Chapter 1
"Are you okay, Twilight?" Spike asked concernedly.
"Huh?" Twilight blinked and looked around, snapped back to the present moment by her assistant's voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"
"You've just been a little, I dunno, out of it lately," Spike replied. "You keep spacing out, and you don't really look at anypony, even when you're talking to them."
"Oh." Twilight's ears drooped slightly. "I'm really sorry about that. I've just been thinking. It's nothing too important."
"What's on your mind?" Spike padded a few steps closer to her. "Is it something you need to talk about?"
Twilight shook her head. "I don't think so. Like I said, it's nothing too important. Just something about that other me was a little weird."
"Other you?" It took a moment for Spike to realize what she was talking about. "Oh, you mean the Twilight from the human world!"
"Yeah."
"Aw, c'mon, Twilight," Spike chided her. "That's not who you are. Just because she flipped out and turned into a power-crazed monster who nearly destroyed the world, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you!"
"What?" Twilight tilted her head and lifted a forehoof in confusion. "That's not what I was talking about."
"Oh," Spike answered blankly. "Really? Then what?"
"It's just..."
Twilight thought for a long moment, then decided to just come out with it.
"Why was she wearing glasses?"
"So she was wearing glasses, so what?" Rainbow Dash asked, pulling a lazy corkscrew as she glided next to Twilight. The two of them were taking a slow lap around Ponyville as they talked.
"It's just weird," Twilight answered. "There were no other differences with any of them. Applejack still had her hat, the other you had her hair dyed the same way, Pinkie had her... Pinkie... ness. I mean, they all even had your cutie marks on their skirts the first time I went there! Why are the glasses the only thing that's different?"
Rainbow was silent for a long moment. When Twilight turned to look at her friend, she was taken aback by the stunned look on Rainbow's face. The normally rambunctious pegasus simply hovered in place, seeming lost.
"Are you okay?" Twilight asked hesitantly. "What's wrong?"
"Who...?" Rainbow asked, so weakly that Twilight could barely hear it.
"What?" Twilight flew a little closer, concern growing in her chest. "What is it?"
"Who told you that I dye my mane?" Rainbow Dash whispered. "Nopony knows that. It's my biggest secret."
Twilight blinked in confusion. "Uh, Rainbow Dash? Everypony knows that. No one thinks that you were somehow the only pony in all of Equestria born with a rainbow-colored mane."
"What?" Rainbow squeaked, managing to sound exactly like Fluttershy. She couldn't have looked more devastated if Twilight had said that the Wonderbolts had all been killed in a flying accident with Tank.
"Umm." Twilight rubbed the back of her head uncomfortably. "I think we got a bit off topic here. We were discussing the other Twilight's glasses."
"Uh. Right," Rainbow mumbled. "Sorry Twi, I gotta... go. Gotta... think about things." She slowly turned on the spot and started flying at a snail's pace back the way they'd come. She turned her head back slightly to watch a confused and concerned Twilight continuing on her way. Suddenly, Rainbow's head snapped back up.
"Twilight, that's not a—!"
Rainbow winced at the loud crash as Twilight plowed into the white-frosted edge of Sugarcube Corner's roof.
"...cloud."
"Are you sure this is going to help?" Twilight asked suspiciously, flexing her wing between the two layers of cookie that had been applied as a makeshift splint. The cream filling was certainly keeping them stuck in place, but having her wing turned into a cookie sandwich was extremely uncomfortable.
"Of course!" Pinkie chirped. "We do this all the time for Pound Cake."
"Really?" Twilight squinted at her friend uncertainly, her mind filling with questions about raising baby pegasi and whether she should call Foal Protective Services.
"Sure! Though I'd have thought a full-grown pony would know better than to fly full-speed into a building." Pinkie giggled.
"It was an accident," Twilight muttered. "I was thinking about other things."
"Oh, like taffy?" Pinkie pronked over to check on whatever was baking in the oven as she spoke. "I always bump into stuff when I'm thinking about taffy."
"Not exactly, no," Twilight answered. She thought about mentioning Rainbow Dash's mane, but opted to discuss what was really on her mind. "I was wondering why the Twilight from the human world needs glasses when I don't."
"Hmm. That's a good question." Pinkie put a hoof to her chin. "Ooh, I know!" she squealed. "It's so people can tell you two apart!"
Twilight stared blankly. "Pinkie, that doesn't make any sense."
"Doesn't it?" Pinkie asked, her voice heavy with implications.
"No," Twilight insisted. "It doesn't."
"Oh." Pinkie returned her attention to the oven. "Well, other stuff must have been different too, right?"
"Not really," Twilight answered. "Aside from the obvious, I mean. The fact that it was a school instead of a kingdom, and that everyone there was human. The world was different, but everyone in it was exactly the same. Except for the glasses."
