"

"Alas! We're NOT letting anyone go there!" she shouted. The shout was so loud, the ground shook a bit. "You're temporarily suspended to chamber work, Dr. Victor Von Saphyr."

"Chamber work" is a nickname for "observation room" for all the suspended personnel are sent there. It was supposed to be my third time there, but I felt something I couldn't explain. Then the alarms blazed.

The announcer began to relay an evacuation order. "All units, leave the immediate area now."

I was about to follow when I heard whispers. I looked back and saw a portal forming right next to me. I approached it, even if the others wanted me to leave. I touched it with my finger, and I felt like this lead to Equestria.

More likely, the world with Canterlot High in it, because I didn't feel like a pony.

So I stepped back a bit, looked at the nearby camera, then began stripping my lab equipment off. Then I dashed my way to the portal.

"NO! STO-" The portal cut them off. I was surprised in what I saw. It was... the Multiverse itself. A huge mass of cosmos right in my eyes. And I was speeding fast through them. Where...? I suddenly stopped after hitting a wall. That's when stuff happened.

A group of rebels looked at me and confiscated my Chronosocket. They removed all the items it had and throwed it back to me. The leader of these rebels approached me.

"What's your name, Alerith Lab boy?" she asked.

I was stunned. "Vic... Victor Von Saphyr." I replied. I heard conversations over the air. "Why? Who are you guys?!" I held my Chronosocket and prepared to click the EMP Button.

"Won't work, we all have one, and ISAMD might need a little intel from someone," she explained. The name hit me. International Science and Magic Division Enrichment, also known as ISAMD, has fallen, but apparently it really wasn't. "My name's Mina Alexa Santalune, and call me Lumi, or Mina."

Mina... "Where am I?" The name was familiar.

"Equestria. Or, an alternate dimension of it. You know, EG?" she replied with a smile. "Home base's back at Dystinia Corp HQ."

My growing smile faded. "So you guys were the rival," I deadpanned, "and winning."

"Apparently... no." She took her Chronosocket and clicked the EMP button of it. I was shocked when the EMP blast reached 9 miles long.

"How'd you do that?" I asked. "Impossible for a Chronosocket to make 9-mile EMP blasts!"

"It's simple. It's not." The knife-like tool kit turned into a simple 90's phone. "See?" It turned back into a Chronosocket.

"You're... related to him." I realised. "You're related to Mark Johnson Crafters."

"Yup," she said, smiling, "one of the firsts!"

"'Firsts?' No no no," I defended, "the first three reincarnations were in secret."

"Or, Minecraftified," she corrected. Before I could make any more excuses, a girl with yellow and orange hair entered the room and looked at me.

"He's..." Sunset twitched. "But I thought he's dead!"

"If you mean my twin brother, Eldrick, he's a girl," I corrected. "Name's Victor."

Then, there was a flash of light, and I was back at the multiverse, rather, standing in the middle of nowhere. Sunset Shimmer and Mina Santalune were with me this time.

"We'll have to bring you into the newer fresh dimension sets," Sunset proclaimed, sending shivers down my spine. "We can't risk of the Alerith group to find us."

"Where am I going?" I asked.

"Simple." Mina began to glow. "We're sending you into Season 3 timeline. Enjoy. The crystal mirror, however, will lead you back here." She vanished.

"Oh, no," I commented, "Sunset, you too?"

"I have to alert my other self there too, so yeah." She vanished too. It felt like a lie though.

Then I felt an electric sensation before being knocked out.





I woke up at a hospital, with ponies running around and a few armor-wearing ponies observing me. I shuddered as a tall white pony with a teal mane and both wings and horn approached me. I tried to move, but then I learned that my hands and feet were strapped.

"You may leave me now," the alicorn commanded, before looking straight in my eyes. "What is your name, dear human?"

"Vic...vic... Victor Von Saphyr," I replied, trembling.

"I haven't seen a human be in this much fear, honestly," the pony confessed, "and to think to turn you temporarily into a pony, I am Princess Celestia."

"Me? Pony?" I asked, "Do it, please! I don't want to be the only human here! Please!"

Honestly, it was my fear shouting out. I couldn't move. So I let my mouth speak.

"I wanted to visit Equestria, but since I took a vortex instead of the regular way my old friend told me, I was rather teleported into a version of where Sunset Shimmer lives..."

Celestia giggled. "You do know that the Sunset Shimmer you just knew is the Sunset Shimmer I once knew here?" I winced. "Glad to see you meeting her. So, any plans, mister?"

"Um... I want..." I bit my lips. "I want to stay as long as possible." She was stunned. "I want to have a long rest from my crazy job where I just push buttons. I wanted to see new things, and I have just heard of Equestria. So I wanted to visit it."

"Oh." I watched her horn light up. "I will need you to sleep. Will you do that for me?" I nodded.

I closed my eyes and hoped for the best.





