> The Thirty-Moon Roommate > by Lux > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 - The Stranger in the Storm > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Thirty-Moon Roommate By Lux Chapter 1 – The Stranger in the Storm You stood at the window of your loft apartment, looking at the street below. It wasn’t the familiar scene that attracted your attention this night but the raging storm outside. This was bigger than just a simple rain storm that you had the misfortune of being caught in, ironically oftentimes without an umbrella to shield yourself. This was a monstrous storm in which the skies seemed to pour down oceans of water, lashing at the windows of the apartment like an animal trying to claw its way in, while turning the street below into a swiftly flowing river of water. A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder that shook the very place you were in made you realize how close the center of the storm was and the fury brought with it. You were glad on a night like this to be here in this apartment rather than out there fighting against the elements. Sure this loft apartment was once an old small second story warehouse now made new with partitioned walls, a kitchen, and the all-important bathroom, but it had its charm. You were thankful to have this place, storm or not, just like you were thankful for everything you had going in your life. Sure life wasn’t perfect, but you were now in a state of comfort and security that some would give anything to have. There was, however, something missing in your life. Maybe it was the desire for a change in your life, something to break up the monotony that the daily routine had so ordered your life. Maybe it wasn’t something in your life you wanted to change but someone new to enter into your life. It was no secret that while many things in your life seemed to work out, a romantic relationship wasn’t one of those aspects. You had girlfriends before, but none seemed to be “the one and only” and as quick as that flame of passion was ignited it soon flickered into nothing and you were back to where you were now. There were times you wished for your special someone to just appear at your door, but that was a wish you knew would be as likely to come true as being struck by lightning. Through the endless pouring streams of rain, you watched a taxi pull up to the house next door. A man dressed in a suit hurried from the cab and up the steps to the apartment, trying desperately not to drown. This was certainly a night where no one should be out on the street for long. Having enough of the view of the storm, you settled onto the couch that dominated the main part of the apartment and resolved to find something interesting to watch of the television. You didn’t know how long you spent flipping through the channels, but soon you heard something that sounded like a knock at your door. You ignored it at first, thinking it was a sound from the TV, or something like a garbage can caught by the wind smacking up against the apartment, or even the rumbling thunder outside. No sooner had you ignored the noise, the knock happened again, this time louder and more urgent than before. “I wonder who that could be?” you said looking at the clock that read nine o’clock. Maybe it was a friend who needed help, although it was not like your friends to drop by unannounced. You slowly got out of your couch and headed towards the stairs, feeling a little perturbed at the intrusion. As you reach the stairs, another knock was heard, followed by the ominous boom of the thunder outside. “Hold on. I’m coming,” you said making your way down the stairs. You weren’t sure if whoever was at the door could hear you with the pouring rain and thunder outside, but whoever it was certainly wanted to meet you. As you reached the halfway mark of your descent down the stairs, you stopped as you heard a faint female voice. It wasn’t any voice you heard before, having an interesting quality. He couldn’t tell what the voice was saying in its entirety, but it almost sounded confused and desperate. You drew closer to the landing of the stairs hearing the voice say, “Oh no! What am I going to do? I can’t go back to the park now when it’s raining. I hope whoever is here will let me in.” Before you could even say anything to the woman at the door she said, “Hello? Is anyone there?” “Um…hello?” was the only thing you could think to say to a total stranger. “Oh, someone is here,” the voice said surprised and a little hopeful. “Listen, I know you don’t know me, but can you please let me in? It’s storming like cray out here!” “Who are you?” “I’m Prin…” she began before pausing and saying, “Err… I’m Twilight.” You were surprised. Who would name their kid Twilight, unless it was some kind of fake name the girl went by like those celebrity types? That and the fact that you could swear that she was about to say Princess made you question who was at the door. You didn’t like those people who led a fake life acting like a celebrity who deserved everything for free in the world. But this Twilight didn’t sound like that stereotypical person and in fact nice like the girl next door. “Twilight? Um…look, you sound like a nice person, but I don’t really know you. How did you find me?” “You place was one of the few with their lights on so I came here. Please can you help me? I don’t have anywhere else to go and I’m cold and soaked. I wouldn’t ask this unless I needed to. Can you let me in just so I can warm up and dry off?” You pondered for a moment about letting this stranger into your house. While you were always willing to help someone out, this was a little beyond your level of helping. To you the apartment was your personal sanctuary, one not to be entered except for friends and family and of course yourself. The last thing you wanted was someone you put your trust in and offered inside to steal from you or worse. There was something about this girl’s voice, but you just couldn’t put your finger on it. It was like within her desperate plea there was an underlying voice saying, “Please trust me. I mean no harm, but I really need your help.” “Ok, let me get this door open,” you replied with a sigh as you unlatched the lock on the door handle and the deadbolt before slowly opening the door. What you saw on the other side gave you a shock. This Twilight was around your age, maybe a year or so less. She was taller than most girls you knew, in fact as tall as you were. She was no Plain Jane having the right curves and perfect creamy colored complexion that other girls would kill to have while not looking over the top or fake. Her curves were accentuated by what she was wearing, a purple pair of shorts and a light blue t-shirt that now clung to her body having been soaked by the storm. What really caught your attention was her long hair that reached the small of her back that looked not black but a deep blue with pink and purple stripes running down the length of it. You could swear it was some elaborate dye job, but despite the pouring rain outside soaking her hair like a long towel, the unique coloring didn’t look washed out at all. The other thing that was interesting was her purple eyes that seemed to glow a little. You couldn’t help but to stare at her as she stood there in the rain. “Err… are you going to let me in?” Twilight said noticing that you were looking her over like you never saw a girl like her before. “Oh, right sorry,” you replied as you turned and let her into the small landing. The space was cramped; definitely not one where two could easily fit, and no sooner had she stepped over the threshold she tripped. “Gah!” she exclaimed as she fell towards you. You quickly reached out on instinct and grabbed her by the shoulders to break her fall, but while it slowed her it didn’t stop her from colliding with your body. Soon you found her well-proportioned chest smooshed up against yours and her face mere inches away from yours. It was then that you felt the gentle but strong touch of her hands wrapped around your shoulders as she too tried to break the fall and not hurt you. To you it felt like a warm surge of electricity passing from her to you, making you relax a little. “Sorry,” you both said in unison as Twilight righted herself before she said, “Wait, why are you sorry? It was me who fell into you.” “I don’t know. I thought that you tripped over my foot or something.” “I don’t think so. Guess I’m not used to this yet.” You didn’t understand what she meant by that as she shook her head like she was trying to dislodge something from her mind. You wondered if there was something else going on with her, like she was sick. She looked and sounded fine, albeit a little confused. It was also as if she wasn’t comfortable in her own skin. “Well, that was an awkward introduction,” she said blushing a little. “Thanks for letting me get out of the rain.” “You’re welcome,” you said. “Do you want to come upstairs to dry off? No pressure.” “That would be great, thanks,” Twilight said, “lead the way.” You walked up the stairs with the strange girl caught in the storm following closely behind you, wondering what the rest of this once peaceful night would bring and who she really was. > Chapter 2- Comfort and Conversation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2 – Comfort and Conversation The journey up the stairs and back to your apartment took longer than you ever remembered, even during times when you felt so sick or tired that you could barely stand up straight. You knew why you felt this way, the girl who came in from the storm named Twilight. Part of your mind was wondering where this girl came from and why of all people did she choose you. There was something else in your mind, almost like a feeling of welcomed relief after Twilight arrived. Here she was, the person who had just disrupted your nightly routine and added a little mystery and adventure in your life, something that you wanted for so long but never had the courage to seek. There was something else about your guest, but you could not put it into words. The only way you mind could best describe it was she was enchanting. As you finally entered the apartment, you realized that your place was definitely not ready for guests to come over. It wasn’t that you kept a messy house, but there were certain things that were out of order. Books and magazines littered the coffee table in front of the couch as well as papers scattered on your computer desk. The dishes from your previous dinner were piled near the sink in haphazard towers. But as Twilight surveyed your space, you noticed that she barely flinched at the disorderly areas, like she was used to it in her own way. “Thanks for letting me in,” she said as she followed you into the living room leaving a trail of water in her wake from her dripping hair and clothes, “I think I might have drowned if you weren’t there!” “No problem,” you said laughing at her comment, “I’m sure you’d do the same thing if you saw me in a storm like this.” She gave you a faint smile that warmed your heart before shivering a little, sending droplets of water around. “Are you cold?” you asked her, although regretting the question as you knew the obvious answer seeing her standing there soaked to the bone with her clothes clinging to her body. “A little,” she said clearly trying not to seem like a burden. You knew that you had to help her, but at the moment there was only so much you could do to ease her discomfort. “Let me get you a towel so you can dry off,” you replied and headed straight towards the bathroom to gather a few large ones. You soon returned and gave one of them to her. “Thanks,” she said as she began to wipe down the exposed parts of her body, starting with her massively long hair and face before quickly wiping down her arms and legs. You felt a little weird seeing her doing this, like she was going to think that you were imagining her toweling off after a shower. You pretended not to pay attention and set to the next phase by spreading out several towels on the couch. “I think that’s about as good as it’s going to get,” Twilight finally said as she tugged at the collar of her t-shirt which make a sucking sound like someone trying to remove a wet bathing suit before letting it cling back onto her skin. You knew what she was implying, that the only way for her to be truly comfortable was to remove her soaked clothes and get drier ones, something that you knew she wouldn’t ask to do in the house of a total stranger. “Do you want to have a seat?” you asked as you motioned to the couch now covered in towels. For a moment she stood there as if debating whether to stay and sit or to venture back outside. Another rumble of thunder that shook the apartment made her shake her head as if to scatter the former idea. “That would be nice,” she said taking a seat on the couch, “maybe at least until the storm passes, if that’s not a problem for you.” “Not at all. I enjoy having company here. Do you want something to drink, like milk or tea?” “Tea would be nice. Hopefully that can warm me up more.” You set to work filling the tea kettle and setting out two cups with bags in them before joining her in the living room once more. Although the couch was typically your spot to relax, you didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable sitting next to her. You were about to move to the chair next to the couch when she gave you a strange look. “Are you ok?” she said, “You look like you’re afraid to sit next to me. This couch looks big enough for both of us. Or are you shy? It’s ok if you are. One of my friends is… or was shy, but she’s better now.” “No, I’m not shy,” you said, “I wasn’t sure if you’d be comfortable having me sit near you.” “Oh, I see,” she said before giving you a smile, “Well, I give you permission to sit by me without any worry of me being awkward!” “Great,” you said before hearing the tea kettle whistle, “I’ll be right back. Oh, and what do you like with the tea?” “A little milk and honey, if you have it,” she said as she grabbed one of the towels under her and started dabbing