"Weeeeeeell..." Pinkie Pie drew the word out so long that Twilight was amazed she didn't need to stop for breath. If Twilight didn't know better she'd think her friend was hesitating, but since when was Pinkie the slightest bit uncomfortable about saying anything?
"Well, what?" Twilight finally asked.
"Maybe-you-need-glasses-too?" Pinkie burst out before clapping both forehooves over her muzzle.
Twilight took a moment to let that sink in. After a moment, it still hadn't. "What?"
"Did," Pinkie stammered nervously, "did you ever think that maybe you need glasses too?"
"Why would I need glasses?" Twilight asked flatly.
"Oh, heheh, I'm sure you don't," Pinkie rambled. "Just an idea. Just thinking out loud. A little Pinkie-thinking. More like a joke, really. You know me, always joking around. Say! Weren't you supposed to meet with Rarity today?"
"No?"
"I'm pretty sure you were," Pinkie insisted, her attention somewhat on Twilight and three-quarters on not looking at Twilight. "You need a dress for the Gala, don't you?"
"Pinkie," Twilight said in exasperation, "the Grand Galloping Gala isn't for eight more months."
"Wow! That is just like you to get started so early!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Pinkie Pie," Twilight said sternly, "I have no idea what this is all about, but you'd better look me in the eye and give me a straight answer. What did you mean about me needing glasses?"
"Uh, Twilight?" Pinkie's quiet, hesitant voice came from beside Twilight's head. "You're talking to the cotton candy."
"Why in Equestria did you let her do this to you?" Rarity asked Twilight as she used her magic to carefully pull the second layer of cookie away from her wing.
"I don't know," Twilight groaned. "I had my mind on other things. Plus, this is the same pony who has inexplicable precognition of everything going on around her, and who made a functioning party cannon. Who knows what else she knows how to do?"
"I would never doubt her Pinkie Sense," Rarity replied. "But her common sense, well, that's another story." She carefully levitated the sticky piece of dessert over to a garbage can and dropped it in. Another burst of magic scoured most of the sticky residue off of Twilight's wing, though she suspected it would need hours of preening to be fully clean again. "It's quite lucky you came, actually. Fluttershy is here helping me with some of the Boutique's backlog. You should have her put a proper splint on that wing." Rarity squinted at the mangled feathers. "How did you say this happened, Darling?"
"I crashed into Sugarcube Corner," Twilight mumbled, embarrassed. "I was talking to Dash and wasn't watching where I was flying."
"Hm," Rarity replied. "That's the sort of thing I'd expect from Rainbow, but not from you. It must have been quite an engrossing conversation."
"It was nothing major. We were talking about something else, then I mentioned her mane and she freaked out."
"It is a rather dreadful dye job," Rarity said, sounding pained. "I wish she'd come to me, I could blend the colors so much more smoothly for her."
"Yeah," Twilight agreed. "But that wasn't really what we were talking about. I was just asking her why the human world Twilight would need glasses when I don't."
"An... interesting question, Darling." There was an almost imperceptible catch in Rarity's voice as she said it. "Were there any other differences that you noticed?"
"No!" Twilight exclaimed, growing tired of answering the same question. "Even the human world version of you has reading glasses like yours. And I mean exactly like yours, the same color and design." She crossed her forelegs in frustration. "I'm the only one that's different."
"Being different isn't so bad," Fluttershy's soft and gentle voice advised her. The pegasus had entered the room, carefully carrying a dress which she slipped onto one of the many dress forms around the Boutique. "I'm sorry," Fluttershy continued, "I didn't hear any of the context for what you just said."
"The context is a mystery about the nature of parallel realities," Twilight burst out, "which nopony seems to have any useful insight on!"
"She's wondering why the other world's Twilight Sparkle wears glasses," Rarity filled in.
"Eep!" Fluttershy stiffened and her pupils shrank to pinpricks. "Um, I, I have no idea why that would be," she stammered.
"Okay," Twilight huffed, "why is everypony being so weird about this?"
"Darling, I'm sure there are any number of reasons why the other you needs to wear glasses," Rarity said, redirecting the conversation. "She's a student, correct? I'm sure all that reading hasn't done her eyes any favors."
"Rarity, I read constantly," Twilight countered.
"Well, yes, but what about that awful artificial lighting you were talking about? That can't be good for you."
"Maybe," Twilight answered doubtfully. "But why didn't it affect anyone else?"
"Maybe you need glasses too?" Fluttershy whispered.
A cold silence fell over the room.
"What did you just say?" Twilight asked quietly.
"I... I said... maybe you need glasses too?" Fluttershy squeaked.
"Why in Equestria would I need glasses?" Twilight's tone said quite plainly what she thought of that.
"Well, just yesterday, you mistook some wild bunny for Angel," Fluttershy said.