I looked around and then at the ground. I was standing on cement, and I sighed. I looked in front of me and nearly jumped as I saw another winged unicorn, or should I say, alicorn. Since I was reading enough items, I thought she was Princess Luna. And I was right.

"Art thou the human who trespassed our land?" she asked. I nodded. "Why didst thou just do so?"

"Dimensions, sciency stuff, and I wanted to see Equestria..."

"Oh," she looked around, "seems like thou cannot simply lie." My eyes grew wide. "But, is it true that thou wishest to stay?"

I nodded, "I can't live like I used to."

"Alright then, human, should we tell thee that thou art now a unicorn? ‘Tis time to wake up."





I woke up, still being observed by ponies, and I looked at my hands. Wait. Hooves, they were hooves. So, I was now a blue pony. That's what it feels like to be a pony. But feeling a bump in my head just made me smile a bit.

"Thank Celestia for letting me," I whispered.

I stood and tried to balance myself on four hooves. Man, hard as it is. The fact that there were ponies still staring at me rather made me more nervous. It's like they're watching you walk. As I struggled to stand, somepony helped me, and I looked into whoever that might be.

"Thanks..." I said, before realising who I was talking to.

"Maybe you should ask the other ponies first," she advised.

"T-thanks for the tip, miss...?"

"Twilight. Call me Twilight," she replied.

"Okay, um..." I did make impressive progress a bit, but since I was new here, it wasn't really noticeable. So under supervision of the Sisters, I trained myself to adapt myself and blend in. After a few weeks with Twilight periodically suspiciously looking at me, I went out to the wild.

I didn't know where I was going, honestly. So I retraced back my steps, and ended up in the Everfree Forest. Chills ran up my spine. It really was creepy and unnatural, and I was right inside of it. Now I was scared as a filly. Probably because my days in Equestria were equal to a filly, that is. I slowly walked around, trying to avoid flowers and bushes. After some careful walking, I end up at Sweet Apple Acres. Ponyville at last! I took a step but tripped.

I ended up rolling into a basket full of apples, and an orange pony with a cowboy hat looked at me suspiciously.

"Where'd you come from?" she asked.

"Uh... lost from the Everfree Forest?" I replied. The gaze disappeared, phew.

"Why were you lost in the Everfree Forest?" she asked.

"I don't know." I went out of the basket, and made my mane cover half of my eye. "Ok, that was ridiculous mane-style I've gotten into."

I took my comb, well, teleported my comb from my saddlebag that I was renting, and fixed my mane. The mare looked stunned.

"Oh, you're that human," she said, "are ya?"

I nodded.

"Then, I'll reckon you were practicin'?"

I shook my head.

"Wanted a walk?" she asked in a very serious tone.

I nodded.

"Well, sugarcube, I'm Applejack. Welcome to the Swee' Apple Acres." She bucked the tree beside her. "And you?"

"Um... not quite entirely sure... but I was called Victor Von Saphyr back at home," I replied.

"Victor?" She bucked another tree. "That ain't a fancy name at all."

"Well... sort of," I said.

"So, thought any pony name for yer stay?" Applejack asked, and I froze. "Said somethin'?"

"Emerald Dust, or maybe Opal Gemstone..." I replied. "Sorry, I was just shocked."

Sure I was.

> A Portal Away - Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me and Mina sat at a bench.

"Mr. Von Saphyr," called Mina. "So that's the start. Cool how you instantly told them that you want to be a pony."

"Well, it took quite a while to adapt, then I'm adapting into human nature again..." I looked at the things around us. "Exactly when did you start up the ISAMD?"

"Oh, it all started with Rarity buying the science and magic facility's sewing kit," she replied, "then, we got the idea to reopen it, this time advancing more on magics."

"Oh." I looked at Mina. "Makes sense on how Rarity recognized me as soon I hit Carousel Boutique for something as a souvenir."

"And that's a..." I pulled out a Twilight Sparkle doll. "Oh."





I woke up at my bed, which was at Twilight's spare room. I stood, and looked at the mirror beside me. I hadn't really got a full check on myself, and I doubted I was never going to be a human again. Anyway, I had light blue fur. My mane and tail, blue with brown stripes, seemed to match my blue shade. My cutie mark, however, didn't amuse me. My cutie mark was a lance, and since I enjoy myself while fencing, it could make sense.

I tried my magic by simply levitating my blanket and fixing my bed. The results weren't bad, but it did attract Spike and Twilight Sparkle's attention. They came into my room and were simply stunned at what I was doing.

"For a human, you're good at magic," Twilight commented.

"Like you’re great at it!" Spike added.

I winced. I didn't know that. "Uh... thanks? I had a few magic classes where I came from, and almost all of my buddies had access, and I didn't exactly listen."

Twilight was stunned. "Magic class?"

"Not all the human worlds are the same," I replied. "There are even a few where this is... pure fiction."

"Really?" Spike asked.