her wet clothes in an attempt to dry them as best as she could. You returned with the two mugs in hand and set hers down in front of her. “Thanks,” she replied as she took a sip before replying, “Wow, I have to say that you sure know how to make a good cup of tea. I should know, I drink a lot of it to stay up when working on things!” “Same here,” you said, “I think I drink more tea than anything else!” With that the girl let out a little giggle before taking another sip. “So, can I ask you a question?” you asked trying to help her more and get to know your guest. “Sure,” she said without hesitation. “Well, for starters, why were you out in the storm?” “Well, I was wandering the street when the storm started quickly. I tried to find someplace to hide, but I couldn’t find anywhere. It was like every place I went to was closed or wouldn’t let me in. Then I found your apartment with the light on and I figure you’d try here.” “So, you don’t have a car?” “No,” she said as you noticed that she started to look a little nervous. “What about a place to stay like an apartment?” “I…I don’t live around here.” For a moment you wondered what she meant. She certainly didn’t look homeless, so she could be visiting someone before getting trapped in the storm. Looking at her, however, you couldn’t help but notice how nervous she was and yet how receptive she was for your help. You felt like you needed to know more about her to help her. “Ok, so where are you from if not here?” It was then Twilight’s face turned from cheerful to depressed as she said, “I think, I better go now. It’s been really nice meeting you, and I thank you for your help.” She set her tea cup down and got up from the couch as if ready to leave when you said, “Wait, Twilight, don’t go! Listen to it out there! The storm is still raging, and you’ll only get soaked again if you try to make your way around town without a car.” She stopped as she reached the top of the steps, knowing that you were telling the truth but still looking reluctant to return to the safety and comfort of your couch. You knew if you didn’t say the right thing you could lose her forever, and there was something about this girl that made you want to have her stay. It was as if that you knew that her entering into your life was not something to take lightly. “Look, I’m sorry if I upset you by asking you where you live. I was just trying to help you get to where you need to be. Please don’t leave yet.” “I’m sorry too,” she said with a sigh as she returned to the living room, “You helped me get out of the storm, but all I’m doing now is just being ungrateful. I’m usually not so secretive, especially to my friends, but there are things about me ad how I got here that I don’t think I can tell you. It’s not like my secrets are bad or anything like that, just that they might be a little…strange.” “Strange huh?” you said as she sat back down, “Well, if or when you want to talk about it, I’m a pretty good listener. Plus I’m not one to judge what’s strange and what’s normal whatever those two things mean.” “Thank you for caring so much,” she said taking your hand in hers, “You’re so kind to me, a total stranger.” As you held her hand, you felt a strange sense of calm wash over your body, like what you were doing was something very natural. Just when you were getting used to this girl being in your house, you felt a strange sensation pass through your body, almost like electricity. As you struggled to understand what was going on, the power suddenly cut off, plunging the room in darkness. You looked out the window behind the couch and noticed that the street lights and houses across the way were still lit. “Huh, that’s strange,” you said as you still felt the remaining surge of energy through your body. “What is?” Twilight voice could be heard in the dark. “Never mind, just the power outage that’s all. Guess I should be expecting it with this weather.” “Oh, right,” she said almost as if she was expecting you to say something else, “Do you need me to do anything?” “Nah, just give me a moment to round up some candles and flashlights,” you said as you disappeared into the bedroom, but not before you could have sworn you heard her say to herself, “Was that magic I felt from him? Can he help me get back?” > Chapter 3 - Revelation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3 The last candle you could dig up in the apartment became alive with fire as you touched the lit match to the wick. You stepped back to admire your handiwork and to make sure everything was perfect. About a half dozen or so candles of different sizes sat on the coffee table with plates under them to collect the melting wax. If they should burn out there was a small army of flashlights that sat at the ready on the table. As you made the final check, you couldn’t help but noticed the way Twilight looked in the candle light. It was as if she has a strange glow around her, giving just enough radiance to show her gorgeous body while dim enough to make her full appearance a mystery. “There, that should do it,” you said sitting back down next to Twilight. “I checked the breaker box, but everything looks intact. Not sure what’s going on. At least we have enough light to see each other. You can see me fine, right Twilight?” It was then that you noticed her silence that seemed louder than the rain that pelted the window outside and the booming thunder. You realized that ever since you set about getting some temporary light back to the living room your guest was oddly quiet. Looking over at her, you could see she was facing forward and hunched over slightly, staring at the candles. “Uh, Twilight? Are you ok?” you said waving a hand across her face. “Huh?” she said with a startled tone before looking over at you. “Oh, yes, I’m fine. Err… what did you ask me?” “Um, never mind. What’s going on with you? You’ve been quiet ever since the power went out.” “Oh, it’s nothing,” she said trying to dismiss her feelings, but the worry on her face said otherwise. “Twilight, I know we only met an hour or so ago, but if you need to tell me something please do. I want to help you, but I can’t if you’re being silent about whatever is going on.” She still said nothing to you, although it appeared that she was looking to speak the truth if nothing more than to clear her mind of the thoughts bottled up inside. Still there was something holding her back. “If you’re afraid of me telling a secret, don’t worry. I want to help you, not hurt you.” The girl wrestled with your words for a moment, planning what to do or say next. For a moment she looked at the stairs leading down and back to the outside world as if planning to leave. Then she looked at you as if trying to study you face for any hint of truth or lies. Finally she let out a sigh and said, “You’re right, I haven’t been honest. The truth is I can’t get back to my home, at least not for a long time. I don’t live here but far away.” “Well, why not find a cab or a train to get back? Surely it’s not that far away. Is it that you don’t have money?” “No, I have money. It’s just; I can’t get back there using a plane, train, or anything like that!” You looked at her with a bewildered expression, not sure why she couldn’t return to where she wanted to be. May be there was something else beyond physically getting back there. You had to be careful though at what you would say next. “Is there someone then that isn’t letting you get back, like someone is trying to find you or hurt you?” “What? No, of course not! I want to get back home, and no one is stopping me except…” she said as her voice trailed off, and once again she returned to her silence as she plotted what to say next. Finally she let out another sigh before saying, “Do you believe in magic?” “I do, I mean I’ve been studying books on it but never really seen done much with it.” You thought about that moment when you touched Twilight and how you felt the power between the two of you before the power inexplicably cut out. Was this magic that you felt? Now was not the time to delve further into the question as you needed to help Twilight first. “You do?” she said as her purple eyes lit up with a new sense of interest. “How long have you practiced? Have you done any spells? Any magical phenomena here?” The barrage of questioning left you stunned, unable to answer a single one. Clearly she was deeply interested in magic, which was comforting. You hadn’t met many who had an interest in magic like you did, as most people either thought talk of magic was either the stuff of fantasy or worse evil. “Err.. too many questions, huh?” Twilight said with an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry, let me get back to what I was trying to say. Alright, next question: Do you believe in other worlds?” “You mean parallel realities, or life on other planets?” “Yeah, I guess. Like you could enter world like this, just not entirely like here.” “I guess so, I mean we can’t be the only ones out there right?” “Yeah, right.” “So, what does this talk of magic and other worlds have to do with you?” She gave a deep breath before saying. “Ok, now the big part, and promise not to freak out about this.” “Ok,” you said bracing yourself in the chair, not sure what she would say next. “I’m…. “ she said before thinking and then saying. “The reason that I can’t get home is that I don’t know how I got here in the first place. When I said I’m not from here, I meant that I’m not from this world but another one just like this. You understand, what I mean, right?” “I… um… I think you’re a nice person Twilight, but maybe you need some help that I can’t give you.” “Wh…what do you mean?” she said. “There should be a doctor in this city that will happy to talk with you.” “No, stop, I’m telling the truth!” she said more desperate than before. “How can I make you believe in me?” “I… I don’t know how,” you said with a shrug, “but it was nice meeting you, and it looks like the storm has passed now. In any case it is getting kind of late, so…” “Wait!” she said understand that you were going to show her out of the apartment. “Err… let me try something with my magic.” She focused on a book on your coffee table, staring at in with a strange intensity. Soon the girl began to grit her teeth as she stared more intently at her target. “Um… Twilight? What are you doing?” “Ugh! Come on magic!” she said ignoring your words as she closed her eyes as if trying to concentrate more, “Work already!” Before you could say anything, Twilight let out a frustrated shout as she stood up. Suddenly the book in question floated in the air. You stared at it for a moment before the book suddenly rocketed towards you! You only had a split second to duck as the book sailed past your head before crash landing in the darkness of your bedroom. For a moment you remained in your crouched position with your hands over your head like a scared turtle. After realizing you were still alive and unharmed, you stood up as your mind tried to comprehend what you saw. This was magic, not stuff from movies or simple stage sleight of hand but real magic. This girl who claimed to be from another world just performed real magic! Before you could say anything to her, you watched as Twilight began to sway as if her balance was off. You quickly rushed to her side just as she suddenly collapsed, catching her just in time in your arms. “Twilight!” > Chapter 4- Trapped > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4 You sat in the chair next to the couch, watching Twilight as she lay motionless on the couch. As you watched her chest rise and fall with an almost hypnotic rhythm, your mind couldn’t focus on the beautiful girl lying next to you but all the events that happened this night. You still couldn’t fathom how the power cut off or how she was able to lift that book without touching it. The only thing you could say is that this was magic, no way to deny or justify it otherwise. There was also no doubt that this girl in your apartment was something special, and not just the way she looked or the way she acted. You couldn’t decide whether you believed she was from another world or not, but after seeing her magic, you were willing to believe her. What concerned you the most was not what happened but what was next. Would she wake up after what happened? Would you need to send her to a hospital and if so, what would you say happened? “Unnh,” a voice was heard from the couch which made you leave those thoughts behind and turn your attention towards Twilight. You stood up and rushed to her side as she shifted her body on the couch. Soon her eyes fluttered open, meeting your eyes. You relaxed a little and breathed a sigh of relief as she slowly regained consciousness. “W..what happened?” Twilight said as if waking from a deep sleep. “You don’t remember?” you replied in a concerned tone. “I…I remember trying to prove that I could do magic, but after that I can’t remember.” “Well, you managed to levitate a book in the air, and then send it flying towards my head,” you said sheepishly. “Oh dear! I didn’t hurt you, did I?” she said which made you feel warm inside how despite her passing out she was concerned about your well-being. “No, I’m fine. The book missed me. What else do you remember?” “That’s it. The next thing was waking up on the couch. I feel like I’m missing something though.” “After you did your magic with the book…” “Telekinesis,” Twilight said lifting her head. “What?” “It’s called telekinesis.” “Right, telekinesis. After you used your telekinesis on the book you suddenly passed out. I grabbed you in time before you collapsed and put you on the couch. Don’t worry, I didn’t do anything.” “Thank you for catching me, but why would you do anything other than that?” “Err…” you said realizing how you realized that she trusted you and now found yourself in an awkward situation, “Nevermind. How are you feeling now?” “My head hurts and it feels like I’m in a mental fog,” she says trying to stand but could barely sit up. “Here, let me help you. Give me your hand.” She reached out her hand which you at first hesitated remembering