"It was a white rabbit," Twilight argued. "They all look the same."
"They do not!" Fluttershy gasped, appalled. "Angel is at least an inch taller than that other one, and its whiskers were completely different."
"Fluttershy," Rarity cut in, "I don't think that was the best example."
Fluttershy tried a different angle. "You never know where Spike is," she pointed out. "How many times a day do you hit him with doors, or drop things on him?"
"He's really small!" Twilight protested. "And blurry."
Fluttershy and Rarity shared a knowing look.
"Might I make a suggestion, Twilight?" Rarity asked delicately.
Twilight glared for a long moment, wondering why her friends were ganging up on her like this.
"Fine," she grumped.
"Why don't you ask Applejack about this?" Rarity advised. "She might have some insight. Some country wisdom, as t'were."
"That's a great idea!" Twilight jumped up to her hooves. "Because if any pony in Equestria will give me a straight answer, it's her. Good advice, Rarity."
"Er, Twilight?" Rarity murmured.
"What?"
"You're talking to a mannequin."
"You need glasses."
Twilight felt like the ground had dropped out from under her.
"Wh, what did you say?"
"You need glasses," Applejack repeated matter-of-factly. "Shoot, I've been meanin' to suggest you get 'em ever since I met ya. Seemed rude at first, though, and then we were always so busy with our adventurin' and whatnot that Ah kept forgettin'."
"Why do you think I need glasses?" Twilight practically whimpered.
Applejack looked at her in confusion. "Land sakes, Twi, you're blind as a bat!"
"Am not!" Twilight argued intelligently.
Applejack arched an eyebrow as only she could. "Alright, describe what King Sombra looked like," she challenged the myopic princess.
"What's to describe?" Twilight answered. "He was a giant mass of black smoke and shadows most of the time."
"Alright, what about the changelings? In their bug forms, Ah mean."
"They were kind of black, shadowy things too," Twilight replied.
"Nightmare Moon?"
"Well, she was black... and... wow, we've fought a lot of black shadowy things, haven't we?"
Applejack shook her head. "Not as many as ya think," she said. "How about how all yer spells keep backfirin'?"
"Wha... some of those were really complicated spells!" Twilight sputtered.
"When ya accidentally put all the fruitbats' hunger inta Fluttershy?"
"That was—! Alright, I guess I missed," Twilight admitted.
"When that cockatrice got ya?"
"I... thought it was a chicken..."
"How ya had the exact book we needed to find the cure for Poison Joke, and Spike found it for ya, and ya still didn't realize it was what we were lookin' for?"
"No! I just," Twilight's eyes were filling with tears, "I just... misread the title. It was far away. Applejack, I'm an alicorn," she pled with her friend. "I'm a princess. I'm an embodiment of equine perfection! I can't need glasses!" she wailed.
"Shoot, Ah don't see what the big deal is," Applejack replied with a shrug. "Ah bet you'd look plum adorable in glasses."
Twilight wouldn't be consoled so easily. "I'm not supposed to be adorable," she complained. "I'm supposed to be a co-ruler of the kingdom. Who's going to listen to a judgment passed down by a pony with big, dorky glasses?"
"Everypony, if they know what's good for 'em," Applejack said.
Twilight just sniffled in reply.
"Aw, c'mon, that won't help nothin'." Applejack put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "So ya need glasses. So what? Ask Rarity ta help ya pick out a pair."
"No!" Twilight snapped, pulling away from Applejack's attempt at comfort. "I don't need glasses, and I am sick and tired of all of my friends making fun of me!"
"Twi." Applejack was starting to sound a bit angry. "Ah ain't—"
She shielded her eyes as Twilight disappeared in a flash of magic and indignation.
"Well now, that was just plain rude."
Fluttershy shrieked and fell over backward as a set of purple hindquarters appeared out of the wall with a burst of magic. The pony's hind legs kicked helplessly, then slumped down in apparent defeat. A purple tail with a pink streak hung down between them.
Fluttershy approached the phenomenon with great trepidation, ready to bolt at the slightest sign of a threat. She thought she knew what had happened, but was on high alert just in case.
Fluttershy was practically trembling until she got close enough to clearly see the pony's cutie mark: A six-pointed star with five other stars bordering it.
She sighed in relief and slid a window open, enabling her to speak with her trapped friend.
"Twilight?" she asked with some concern. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Twilight mumbled. "I was trying to teleport next to the Boutique. I guess I, um, missed."
"Was there something that you needed?" Fluttershy questioned.
Twilight mumbled something in reply. Even Fluttershy, accustomed as she was to gentle speech and quiet things, couldn't make it out.
"Um, sorry, what did you say?" Fluttershy asked
Twilight heaved a heavy sigh.
"...I need glasses."