"And... gonna have to cut this conversation because I want to go around, maybe buy something in style." I trotted to the door, before Twilight stopped me. "Okay...?"

"I'll have to watch you for that. Deal?" Twilight stopped blocking the door after I nodded.

I trotted outside and took a slice of candy from my bag which I retrieved from the Everfree Forest. Apparently, they've been sneaking into my items as well, but they haven't seen my journal for I placed it in an bigger-on-the-inside secret pocket. I pulled it out, and Twilight was shocked.

"Where did that come from?" she asked, looking at my bag, "I didn't see that before!"

"Unless you're planning to read my journal, you really aren't gonna find it," I answered. "Now, to write my patch off..."

I levitated the pen with it- no, a quill since the portal affected it to match the style, and began to write all the things that has happened. I stared at Twilight, who was trying out my candy, which is just a simple candy that can fill my stomach, a candy just enough for those who are trying to adapt to something, in my case, having no meat.

"And... signing off." I closed my journal with a smile, placed it inside an emergency chest they saw, and locked it with my sealing spell, which can only be opened by 'open sesame.' 

"You know... who's at Carousel Boutique?" I asked, "I really want to meet her."

"Well," Twilight looked at Spike, "she's my friend, Rarity."

"Oh. I'll... go there," I notified her.

I then trotted to the said place, while Twilight casually followed. Once I got in, however, a white unicorn closed the door on Twilight and Spike. The white unicorn introduced herself as Rarity Belle, Equestria's Intel for ISAMD. I didn't know that.

"Impossible! How?" I asked.

"Well, having a friend that can be trusted does explain it, darling." Rarity went to a drawer and took a Twilight Sparkle plushie, placed it in a bag, and gave the bag to me.

"Uh... thanks." I gladly took the bag, while one half of me was confused.

"Mina said to give you that," Rarity whispered, "because she heard you like her."

I winced and blushed. "No, no, I don’t."

"Well, don't tell Twilight either," she joked, "good luck. Now, off to remove seriousness, I say!"

I found myself being measured, taped, in the middle of an unfinished set of clothes, wearing different kinds of clothes, combed, and lastly wearing fancy.

"I'll have to hate this..." I muttered. But I quickly regretted what I muttered as I saw myself in a mirror. "Dear me, I look as fancy as a peacock!"

"And guessing that a peacock is that wonderfully tailed bird, yes, you are!" Rarity commented.





"...Seriously," Mina said flatly, "what nice."

"Eh, good that I got that set of clothes, now I have to hide it from everypon-everypo-gah, everyone!" I raised my arms, flailing, "you know, like it was one big secret!"

"I've heard you had a secret too," Mina reminded, "obviously affecting who you are."

I stopped. "Guess it."

"Hmm..." she went on a few wild guesses, before finally resting on one, very crazy, answer. "You have a small split personality that isn't technically one yet you call it one and it takes over you when you let it..." she took a deep breath and continued, "when you let it and you only let it when you really, really need it?"

My jaw hung open. "H-how...?"

"Easy, it's all but believing Pinkie Pie," Mina joked, "but actually, just something I learned, and it did involve Pinkie in a way."

"Now that reminds me of how I reacted to Pinkie with her Pinkie Sense," I said. It wasn't bad really that bad, "but long story short, it took one of these things like Twilight did."

"Season 2... right, that day where Twilight was just dozing off when Pinkie’s tailed twitched.," Mina remembered, "are you a brony?"

"Well," I thought about it. "No, not really. Just that split personality takes over when hearing new things, such as worlds or science."

"So your split personality is a brony..." Mina chuckled a bit.

"Nope."

"Then how the hell did you had the urge to go to Equestria!?" Mina asked.

"Maybe because instincts, like when you want to visit for a special reason for a special somepony?" a surprising voice asked back, and I faced at whoever said that.

Then everything went black and with a thud, I simply fainted.

I woke up at a small bed, and rubbed my face with my hoof. Hoof!? I'm back at Equestria!? I quickly calmed myself down and went around the room where I am and wondered where in Equestria am I. I saw a door and opened it, then confetti is first what I saw.

"Uh, how long have I been out?" I asked nervously.

"Emerald Slicer, you've been out for a week darling," Rarity replied, "you've slept like a prince!"

"I... I did!?" I asked again nervously, and it sounded more of a worry than of a shock.

"Well," Spike replied, "Light Feathers did help."

"Who?" The name sounds familiar yet foreign. "Who again?"

"Mina Alexa Santalune." Twilight replied.

"Oh." I facehooved, "why didn't I thought of that..."

"She just left yesterday, though. Heard going to buy something in Canterlot," Twilight said, smiling a bit.

"Oh, ok..." I sheepishly walked out of the library and quickly ran to the Everfree Forest and hid myself in a makeshift tent I made.

There I saw her, Mina, constantly switching between pony and human form. She stopped after looking at me.

"You... you've got a lot to explain, mister," she scowled.

"What?"