the last time you touched her. Casting aside all doubt, you took her hand and tried pulling her up. At first you managed to help her to a seated position, but when you tried to help her to her feet Twilight stood for only a few seconds before her legs began to wobble like they had no muscles in them. Suddenly she collapsed back onto the couch pulling you down with her. When you finally recovered, you found yourself lying on top of her, your face and body dangerously close to hers. “Sorry!” you suddenly replied as you suddenly stood up. “No, I should be the one apologizing for pulling you down. I guess I need some time before I can stand. You know, we have to stop meeting like this, first me tripping and falling into you, and now pulling you on top of me. I can see what you mean by awkward.” She gave a little giggle as her face blushed before slowly sitting up. She then patted the seat next to her, offering you to sit once again which you didn’t hesitate. “So, what did you think it was that caused you to pass out?’ you said trying to make her feel better after the last incident. “I mean, do you pass out often when trying to do magic?” “No, in fact this was the first time in a great while that I passed out! Telekinesis is natural to those like me where I come from, just as natural as walking or taking a breath. Here, however, I had to use all my energy just to levitate a simple book! I guess I used too much and, well, I passed out. Your world doesn’t have that much magic, does it?” “Not really,” you said with a shrug. “Most people think that magic is just something from fantasy books, not real. Anything that was once seen as magical is now seen as science. Honestly, I’ve only met a few who are interested in magic, and I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who could do telekinesis like you, Twilight? Sadly, many who claim to move things with their minds or are telepathic or can talk to the dead are revealed to be fake. It’s a shame really. I’d like to be someplace where magic is everywhere and seen more as fact than fiction.” “Oh, well you’ll have to visit me sometime when I get…. Home,” Twilight said letting the word ‘Home’ draw out like a deep breath. It was then that you noticed tears were starting to fill the corners of her eyes and she looked down. “Twilight, what’s wrong?” “I…I don’t think I can get back home, not when I have to expend all my energy to levitate just a book!” “How did you get here in the first place?” “In my world, there’s a portal in a castle that allows me to enter other worlds. I’ve used it before to visit another world, one that’s sort of like this, where some of my friends are. I’ve been doing this so frequently, it’s become almost a routine, but not this time.” “What happened this time?” “I don’t know. I remember I was floating through the cosmic stream that linked my world to the other world, but then a storm of energy suddenly appeared. Before I could do anything, I was thrown into the storm and then I ended up here, well not here but in the nearby park.” You knew the park well. It was a mere five blocks away from your apartment and a nice place to go to relax and let your mind wander a bit. It had a large playground, spacious fields for sports or relaxing, and walking trails which cut through forested areas. You could see how Twilight got so soaked from the storm if she appeared there. There was another thought in your mind, one that seemed foolish at first but quickly gained strength. You remember the wish you made, your desire to have something new in your life. Was the storm that Twilight encountered a manifestation of your wish? You tried to dislodge that notion, hoping that it was a mere coincidence, as you tried to delve more into Twilight’s problem. “So where exactly did you appear in the park?” “I appeared at some monument of a horse with a saddle. That’s where the portal appeared.” “That’s General Daniels’s Memorial. He was a war hero who the park was dedicated in his memory. The horse doesn’t have a rider because it signifies the General passing on. Anyway, you appeared there, but did you try to reenter the portal?” “Of course I did, but by the time I recovered the portal suddenly closed. I tried using my magic, but I passed out just like I did now. It takes a lot more magic to open a portal than it does to use telekinesis. When I did wake up, it was nighttime and it was pouring rain. I did the only thing I could think of and seek shelter, and that’s when I found you. Oh what am I going to do? I can’t jump back into the portal, and because my magic is so weak here I can’t even open it back up! This feels like the time I first went to that other place and almost getting stuck there.” You listened carefully to her words, knowing now the problem she faced. What struck you as interesting, however, was the last part of her once having the same thing happen. Maybe this could help her now. “What happened before, with the other world?” “I was chasing someone who took something important of mine, but before that I was told that I only had a few days to stay in that other world. If I stayed any longer the portal would close, and I’d be stuck there for thirty moons.” “Did you say thirty moons?” you said now realizing how dire the situation was escalating. “Yeah, I did,” she said lifting here head, “How does your lunar cycle work here?” “There are thirteen moons per year, one for each month with a thirteenth moon called a blue moon.” “So you mean that if your world works the same as that other world, then I’ll be trapped here for over two years?” she said as you could see her start to panic, “Oh no! I can’t stay here that long. What about my friends, my duties, my studies. What if something bad happens and I’m not there to stop it? I….I….” She suddenly collapsed into a pile on the couch, crying uncontrollably at the revelation of being stuck here. You could barely fathom how you would feel if you were in the same place, forced to live there for years without any means to return home. You always had a way to get from one place to the next even if you were lost, but not Twilight. You believed she could survive in this world just fine, but should she really have to face this alone. “I want to help you,” you said putting a reassuring arm around her. “How? You said it yourself, you don’t have much magic nor does anyone here.” “Maybe, but there are other things I can do.” “Like what?” “You can stay here, in my apartment, until we figure out a way for you to get back or, worst case scenario, when the portal opens back up.” “Oh no, I can’t burden you with having you stay here,” she said rubbing the tears from your eyes. “It wouldn’t be a burden, in fact I’d be happy to help. Besides, you shouldn’t have to face this challenge alone.” “Oh thank you!” she said embracing you as her tears changed from sorrow to joy. You returned the embrace, allowing her to rest her head on your shoulder, feeling that same warm almost electric feeling when the two of you connected. As the two of you held each other, each pondering the uncertain future, the lights in the apartment suddenly came back on as the storm dissipated outside. > Chapter 5: The First Night > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 5 – The First Night After what felt like an eternity in each other’s arms, you finally separated from the mysterious girl. The two of you remained silent, barely making eye contact with each other while sitting on the couch. You had an idea why she was acting so strangely. She just hugged you, a total stranger, after spending only a mere few hours meeting you. Perhaps she was one to reserve hugs with friends and family. It certainly was an awkward moment when she embraced you, like she knew you for years. There was something else about it, that warm good almost magical feeling when you two were close. It was like how things were meant to be, even if your time together was brief. You knew she felt it too, but you dared not ask. The fact that Twilight just had an emotional moment pouring out her plight of not being able to return home didn’t help things. You still could barely fathom what she was going through now trapped in not just another town or state but an entirely different world. Now she faced not going home for a long time, and you faced having to take care of her. Of course you somehow knew that Twilight was no shrinking violet, being able to take care of herself. Still you remember what your parents told you long ago about friends, words that still remained true. Friends were a shoulder to cry on, hands to lighten the load, feet to walk beside you, a mouth to laugh, a mind to share thoughts and a heart to care. Although you weren’t quite sure how you would help her, you knew that you had to try. “Twilight, do you want to stay up and watch TV or just talk?” “I’m feeling kind of tired,” she said with a yawn to punctuate her feelings, “The events of today took a lot out of me!” “Yeah, this was a surprise for me, too. I have an air mattress you can sleep on, that is unless you prefer to sleep on an actual bed.” “No, no,” she said shaking her head, “I can’t kick you out of your bed. The air mattress is fine, thank you. Can I ask you a question?” “Sure?” you said uncertain what she would ask next. “Do you have something I could wear to sleep in? These clothes are still kind of wet from the storm and I don’t think they’d be comfortable sleeping with them on.” “Err… I don’t really have anything that a girl would sleep in,” you said with a shrug honestly not knowing what that was or how it differed from what he wore, “Do you want something like some shorts and a t-shirt? I have to warn you, though; they might not fit you perfectly.” “Oh, that’s fine. I’m not picky. Usually I sleep naked at home,” she said before realizing her rather intimate confession and immediately looking horrified. “Well I’m sure they will be fine since you… wait, did you say you sleep naked?” In that instance you imagined a scene of Twilight stepping out of a shower wearing nothing but a towel used to dry her body. Then, without giving it much thought, deposits the towel in a laundry basket and immediately climbs into bed. “Um… hehe, yes. I don’t know why I just admitted that to you,” she said as her face blushed while shuffling nervously on the couch, “In any case; I think that might be awkward doing so in front of you, so anything you have is fine. You wouldn’t mind if I took a shower, right?” “Uh… yeah, that’s fine. Let me get you your clothes and I’ll be right back,” you said making your way into the bedroom and rummaging through your dresser drawers to find something for Twilight to sleep in. Normally you had no problem selecting clothes for yourself, simply pulling random things without much thought. But now you found yourself staring at a drawer full of clothes unsure what to do next. You knew that you were starting to care about her more than you did normally when meeting someone new. Maybe it was the fact that she had been through so much and you wanted to help her as best as possible, even if it meant simply blowing up an air mattress and finding her something to wear. “Are you ok in there?” Twilight called from the living room, “Do you need me to choose something?” “No, I got it,” you said as you selected a plain white t-shirt and a pair of grey shorts. They were a little worn looking but still comfortable in your opinion. “Here you are,” you said presenting the clothing to her, “Hope these are ok.” “These will do,” she said, “Do you have a washcloth and a towel?” “They’re in a closet in the bathroom,” you said, “I’ll go and inflate the air mattress while you’re in the shower. The bathroom is through the door next to my bedroom.” “Great, thanks. I’ll be out soon,” she said gathering up the clothes and proceeding to the bathroom. “Take your time,” you said to her as she vanished into the bathroom, closing the door behind you. You then set to work pulling out the air mattress from the closet and turning on the pump. As you sacrificed on of the pillows on your bed as well some sheets, you mind still lingered on your new roommate. It certainly was awkward having someone stay with you, especially a girl you only knew for a short time. You still didn’t know how you were to help her get back, but maybe this was enough for now. “One step at a time,” you said checking on the status of the air mattress. It was then through the noise of the whirring blower of the pump that you heard another sound: singing. Twilight Sparkle was singing in the shower. At first you didn’t know what she was singing, but as you walked closer to the bathroom door and listened you could hear her sing something you never heard before. “I have to find a way To make this all okay I can't believe this small mistake Could've caused so much heartache Oh why, oh why? Losing promise I don't know what to do Seeking answers I fear I won't get through to you Oh why, oh why?” It certainly was a very fitting song to her predicament of getting stuck here, but to you it almost sounded like she sung this sad song before. What struck you more than the lyrics was her voice. She sung the song so sweetly, so passionately that it tugged at your heart. “Aah!” Twilight screamed suddenly causing you to pull back from the door. “Twilight? Are you ok?” you said reaching for the handle, but stopping lest you barge in on her. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just got some shampoo in my eyes. I’ll be out soon.” “Oh, alright,” you said as you returned to making Twilight’s bed. Soon the shower water stopped and then you heard the door open. You looked up from the bed to see Twilight step out in your clothes. The shorts were a little too big even with the drawstring tied tightly, hanging loosely off her hips with the danger of falling off at any moment. The shirt, on the other hand, seemed to fit tightly, riding up and revealing her midriff a little while revealing some cleavage. You had an idea why the shirt was too small, and you quickly tried not to stare at her chest. “So, how do I look?” she said with a concerned expression. “Uh, they’re fine. How do you feel in them?” “Kind of strange, honestly. I never wore a guy’s clothes before, but they’ll do. Thank you for everything you’ve done so far for me.” “No problem. I’m glad you’re happy.” “Well, I’m going to go to sleep now. Hopefully I can think of a way to get back home tomorrow.” “Me too,” so said as you watched Twilight climb into the bed, “Goodnight, Twilight.” “Goodnight,” she said as she settled into the sheets. For a moment you watched to make sure she was settled before getting ready for bed yourself. For the first time in a while you felt compelled to take your sleepwear into the bathroom and close the door lest she walk in on you. When you entered the room, however, you couldn’t help but catch her earthy smell through the scent of the shower steam. Soon after you exited the bathroom dressed and were about to enter your room and get ready for bed when you stopped and saw Twilight now fast asleep on the air mattress. It brought a smile to your face seeing her in peace. With a smile or reassurance, you retreated to your bed, hoping to find a way to help her in the morning. > Chapter 6- Dream and Nightmare > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 6 – Dream and Nightmare That night you lay in your bed, thinking about the events of the night and how your life changed so quickly. Most importantly, you were thinking about her. Twilight was beautiful, smart, funny, and a little quirky. You didn’t know how she came to your apartment this stormy night, but you didn’t dare question a good thing. What mattered was she was here in your life. Of course you knew that this had consequences good and bad. It was an opportunity to get to know her now that the portal from where she came from was closed, but ultimately you knew that she would have to return home. When that happened, you knew that there was the possibility that she might never see you again. After all she never intended to visit your world, so would she even want to return even if she could find a way back here? There was no use worrying about the inevitable day when the portal would open. What mattered was how Twilight felt about you in the end that mattered. Maybe if there was a will for her to return here to your world she could find a way. The telltale sound of your door creaking open caused you to open your eyes and sit up slightly to see what the cause was. There you saw an outline of a now familiar figure standing in the doorway. There was no doubt who it was, as there was no one else it could be. “T…Twilight?” you said fighting the fog of sleep. “Hi,” she said as her body was still a silhouette illuminated from the light in the living room. There was something different about her voice, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. “I couldn’t sleep. I guess the air mattress wasn’t as comfortable as I thought.” “Uh…would you rather sleep in my bed?” you said unsure what else to do and more inclined to help her as quickly as possible to get back to sleep, “We could switch.” “That sounds like a good idea,” Twilight said as her form stepped into the room a little more, almost like she was sauntering with each step. There was definitely something new with her voice, but the only way that you could describe it was it sounded… sexier, “With one exception.” Suddenly she flicked the light on to your room, blinding you for a few seconds. When your eyes became focused you gasped at what you saw. There Twilight stood naked in front of you, posing her body like some swimsuit model for you to gaze upon. You tried opening your mouth, but nothing came out. “I was thinking that it was so awfully lonely sleeping in the living room, and I know that if I have to stay at your apartment for thirty moons that we will develop feelings for each other as well as certain… urges. So why resist them when we can act on them, hmm? So why not I share your bed with you, if you know what I mean!” “That sounds… nice, wait, no! What’s wrong with you Twilight? You would blush at even the most remotely awkward situations. Why now?” She gave you a coy little smile as she sauntered up to the side of the bed you were on before leaning over you so that her well-proportioned body was dangerously close to you. Then she opened her mouth as if to say something else to make your heart beat faster, but instead of a sexy response an ear-splitting scream could be heard… *** You sat bolt upright as your eyes shot open, letting out an audible gasp as if choking for air. For a moment you looked around, unsure where you were. This was the same bedroom, but now the door was closed just as you left it. More importantly, there was no Twilight in your room. What happened so vividly before was just a dream, the part of you feeding your darkest desires rising to the surface and trying to fulfill in your mind what you couldn’t have with your body. Another scream shattered through your confused thoughts and the fogginess of sleep. This time it was a more muted but still desperate scream that could have come from only one person. You quickly threw the covers off and got out of bed, staggering as you made your way to the door. You then opened it, about to shield yourself from the light but noticing that unlike the dream, the lights were all off in the living room. “No! No!” Twilight’s cries could be heard in the darkness, “You can’t be all dead! You can’t!” “Twilight?” you said, but your words fell on deaf ears as she still kept shouting. You made your way towards the closest lamp and after fumbling for a moment flicked it on. There Twilight was writhing on the mattress as if wrestling with some unseen force. Tears were also streaming down her eyes as a reaction to whatever plagued her sleep. Your mind tried to think about the possibilities of how to wake her from her nightmare. It had to be quick but not jarring lest she be even more traumatized. “Twilight, wake up! You’re having a nightmare,” you shouted as you kneeled beside her and tried squeezing her hand to return her to reality, “Wake up!” Suddenly the girl sat bolt upright on the air mattress, gasping for breath just as you did when waking from your dream so suddenly. Her eyes then shot open as she looked around the living room to gauge where she was. Soon her eyes settled on you by her side as you watched her once agonized face starting to relax a little. “Oh, I’m still here in your apartment,” she said breathing a sigh of relief. “Yeah, you are,” you said letting go of her hand, “You were having a nightmare.” “Yeah, I was,” she said shaking a little, “Sorry if I waked you. It was just the nightmare was just… so real.” “I heard you scream something about someone being dead. What was that?” She at first remained tight lipped about her nightmare, perhaps because she didn’t want to return to such an agonizing moment, but soon she said, “Where I come from, my friends and I help defend the town from evil.” “So you’re superheroes or something?” you replied, hoping that talking with her would help her recover. “Not really. We don’t have costumes or anything, but we do have certain talents that help us. Then again everyone in my world has talents from magical skills to making baked goods. The nightmare I had just now, I was back in my hometown, only it was destroyed by some evil force! I searched for any survivors but found none. Then I saw my friends and they were all… oh it was horrible!” You knew what she meant as tears once again flowed from her eyes. Her friends died in the nightmare, and not in a peaceful way as you could tell from Twilight’s reaction. “Twilight, you can’t think that that will happen to your friends and town you live in if you are gone. Otherwise how do you go anywhere where you come from? Bad things can happen no matter if we’re at one place or another.” “You’re right,” she said as her face wore a faint smile, “I know I can’t worry about this or else I’ll keep having nightmares like this. Maybe it’s different now that I can’t get back on my own. I guess I like a little sense of order in my life, even control. Oh I don’t mind when small things are beyond my control, but sometimes big things make me worry, like when I’m trapped with no one to help me.” “You don’t have to feel trapped or alone,” you said, “I’m here to help you. Maybe I can’t open the portal, but I will help you be safe until that portal does open.” “Thank you,” she said as she let out a yawn, “Can I ask you a question?” “Sure.” “Do you mind if I move this bed into your room, just for tonight? If you feel uncomfortable, I completely understand. It’s just I don’t feel right being alone tonight.” For a moment the images of that sensual dream popped into your mind as you processed Twilight’s request. You quickly dismissed the dream as this was not some strange unconscious desire but a request from a girl who was hurting and scared. “Sure you can,” you said, “Let me help you get this air mattress through the door.” The two of you lifted the mattress and pushed it through the door frame before finding a spot in the corner where you were certain you would not trip over it or worse her should you need to get up at night. She then thanked you and quickly returned to the peace of sleep now that her mind was at ease. As you settled into sleep, you heard the rhythmic sounds of her breathing nearby, making you realize that for now you too were not alone. > Chapter 7- Plan and Pancakes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 7 Although the rest of the night was uneventful, the previous events kept you from truly having a good night’s sleep. There was just too much on your mind that kept playing back like a broken record. Meeting Twilight for the first time, the fact that she was not from another world, the nightmare she had, not to mention the strange events going on that you saw and felt which you could not deny was magic; all of this was too much for you to handle! Your only saving grace from insomnia was the same person whose presence caused this whole issue: Twilight. The fact that she was there in your bedroom sleeping soundly on the air mattress made you feel at peace. It was as if her presence caused both storm and calm. Although you didn’t know why, it almost felt like her being here was meant to be. You weren’t a huge believer in destiny, that your life was plotted out like some story. With her being here and the feelings you had, you began to wonder if maybe there were somethings that couldn’t be chalked up to mere coincidence. There was still one nagging question that remained in the background of all the questions of who Twilight was truly and how to get her home. Was what you were feeling meant you liked her? She was gorgeous, smart, and funny, the type of girl you’d give up everything just at least to be friends with. Even so, your mind was torn between simply being friends or even entertaining the idea of moving beyond that and having to face her ultimately leaving you when she returned to her world. There was no use dwelling on the particulars of what could be with your relationship after having just met her one albeit emotionally charged day. Yet no matter how much you tried to put it out of your mind, the thought still lingered. The morning arrived sooner than imagined as the alarm clock cut through what little sleep you had. You slowly woke up as your mind was filled with the fog of sleep and lingering questions. Looking over at the side, you noticed that the air mattress was now empty. For a moment you began to panic, thinking that she had gone somewhere in the city such as trying to return to the park. Then you smelled something coming from beyond the now open bedroom door. It smelled good and tasty, and you could guess who was responsible. You got out of the bed and made your way into the kitchen. What you saw shocked you. The kitchen table was set with two place settings with a towering plate of pancakes in the center. “Good morning,” Twilight said in a more cheerful tone. “I managed to get up sort of early despite last night. I figured we’d both be hungry, so I made pancakes. I hope that they’re ok.” “This is really nice. You didn’t have to do this.” “Well, you took me in and comforted me last night. It’s the least I can do. Besides that, I find sometimes eating something that I like after a stressful moment helps comfort me when I don’t have a book around.” “So you like books and pancakes. Got it,” you said before trying a piece of the fluffy pancake on your plate. “Wow, this does taste good. Really good!” “I’m glad you like it,” she said before giggling a little. “What’s so funny?” “Well, there was one time when I was having trouble adjusting to my new home. I was having trouble sleeping and would often just study something before I couldn’t stay awake any longer! Well one day when I was having pancakes for breakfast with my friends, I fell asleep on top of my breakfast. And I remember when my friend tried to wake me I said ‘I’m pancake, I mean I’m awake!’” You burst out laughing hearing the store, joining in on the funny moment until you said, “Reminds me when I fell asleep at a movie theater. I awoke to find that the not only the movie was over but there was no one in the theater!” “That is funny!” she said as the two of you continued your breakfast. Finally you helped her clean up as a thought crossed your mind. “Twilight, I’m thinking of your problem getting home.” “Oh, you have something new?” “Sort of. I said I know magic, but I have a friend who is even more into it than I am. She even has her own magic shop in town, and it’s not far from her.” “That’s great,” she said as her eyes brightened. “Do you think that your friend with help open the portal up?” “I don’t know honestly,” you said with a shrug, “but it’s worth a shot.” “So does this friend have a name?” “Yeah, it’s Trixie. Strange name I know.” You noticed that Twilight’s face changed to a shocked expression like you revealed the darkest secret. “Something wrong?” you asked her. “No, it’s just that I know a Trixie where I’m from. She…wasn’t a nice one at first, but she soon learned the error of her ways. Since then she’s been kind of a friend to me.” “Well, I don’t know your Trixie, by mine is nice. She does have kind of an ego with her talents. She is really skilled though, and actually got me into learning magic. Do you want to visit her today? Her shop is open.” “That sounds nice,” she said, “Maybe your friend will help.” “Alright, first we’ll check out the monument and then we’ll head to Trixie’s store.” “Sounds like a plan,” Twilight said as the two of you agreed on the plan. > Chapter 8 - Silent Statue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 8 – Silent Statue After breakfast and once again donation a fresh set of clothes for Twilight, the two of you set forth into the city. You could tell that she was eager to show you where the portal was if nothing more than to somehow prove that she was telling the truth. You knew the way to the park as it was a favorite place for you to get away from the hustle of daily life and collect your thoughts. This time, however, it felt like you were walking there for the first time now with Twilight at your side. You watched as she looked around the city with an awestruck face, the same kind that a tourist might have. “You look like you’ve never been to a city before,” you said, “Does your world have any cities?” “Of course it does,” she remarked, “In fact I was born in a city. Still it is interesting seeing this place, I want to try and take it all in.” “I see, well after we meet Trixie I’d be happy to show you around.” You paused before mentioning that she needed to know in case that she was stuck here for thirty moons. Clearly this was something still on the magical girl’s mind as well as yours. The last thing you wanted to do was to bring up any mentioning of this challenge lest you cause her to be upset or worse have one of those nightmares again. “We’re here,” she announced as the two of you reached the edge of the park. “Now, let’s get to the statue.” “Lead the way, Princess,” you said with a bow. You noticed, however, that when doing this she froze for a little as if shocked you called her that. “What’s wrong?” “Err…nothing. There are some that call me Princess back where I come from. It kind of is unnerving at times.” “Why is it unnerving?” “My world does have actual Princesses, and they are the kindest, wisest, most powerful ones around! I just don’t feel right being called a Princess, like I don’t deserve it.” “Twilight, you don’t have to read into it here. It’s just a joke.” “I know. It just brings up a memory that’s all.” “Well, if it makes you feel upset I won’t call you Princess again.” “No, no. That’s fine as long as it’s not overdone.” The two of you crossed the large open fields used for sports and simply to sit and relax. Twilight couldn’t help but notice that there were some people looking at her in an odd way. “Why are they looking at me so strangely?” “Oh, it’s probably your clothes. Most girls don’t wear guy’s clothes like that.” “Ah, I see. I suppose that I’ll have to find some more if I’m going to be staying here. One set isn’t going to help things.” “So, this portal you crossed into, you can’t summon anything else but what you have on you?” “I really haven’t tried sending objects through it. As for me, I didn’t pack extra clothes as I was anticipating meeting my friends. The portal just gives me clothes when I cross over.” “Gives you them?” you questioned. “So you mean that going from one world to the next changes your look?” “In a way, yes.” “Well, do you look different in your own world?” “I’m sort of this way, but different. Oh, it’s hard to explain it, but that’s the best I can do.” “Well, ok. Just want to make sure you aren’t some weird purple creature with horns and wings or anything.” At first she wore that same shocked expression like a layer of herself had been peeled back to reveal more secrets. Soon, though, her face relaxed as she said, “Oh, another joke. Well, you don’t have to worry about that. It’s the same me no matter where I am or what I look like! Oh, and it looks like we’re here!” The two of you stood before the massive statue dedicated to General Daniels. The statue was old and worn but still looked magnificent in the park. No matter how many times you visited the statue, you always seemed awed by the bronzed general sitting atop his horse with his saber raised high in the air as if preparing for a charge. “So, you came from here, right?” “Yes, right from the base there,” she said pointing to the longer side of the rectangular pedestal. “It’s kind of an irony.” “What is?” “When I visit me friends, the portal appears from a statue of a horse.” “What about your home? Do you enter the portal through a statue there?” “No, actually it’s a magic mirror. You don’t happen to have any magic mirrors that you know of, do you?” “Only those fun house mirrors that distort your body, but I don’t think that counts. Why? Do you think that a portal could be made from a mirror here?” “Maybe, I don’t know. In any case it might take too much energy to do so for a mirror or even this portal on the statue.” You walked over to the side of the statue that Twilight indicated and looked at the smooth granite surface. There was nothing interesting about it or magical in the stone. You hesitated for a moment, holding your hand a few inches from the stone as if worrying you would get sucked through a portal. Gathering up the courage, you touched the warm stone, only to find no portal. There was a tingling sensation in the area, but nothing like the magic you felt when Twilight tried levitating the book back at the apartment or when you touched hands. “Find anything?” she said. “No portal here. How about you check the other side and we’ll both move around the statue until we both covered the entire pedestal?” “Sounds like a plan,” she said as she rushed to the other long side of the base. The two of you circled the granite rectangular box, feeling for any signs of magic. Soon you made your way back to where you started, but just as you were about to say something, Twilight in her focus to check the stone accidentally bumped into you! “Oh, sorry about that. I guess I didn’t see you.” “Seems like we keep bumping into each other,” you said with a smile, “Is this how you normally meet others?” “No, honestly I’m not this clumsy,” Twilight said with a shrug and a grin, “Awkward yes, but not clumsy. I guess you’re not used to girls falling around you, huh?” “Not really,” you said not knowing what else to say, “Anyway, did you find any magic?” “No, did you?” “Nope, and as you said, I don’t think we could use our magic on it. So, want to visit Trixie? She’s just a few blocks away.” “I suppose that it was the next best thing to do,” Twilight said confidently. “Lead the way!” As you led the way out of the park, you couldn’t help but see Twilight linger behind as if hoping that the portal would somehow open up. You were about to say something when she let out a defeated sigh and then returned to following you to your next place to visit. > Chapter 9 - Twilight and Trixie > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 9 – Twilight and Trixie You made your way down the sidewalk with Twilight Sparkle, passing by a myriad of restaurants, shops, and apartments. All the while she held your hand, not tightly like someone who was scared of being in a new town, but friendly like the two of you have known each other for years and were enjoying a leisurely stroll. You liked sharing her company and pointing out places that you felt relevant in your life. No matter how mundane or seemingly boring, she was interested in every word and sight like a scientist studying some new culture. You wondered as you spoke to her how much of this was familiar to her world and how much was completely foreign as you tried looking at her for cues for understanding. “Wow, you really seem to know a lot of these places,” she said. “Well, after living here for a while you get accustomed to favorite places. I’m sure you have that in your home, right?” “Oh yes, there are lots of places I like to go!” she said as her face lit up. “In fact, some of my friends actually own places. One operates a farm and the other a fashion boutique.” “Neat,” you said as you noticed another familiar location. “Oh, here is one of my favorite places to eat.” “Really? What do you like to eat there?” she said looking into the diner. “Oh, the usual: hamburgers, chicken tenders, fries,” you said casually as you looked over at her to see her have a strange look on her face, “Err…what’s wrong? Do you not like those things?” “I guess you can say that I’m a vegetarian,” she said with a shrug as if she felt like an alien saying it. “Oh, well they have things like salads, too,” you said trying to make it not seem like a big deal as you continued walking, “In fact being a vegetarian isn’t so rare here.” “Oh, well that’s good,” Twilight said, “I’d love to check it out sometime.” “Well, how about after we talk with Trixie we can stop by here. What do you say?” “Sounds like it’s a date,” Twilight said with a smile until she suddenly realized the implications of her words. “Great, I’m sure you’d like it…wait, did you say date?” “Err…no, I mean yes,” she said starting to get flustered. Finally she stopped and took a deep breath saying, “Yes, I said date, but I didn’t mean it, you know, like we are going out. It was a figure of speech. Sometimes my mouth just moves faster than my brain.” “It’s alright,” you said while deep down you felt a bit disappointed despite knowing little about Twilight, “I know what you meant. It was just… surprising.” “Ok, I’m glad you’re not upset. I know things must be awkward for you having a total stranger in your apartment.” “Nah, it’s not that bad. In fact I think I’m getting used to it. Anyway, we’re here.” The two of you stopped at what first looked like an ordinary storefront consisting of two large windows with a door in between. At first glance the only way to tell that it was a magic shop was the sign above the door that read Spellbound in white letters on a purple background. Upon closer look there were displays in the window showcasing everything from crystals and books to a Tarot card deck that was spread out like a fan. There was also a sign on a small easel that read: Psychic Readings and below that in a smaller but still noticeable text No Appointments Necessary. “So this is Trixie’s shop?” Twilight said peering into the windows, “It looks kind of small.” “Yeah, Trixie’s been trying to find a bigger place for her shop, but she hasn’t been doing well.” “Why not?” “Well, as I said, very few people believe in magic here, so when you own a store that sells magical supplies, you aren’t doing so well.” “It’s so sad that magic isn’t accepted here. Where I come from there are lots of things for magic purposes like stores.” “That sounds nice,” you said thinking of a world full of magic, “Maybe one day once I get you home I can come visit and you can show me around.” “Maybe,” she said although it was clear from her face that she had doubts of this idea. You wondered why she seemed so against the idea. From what you heard the place she came from was nice. But what if it wasn’t so nice? What if she was afraid to be away from it and needed to get home as soon as possible because she was trying to fight against some malevolent force? There was one thing that you were certain of. Maybe the world she came from wasn’t nice, but Twilight was. Perhaps her reluctance was to protect you from potentially losing your way traveling through the portal and getting stuck just as she was now. There was another thing that came to mind as you followed her into the store. You knew that Twilight wasn’t from Earth or at least this Earth, which made her an alien in your mind. Right now she looked very human other than the oddly colored hair and eyes. There was something about her, a sense of awkwardness that went beyond mere personality. It was as if she was uncomfortable in her own skin and didn’t know how your world worked. What if upon returning home she became something entirely different than what she was? Would you still find her interesting, someone to want to know more about? If she didn’t want you to visit her in her world, her true form could be another reason. You pushed these thoughts away momentarily as you stepped into the shop. The space was small, about the same size as your living room in your apartment. There was a hodgepodge of tables and shelves circling the edge of the store, many of them appearing to be formerly furniture from houses and purchased from thrift stores or yard sales. Two large tables that once belonged to a dining room set sat in the middle of the room, adding more to the eclectic nature of the shop. Opposite the door was what looked like an old display counter, perhaps left behind when the former owners closed and three doors, one on each side of the counter and one behind it. Every imaginable space in the shop was filled with items ranging from incense sticks to crystals to books. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the shop except in the mind of the owner. “Interesting place, huh?” you said to Twilight as she stood silent while trying to take in the sheer amount of occult things. “This is incredible! Your friend has an amazing assortment of things here. But, I don’t see Trixie here.” “Oh, I think she’s here somewhere. She wouldn’t keep the door unlocked if she was gone.” No sooner had you said this, a loud booming voice could be heard on the other side of the wall behind the counter saying. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Spellbound! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, master of the magical arts!” Suddenly, a figure appeared from behind the door striking a pose with her arms raised and eyes closed. She had long white hair and like Twilight had purple eyes. She was dressed in a purple cape covered in blue and yellow stars with a large pointed hat that complimented her look. Twilight looked at her then at you as if unsure what to say or do next. You also noticed that your companion wore a smile on her face as if to say that the Trixie on your world was exactly the same personality wise to the one in her realm. “Uh… Trixie? It’s me. No need for the theatrics.” “Oh,” she said as her eyes opened and her posed relaxed into a slump as she removed her hat and set it on the counter, “I thought you were a new customer that I could wow.” “How did you know someone was here?” Twilight said. “The Great and Powerful Trixie knows when someone enters and leaves her realm! Also there’s a security camera pointed right at the door. And who might you be?” “Oh this is…” you began before Twilight stepped forward. “Hello Trixie. I’m Twilight Sparkle.” “Twilight Sparkle? What a very New Age name! Wait, you’re not one of those Magical School fans who come in here thinking that you can conjure a dragon with a flick of a wand, are you?” “No Trixie,” you said seeing that Twilight had now clue what she was talking about, “That is her real name, and she practices real magic.” “Oh, well then welcome to my shop,” she said before noticing something else about Twilight and raising her eyebrow, “and what are you wearing?” You thought about what to say before Twilight suddenly spoke up and candidly replied, “Those are his. My clothes got soaked in the rain and I he gave them to me when I stayed over at his apartment.” “Oh he did, did he?” she said with a smirk before turning to you and said, “Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise? I thought you were hopelessly single, but I was fooled. How long has it been?” “How long?” Twilight said. “Oh come now, don’t be coy you two! Twilight staying over at your house and wearing your clothes in the morning? Sounds like things are getting very magical in the bedroom if you ask me.” “Trixie, it’s not like that,” you said seeing Twilight’s face turn red with embarrassment, “She needed a place to stay for the night.” “One night, huh? You sly fox you! I’m impressed you were able to land quite a catch on one night.” “Trixie,” Twilight said raising her voice which stopped both you and the shop owner from speaking, “He’s telling the truth. I’m…not from here and I got caught in the storm. He offered to help me by letting me stay. That’s it. There’s no bedroom magic or even romance between us, right?” She turned towards you as if to confirm it. You knew what you wanted to say, but somehow you paused. Was this feeling towards her simply a budding friendship or the start of something else. You could see both Twilight and Trixie waiting for your confirmation so you said, “Yeah, right, nothing going on. We’re just friends, right Twilight?” “Yeah…friends,” she said as her voice even sounded a little unsure. You wondered if she even saw you as a friend or as just an acquaintance. In that instant all possibilities of getting to know her and let your relationship with her develop suddenly was but into doubt. You looked towards Trixie who seemed to have a doubtful gaze as she stared back at you two. It seemed that even she questioned what the two of you said. But soon her expression relaxed as she knew when not to delve further. “Fine,” she said with a shrug, “So, what brings you to my shop, Twilight? Have a magical area you want to build on, or maybe try something new? I recently got in a full octave collection of Tibetan singing bowls for meditation and rituals.” “Um…” she said, “I would definitely want to check out your shop afterwards, but I need your help and I was told that you could be the one to help me.” “Interesting,” Trixie said walking out from around the counter, “You need my help, other than of course maybe a lesson in fashion. Were you looking for some kind of reading? I’m skilled in palmistry, psychic readings, and of course Tarot cards. I can tell you your fate, health, or maybe even love.” “Trixie,” you said noticing Twilight getting a little uncomfortable with mentioning love especially the way she said it as if to question what she said. “Fine,” the white haired girl said with a huff, “If you’re not looking for something in particular from the store or for a reading, then what are you looking for from me?” “Well, this is hard to explain,” you said, “but you have to trust me that this is not a joke.” “I’m listening,” Trixie said, but before you could say anything else you heard another female voice come beyond the wall behind the cash register. “Trixie, Is that you?” the voice said, “Do we have customers?” “Yeah, we do,” Trixie said before mentioning your name and Twilight. You could tell that Twilight had a very strange expression on her face when that new voice was heard. “Twilight, what’s wrong?” “That voice, it sounds familiar. Almost sounds like…” she started but before she could finish her thought the three of you heard footsteps from behind the wall. Suddenly another figure appeared in the door frame, one that took Twilight by surprise. She was about the same size as Twilight and Trixie with purple hair that sported a green streak down the one side done up in a ponytail. Unlike Twilight or Trixie, however, this girl’s eyes were more a more normal dull blueish color. “Hello again,” she said to you before drawing her attention to Twilight, “Oh, a newcomer. Nice to meet you. What’s your name?” “Err… I’m Twilight Sparkle.” “Nice name,” she said before looking at what she was wearing, “and…nice wardrobe?” “Aren’t you going to say hello to me?” Trixie said. “Well of course I will honey,” the purple haired girl said embracing Trixie and giving her a kiss that was clearly not one simply between friends, “You know I’d never ignore my love.” “Who is that?’ Twilight said asking you. “Oh, sorry about that,” the new girl said, “I’m Starlight Glimmer, and I co-own the store.” “And she’s my girlfriend,” Trixie added. > Chapter 10 - Of Portals and Power > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 10 - Of Portals and Power “So, you’re telling me that you two are together?” Twilight said still stunned by the revelation between Trixie and Starlight Slimmer. “Well, yes, we are,” Starlight said, “You seem surprised by this after meeting us for the first time?” “Wait, she isn’t one of those homophobic people, is she?” Trixie said aiming her question both at you and Twilight. “No, she isn’t,” you said although why Twilight was acting funny about it perplexed even you. “It’s fine that you are together, as I know a few couples like this,” Twilight said, “It’s just you two remind me so much of two… people I know that are very similar to you. Seeing you together kind of answers a few questions about the two I know.” Trixie and Starlight merely shrugged at Twilight’s reply before Trixie returned to the matter at hand saying to you, “So, you and Twilight aren’t here necessarily to shop or get a reading but you said that it’s something important. What are you looking for?” “Well, it’s kind of hard to explain,” Twilight said looking nervous as she tried looking around at anything else besides the two store owners. She could see Starlight was confused having just joined the conversation but Trixie was getting perturbed. “Let me try to explain,” you said before turning to the owners, “Trixie, Starlight, what do you know about portals?” “Portals?” Starlight said, “You know, if you wanted to talk about some video game or scifi stuff, you could have just called me.” “No, not the game or something from another book, I’m talking magical portals.” “Oh, well why didn’t you say so?” Trixie said, “As you know, when one creates a magical circle, you are essentially connecting a portal to another plane of existence such as attempting to contact a deity or with a loved one who passed from this world.” “Yes, but what about to another world?” Twilight said sounding frustrated that they were getting nowhere. “Excuse me?” Starlight said. “You know, like a portal to another world, well, not another world but…” “Another universe, similar to that of our world but different,” Starlight said now seeming engaged in the conversation, “Theoretically, it is possible for there to be many versions of this reality, although none have been able to prove or disprove this.” “Err…and say you wanted to explore one of these worlds,” you said, “could you create a portal to this world with magic?” “I think you’re grasping at too many theories here,” Trixie said rolling her eyes, “Even if there were other worlds, how could we possibly know without connecting to them with a portal? Besides that, how would we know which one to connect to? And before we go back to the beginning with this conversation, do you realize how much magical energy it would take just to see if another world existed? You already have to put the brunt of your energy into casting circles to connect with deities or the dead. Imagine the amount of energy needed to open one up! So no, there is no way one can open a portal. Now that we got that silly question out of the way, why not talk about something else that isn’t wasting my time?” You looked over to see Twilight’s face go from hopeful to sad in a matter of seconds. Soon she couldn’t hold back her feelings any longer as tears started to flow her eyes. She made no attempt to hide it from you or from Starlight Glimmer or Trixie as they stared amazed at her outburst. Without giving it a second thought you walked over to Twilight and embraced her. Her body shuddered for a moment in your embrace, but soon you felt her relax. “What?” you heard Trixie say, although you weren’t sure if this was directed towards you and Twilight or Starlight. “Nice going honey,” Starlight with her words laced with venom. “Hey, I didn’t know that this was something really personal for her, ok? I mean portals? Other worlds?” “You better apologize to her.” “You have to be kidding me? I only told the truth.” “Apologize to Twilight, or you can sleep on the couch until you do.” “Fine,” Trixie said with a huff knowing the implications of being stubborn. You heard footsteps approaching and knew it was the store owner, but you still felt like you should hold Twilight as she was still crying hysterically. “Uh… Twilight?” Trixie said unsure how to approach the crying girl. “Look, I didn’t mean to get you upset, although I still don’t know why.” You could hear Starlight clear her throat as if to tell Trixie that what she was saying wasn’t helping. Then Trixie continued saying, “All I want to say is I’m sorry. Maybe there is something that I can do to help with something else. I can give you a Reiki massage, or we can talk about what you know about magic.” “I don’t want a massage,” you heard Twilight say through her sobs, her voice growing from a whimper to one of anger, “I want to go home!” At the moment she said that, you felt a surge of magic that in your short time meeting the mysterious girl had never felt before. It was like that of a growing ball of power that collided with your energies and grew outward. Suddenly the lights in the magic shop began to flicker like they were candles in the wind as the floor began to vibrate. “S…Starlight, what’s happening?” Trixie said as her voice became shaky. “I..I don’t know,” Starlight said, “Ground, shield, and brace yourself!” Suddenly the ball of magic exploded outward, surging throughout the store and knocking you loose of Twilight. As you fell to the floor, you heard all sorts of items falling to the floor like stones and books. You then heard some items shatter as it impacting the floor, presumably on the bottles of oils or some scrying mirrors. You looked up to see Twilight suddenly lifting off the ground a few inches into the air, her eyes glowing white with power. Although you were unsure what you were seeing, you could swear that the energy around her was forming into some odd shapes, namely a pair of feathered wings on her back and a spiral horn emerging from her forehead. “What’s going on?” you heard Starlight shout. “Make it stop!” Trixie exclaimed. You were about to say something to Twilight to break her from her power overload when suddenly the energy dissipated. Her eyes returned to normal and the ethereal appendages vanished. You ran to her side just as she collapsed. For a moment you struggled with the sudden weight that dropped into your arms, but you managed to cradle her and set her down on the floor safely. You knew that there was nothing you could do to wake her from her unconscious sleep, so you left her to hopefully recover and wake up soon. You then turned your attention towards Starlight and Trixie who stood in utter silence at what took place, holding each other for safety and out of fear while crouched on the floor. Around them dozens of stones, books, and other items littered the floor like someone ransacked the store. It wasn’t the damage done to the store, but how Twilight was able to display so much power towards them. What even shocked you was the way the energy formed those wings and horn. Was this merely your eyes playing tricks on you? Was this a glimpse into what she looked like as her true form, some angelic or maybe demonic force now appearing as a girl your age? You had no answer to these questions as you faced your friends. “W…what happened?” Trixie was the first to speak, “My shop, how was she able to do this to my shop?” “Forget the shop,” Starlight replied, “How was she able to produce that much energy? Who is she really? What is she?” “There’s something I haven’t told you, something about her that I didn’t think you’d believe me but you might now. Promise me you won’t freak out, ok?” “Ok,” the two shop owners said reluctantly as they stood up. “Well, I met Twilight last night during the storm,” you said as you began to recount the strange tale of meeting her while Twilight slept on the floor of the store. > Chapter 11- Recovery > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 11 – Recovery “So let me get this straight,” Trixie said analyzing every word you said like some news journalist, “Your girlfriend…” “Acquaintance,” you corrected knowing that your friend would not buy the lie. With Twilight pouring her heart out to you and her magic bonding with yours there was no denying that you couldn’t leave it at simply acquaintances. Perhaps hoping to have Twilight as a girlfriend was aiming too high, especially with her desire to return home more urgent, but you hoped you could at least be friends with her. “Right, acquaintance,” Trixie said as if swallowing the worst tasting drink imaginable while rolling her eyes, “Anyway, you’re saying that Twilight is actually from another world who was stranded here because the cosmic energy threw her off course?” “Uh… yeah, that’s what she told me.” “And because of this she had to stay at your apartment overnight and might have to stay there longer until either this portal opens up on its own or there is a way that it can be forced open?” Starlight added. “Right, she’s weak with her magic here and can’t open it up herself.” “Well she certainly did a number on this shop,” Trixie said as she waved her hand across the interior of the shop and all the items on the floor before stopping and pointing at the sleeping girl on the floor. “Come on Trixie, she didn’t damage too much, just a few bottles,” Starlight said. “It’s the principle of the matter. You know I hate cleaning up any unnecessary mess.” “Yeah I do, especially when it’s you turn to clean the bathroom!” “Alright you two, back to Twilight. What do you think about what she said?” you said waving your hands to snap them out of a lover’s quarrel. “Well, if someone told me that they were from another world, I’d think they’d be kind of cray,” Trixie said with a shrug. “Says the girl who owns an occult shop,” Starlight Glimmer said, “but I guess we’re all a little cray believing in magic. So we know what she said, but how did she sound when she said it to you?” “She sounded sincere and scared,” you said, “She was definitely missing her friends, too. There was something else. She mentioned something about her land would be in danger if she wasn’t there. She might have been overreacting, but I don’t know.” “Her world in danger?” Starlight said, “It sounds like she’s someone important.” “What like a Queen or Princess?’ Trixie said. “Princess Twilight Sparkle does sound like a royal name to me,” Starlight said. “I don’t know if she’s a Princess or anything like that,” you said, “All I know is there’s something important about her and she needs help.” “If she’s that powerful in a weakened state,” Starlight pointed out, “How can even our magic be used to open a portal?” “Maybe her magic can amplify our magic?’ you said with a shrug at a loss of how her magic worked. It was then that you heard a groan and the three of you turned in unison to see Twilight on the floor stirring. “Ugh,” she said as her eyes opened up slowly, “What happened?” “You don’t remember?” Trixie said. “No, all I remember was saying how I wanted to go home then everything blacked out.” “Have you had this happen before to you, this blacking out?” Starlight said. “Only when I was little when my magic went haywire… oh my gosh! Did my magic go haywire now? Was anyone hurt?” “Other than a few things falling to the floor, we’re ok,” you said, “How are you?” “I have a really bad headache and I feel really weak like I just ran several miles.” “I’ll get you some medicine,” Starlight said as she retreated to the backroom. “Let me get a chair, too,” Trixie said as she followed Starlight. “Twilight, do you think you can stand?” you asked. “I’ll try,” she said a you held out your hand to help her up. She took hold and slowly shifted her body to a kneeling position before attempting to stand. For a moment while she was on her feet you thought that all was well. Before she could take another step, however, her legs gave out as she suddenly tumbled to the floor. You quickly grabbed her around her midsection to halt her falling forward, allowing her to slowly sink back to a kneeling position. “Guess I’m more drained than I thought,” Twilight said rubbing her head, “Sorry for all the damage I caused.” “Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure Trixie and Starlight aren’t mad.” “No, I don’t mean that. I mean what I said, you know, how we weren’t ever going to be friends. I saw your expression when I said that, how it hurt you. I know you care about me as much as my friends back home, maybe more. You opened your home to me, made me feel safe, and you forgave my magic surges. I don’t think I can ever thank you enough, except to say that yes, I’m glad to be your friend.” “And I’m glad to be yours as well,” you said sitting down near her and taking her hand, “I knew Trixie upset you back there. She sometimes can be a little blunt. But can you promise me something?” “Sure,” she said. “When you do go home, please don’t forget about me. You are something amazing in my otherwise boring life, and I don’t want it all to be for naught.” “Of course I won’t forget you,” she said, “and once I figure out how to get back I’ll come see you. But for now let’s enjoy us together here and now, ok?” “Got it,” you said as Trixie and Starlight returned. “Here’s the chair,” Trixie said setting it in the middle of the store, “not the most comfortable thing, but it’s better than the floor I hope. You two do look very comfortable down there, though.” “Err… thanks,” Twilight said knowing what the shop owner was implying and with your assistance got up off the floor and into the chair. “Here, take these,” starlight said handing her two white capsules and a glass of water, “they’ll hopefully get rid of the headache after about a half hour.” “Thanks,” Twilight said as she took the medicine, “Sorry about the damage.” “Don’t worry,” Trixie said, “It comes with the territory I guess. Remember when we tried fire scrying at night Starlight?” “You mean when we used too much rubbing alcohol and sent a six foot flame in the air and caused the sprinklers to turn on? Don’t remind me.” “You said you never had surges like this since you were a kid,” you asked, “but you also told me that you were in another world that had little magic like here.” “Well, yeah, there was another world, but I never had surges like here. It was just that I had magic but needed to find out how to unlock it. My friends in this other world were the key.” “Wait, a third world,” Trixie said, “as in not this one or yours?” “Yeah,” Twilight said, “Anyway, here my magic is like a lake dammed up and the only way to release it is through a drinking straw!” “Hmm… magical blockage,” Starlight said while resting a hand on her chin, “Sounds like you have inconsistencies with your flow of magic, and when it is released it is very unpredictable. Yet from what you said, you have no trouble with that in your dimension.” “Well, what do you do when there is a magical blockage?” Twilight said as she felt the strength to sit up. “Sometimes, it’s caused by a blockage in one’s chakra system,” Trixie said, “There are seven of them in the body, and if any are blocked it can cause issue to a certain type of magic. You, however, seem to not have an imbalance in one area but in all of them as Starlight said. So, how about this: if you help me clean up this store when you feel up to it, I’ll try to do a full body Reiki massage to try and align and open up your chakras. It won’t hurt and isn’t invasive. In fact most people feel very relaxed or even fall asleep after this treatment. Does that sound like a deal?” You looked over at Twilight as she sat pondering the next move and whether to accept Trixie’s plan until she looked up and said, “I’ll do it.” “Great!” Starlight said, “I think this will help you with your magic and maybe even help you to open the portal home. Now, I’ll get the broom and the dustpan to clean up the glass with Trixie while you two pick up any of the stones and other items off the floor.” > Chapter 12- Therapy > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 12 – Therapy The four of you cleaned up the store in no time, sweeping up everything that was broken and putting back what fell off the tables. You could tell that Twilight was still a little upset that she caused such chaos, but the more things got back together the more her mood lightened up. It was clear that she was looking forward to Trixie’s Reiki treatment as a means to hopefully unlock her powers. This gave her a renewed sense of hope that she could return home. While you were happy to see her one step closer to her goal, you couldn’t help but feel sad that just as soon as you got to know her she was going to be leaving you with little more than a promise for her to return. “Alright, now that everything is cleaned up, are you ready Twilight?” Trixie said making some final adjustments of the items on the tables. “I think so,” Twilight said a little nervous. It wasn’t the fact that she was scared about the upcoming treatment but the possibility of her losing control of her magic again. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” you said to her as you put a hand on her shoulder. “Oh, are you not coming to this Reiki massage thing?” she said a little shocked, “It’s not a girls’ only thing, is it?” “No, it’s not,” Trixie said with a giggle, “I performed this on guys, too. He can stay if he wants.” “If you want me there, Twilight,” you said leaving the decision up to her. “Please, I’d feel better if you were there,” she said giving you a smile, “After all, you’ve been there for me all this time.” “Alright then,” you said giving her a salute, “Lead the way, Princess.” “Excuse me?” she said giving you a shocked look like you just revealed a big secret of her. “Err…it’s just a joke.” “Oh, right, a joke!” “Alright you two,” Starlight said, “Let’s get this started. Just follow us.” The four of you made your way through the door off to the side and into a small open room. There was little furniture in the room save for a metal card table with folding chairs surrounding it. The table was decorated with a blue cloth adorned with moons and stars and had an unlit candle and a few crystals. Off to the side in the room, there was a padded table that looked like a hospital gurney. “Let me just collapse this table and chairs before I wheel that table over,” Trixie said as she began to carefully remove the items off the table before collapsing the table. Starlight and Twilight helped fold and move the chairs. Soon the table was rolled into position and ready for the treatment. “Alright Twilight, I think we’re ready,” Starlight said, “Just hop up on the table and lay down on it. See that thing attached to the table that looks like a big puffy ring? That’s where you put your face into and helps cradle it while we do the massage.” Twilight nodded and hopped up onto the table before lying down on it and putting her face into the cradle. As she lay there, you couldn’t help but feel strange looking at her that way in such a calm way. “Ok,” Trixie said, “Now you’re going to feel my hands on your back. You might feel a warming or tingling sensation, but there shouldn’t be any pain. If there is, let me know and I’ll lessen the massage. I’ll try to explain everything as I go through it. Are you ready to begin?” “I’m ready,” Twilight said as her voice was muffled in the face pillow. “Let’s begin,” Trixie said as she began running her hand slowly down Twilight’s back saying, ‘I’m first going to scan the chakras you have to see if there are any holes in your aura field. Once I find them I will focus on these areas as well and the rest of your body.” With that you watched as Trixie let her hands hover barely an inch away from Twilight’s body and proceeded to move it from the back of her head to her hips. Occasionally Trixie would pause as she focused on an area before moving on to the next section. “Hmm… most of your chakras are ok,” Trixie said like a doctor after performing and examination, “Your third eye and heart chakras are especially open which means that you should perform magic very well. It does, however look like your root chakra and solar plexus chakras could use an opening as well as the others balanced which I will do now.” She then proceeded to massage Twilight’s back by moving her hands in concentric circles. Twilight didn’t seem to mind as she lay there without comment. It was strange for you seeing this massage treatment. You’ve seen it done before many times in the shop and have had your share of Reiki attunements. There was nothing new to this routine, except for of course Twilight.  Deep in your mind, you somehow wished that it was you standing her and giving her a massage if nothing more than to comfort her. Perhaps it was also a way to tell her how you felt about her when words failed to do justice. You dared not interrupt Trixie’s work, not when she was trying to help Twilight correct her magical surges. “How do you feel Twilight?” Trixie asked her charge, “Anything sore or numb?” “I actually feel very relaxed,” the voice from the donut shaped pillow responded. “You did feel a little stressed to me, but that I can understand after what was told to me. Although you may not feel it right now, your chakras should be aligned right. While this won’t dramatically boost your magic, it will, however, allow you to control your magic better and thus make it more powerful.” “That’s sounds good,” Twilight said, “I could use the focus now.” “There is something I wanted to ask you, and I hope you don’t mind,” Starlight said, “When you magic was going haywire we all saw … wings and a horn.” Twilight looked up from her pillow with a concerned face as if she knew about it. Casually, she tried to deny knowing it by saying, “What? Wings and a horn? Uh…what did they look like? They weren’t real, were they?” “Not real, but ethereal,” Starlight said, “Sometimes energy emitted from a person can form into a shape. Usually this is depended upon one’s spirit animal and manifests when doing intense work with them. Most of the time only the person with such ethereal appendages can feel them, but this time we all could see them. As for what they looked like, the horn was long and spiraled like a unicorn’s while the wings were feathery and large.” “Oh, those,” Twilight said as if relieved while she tried concocting a response, “Yeah, I’ve had something like them when doing some magic. Not all the time, but when I’m using lots of magic.” “What’s the wings and horn from?” Trixie said. “Well, I have two guides,” Twilight said, “One is a unicorn and the other is a Pegasus.” “That’s neat!” Trixie said, “Mine’s only a crow, and he can be hard to work with.” “Anyway,” Starlight said, “Now that the Reiki treatment is done, can you try sitting up? Just do it slowly as your muscles are still relaxed.” Twilight nodded and slowly rolled over from her lying down position while sitting up. “Still feel ok?” you asked her. “I feel great actually. It’s my energy is back … like I’m feeling…” “Unstuffed?” Trixie said with a smile as she brought over a crystal that was once on her reading table, “Yeah, that’s the best way to describe it. That’s what Reiki does, unclogging your magical system. So, let’s try something out here. Can you try taking this crystal from my hands?” “Are you sure that is smart after what happened?” Twilight asked. You could see that Starlight was a little nervous letting Trixie do this, putting the love of her life in harm’s way. “You can do it, Twilight,” you said trying to hide your doubts, “I have faith in you.” “Alright, here it goes,” Twilight said taking a deep breath and concentrating on the crystal resting in Trixie’s hands. Soon Twilight’s purple eyes began to give off a soft glow like a lamp as the quartz began to vibrate in Trixie’s hands. But then, just as it looked like the crystal was about to levitate, you suddenly watched as Trixie began to lift off the ground! “Hey! Lift the crystal, not me!” Trixie said surprised as she flailed her legs as she hovered a foot in the air. “Oops, sorry,” Twilight said amazed that she had such control over her magic. She slowly put Trixie down before taking the crystal with her magic and bringing it to rest in her hands. “I did it!” Twilight said excited, “I lifted the crystal.” “You also lifted me,” Trixie said, “I think I can say your magic issues are cured.” “Oh thank you!” Twilight said as she hopped from the bed and hugged Trixie, “Now I might be able to get home.” “You’re welcome,” Trixie said, “As for getting home, let’s not jump to that yet. It takes time for your magic to get back to its full power. Starlight and I will help you get home, but we have to do a little research first. It might take a few days, but we’ll let you know when it’s ready.” “A few days?” Twilight said a little discouraged before trying to look on the bright side saying, “Well, it’s better than thirty moons.” “Right,” you said a little discouraged that she didn’t want to stay, “Better than that. Still, we can always hang out while you’re here, right?” “Of course!” Twilight said, “I’d love for you to show me around.” “Well, how about I start with one of my favorite things to do,” Trixie said, “Clothes shopping.” “Shopping?’ Twilight said surprised that Trixie would recommend it. “Yeah. You don’t think I go around dressed in this robe and hat all the time, do you. Besides, I don’t think you want to spend however long you’re here wearing that,” she said before looking at you and saying, “No offense.” “None taken,” you said, “It was the best I could do.” “How about I stay here,” you said, “I don’t think that I’d do well with advice on women’s clothes.” “Ok, I can see that not being your area,” Twilight said. “I want to stay here,” Starlight said, “There’s something I want to talk to him about.” “Really,” you said not sure why Starlight wanted to stay behind, “Oh, ok.” “Then it’s settled. I’ll take Twilight shopping and will be back in an hour or so. See you later!” “Bye you two,” Twilight said before following Trixie out the door, leaving you two behind. > Chapter 13 - Confession > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 13 You stared at the doorway for what felt like an eternity as if waiting for something. You couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing, as if something precious to you was lost. You knew who it was that you were missing, and yet you couldn’t understand why. After all, Twilight was only going with Trixie out shopping, so there was little to no danger in that. Still, when Twilight was there your world felt complete. When she was gone, you were back to the way things were with you being just with your friends. It wasn’t bad, but it certainly wasn’t the kind of reality you wanted to revisit. “Missing something?” Starlight said behind you, shaking you out of your thoughts. “Or maybe you’re missing someone.” “Huh? What do you mean?” “Come on,” Starlight said resting her hands on her shoulders and giving you a look like you were guilty. “We’ve known each other for how long?” “Well, I met you not long after meeting Trixie, so I guess it’s now over five years?” “Exactly, so don’t you think that when you’re trying to hide something I’d know? Besides that, you’re horrible at lying.” “Alright then, what do you think I’m lying about?” “Oh I think you know that answer,” Starlight said seeing through your game, “You like Twilight. In fact I may be bold enough to say you love her. And before you ask me how I know this, you’re talking to someone who is able to feel the emotions of others. When you came in here, I could tell there was someone who was in love, and when I saw you with Twilight I knew who that feeling was directed towards. There are many feelings of love, and I’ve felt your love towards Trixie and I, the love of friendship. This, however, was different. What you showed to me was the same feeling I get from Trixie: pure love. But it doesn’t take an empath to figure out how in love you are with Twilight. You light up like a candle when you are around her and stare longingly at her. Then there’s what just happened now. When she left, it was like a part of your soul was missing, right? I felt the same way when first meeting Trixie and when she had to leave me. It was like I couldn’t be without her!” She paused, letting in all the words your friend said settle into your mind. The more you mulled over what she said it was like someone chipping away at a block of ice, getting closer to the center and the truth. “So, let’s hear it,” Starlight said. “Hear what?” “Again with all the cover up,” she said frustrated. “You know how Trixie and I help counsel others with their problems, right? Well, the first step to helping with a problem is admitting that you have one.” “But I don’t have a problem!” you said. “You’re right; you don’t have one per se. But the more you try to bottle up these feelings, the more you they become a problem. Believe me I know. Bottled up feelings mixed with magic doesn’t go well together.  So, come on, I want you to admit to me that you love Twilight Sparkle, right here and right now!” You knew there was no way out of this situation. Starlight was right: denying your feelings was only making things worse. It was silly though. How could you meet someone for one day and feel this way for her? After all, love at first sight was merely something from a fairytale, right? But the more you tried to deny it, the more you realized that it was the truth. “Fine,” you said as you gathered your courage, “I like Twilight.” “Like, huh?” Starlight said with a giggle, ‘I think it’s a little more than that!” “Ok, I love her! She’s beautiful, smart, and funny. She made my life magical since I met her, and I feel lost when she’s gone. Happy now?” “I’m happy you admitted the truth, but the question is: do you feel better now that you told me the truth?” “Actually,” you started but then upon examining your thoughts said, “yes, I do feel better. I feel lighter and freer.” “See? I told you so,” Starlight said with a smile. “But… why, how can I just love her when I just met her?” “Love can’t be explained,” your friend said with a shrug. “I can’t say how I fell in love with Trixie. It just did. One minute we met and became friends and the next minute we found we were in love. But really, why try to explain it? You’re in love, that’s all that matters. But you’re not done yet.” “I’m not?” you said. “No. You think admitting to yourself or me that you’re in love with Twilight and that’s it? That was the easy part. Then next thing is deciding what to do with this. How do you show your love to Twilight?” “Well, how do I?” “That’s the hard thing about it, isn’t it? All I’d say is to be yourself and don’t pour out your feelings to her right away. She might get scared if you do that. Just get to know her and one day you two will eventually fall in love. But I have some good news about this.” “Really? What’s that?” “Isn’t it obvious, the way she looks at you and is interesting in everything you say? She likes you, too!” “Sh…she does, even after she said she doesn’t?” “Blame Trixie for that. I think that Twilight was just caught off guard.” It was then you heard Twilight and Trixie’s voices outside the shop, approaching closer with each step. “So, what are you going to do next?” Starlight said, “Better make it fast because here she comes.” > Chapter 14- Descision > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 14- Decision No sooner had you finished your conversation with Starlight Glimmer, in walked Trixie, back from the shopping trip. You wondered where Twilight was, as you were certain that you heard her voice. After all, the whole arrangement was to get Twilight new clothes. “Presenting, the new Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie said ever the one for the dramatics. You were about to say something towards her, but what happened next made you go silent. Twilight walked in, only instead of wearing the clothes you gave her she was dressed in a tank top and a pair of shorts that showed off all her assets while not giving away all her secrets. She now looked like any girl you would see walking in you town, but to you Twilight wasn’t just any girl. What may have looked mediocre on a regular girl looked amazing on her, like she left the shop as one person only to return as someone different. “So… how do I look?” Twilight said in her awkward tone. “I think she looks great,” Starlight says before turning towards you in a not so subtle cue and saying, “What do you think?” “You look amazing, Twilight,” you said, “Well, you always looked nice, but now…” “Ok I think she gets it,” Trixie said trying to stop you from making a fool of yourself. “Thank you,” Twilight said blushing a little at your compliment, “and thank you Trixie for taking me.” “No problem. Us girls need to look good, right?” she said while turning to you and replying, “No offence to you. I knew you had to give your clothes up to help her. Speaking of clothes, I put them in this bag for you.” “No offense taken,” you said receiving the bag from Trixie, reminding yourself to refrain from washing these clothes or using them again lest you forget Twilight’s presence in your life. “There is one thing about this,” Twilight said looking down at her shirt and tugging it up slightly, “I think this shirt is a little too small.” “Too small? It looks great on you,” Trixie said. “It’s just it looks like I’m… hanging out of this shirt. If I jump or run too fast, everything might come out.” You tried not to pay attention to what Twilight said, but you couldn’t help but let your eyes wander towards her chest. Your mind started to picture her running towards you in slow motion. “That’s kind of the point.  If you got it, flaunt it.”” Trixie said interrupting your thoughts before seeing you, “Besides, I don’t see him objecting to it.” “While we come up with a way to get you home, you might as well enjoy this place,” Starlight said before turning towards you, “Maybe he could show you around.” “Yeah, sure,” you said remember the talk you had with Twilight, “In fact, since it’s around lunchtime, do you want to go with me to that restaurant I showed you when we were getting here?” “That sounds like a great idea,” Twilight said, “With everything that happened today, I could use something to eat. Ok, it’s a date.” “A date?” you said surprised at how easy it was to get Twilight to go on a date with you. “No, I mean that it sounds nice, not like a real date. Unless…Does taking people to restaurants count as a date in this world?” “It can,” Trixie said giving you a sly grin while winking at you. “Oh, well I guess that makes it a date then,” Twilight said, “That makes sense since my friends and I do have lunch dates and spa dates. Thank you Trixie and Starlight for all your help so far.” “No problem,” Trixie said, “Today was interesting… in a good way.” “So, are you ready to go, Twilight?” “Alright, let’s go,” she said following you towards the door. You were about to make your exit when she stopped and looked at a bookshelf filled with every manner of magical subject. Her eyes wandered for a bit until they settled on a particular title: Magical Mythological Creatures. “Do you want that book, Twilight?” you said. “It does look interesting,” she said thumbing through the pages. “Then I’ll buy it for you,” you said and gave Starlight the money. She gave you an approving grin at buying Twilight a present before the two of you bid farewell to the shop owners and made your way back out to the street. You happened to turn around to see both Trixie and Starlight standing side by side with a grin on their faces. You knew it was towards you making that all important step towards strengthening your relationship with Twilight. > Chapter 15- Love and Doubt > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 15 - Love and Doubt You and Twilight made it to the restaurant after your adventure in the magic shop. All the while you began to ask her what her interests were. It was clear through the seemingly hour long conversation at the restaurant that she was very much a bookworm, which was no wonder considering her interest at the shop. The library nearby, therefore, was definitely where you had to take her next. Even though you learned much about her love of reading and magic in your travels, you still knew little about her. “Twilight,” you said as you sat and watched her pour over books like someone studying for a test, “Can I ask you a question?” “Sure,” she replied turning the book she was reading upside down so as not to lose her spot. “We’ve been together for about a day now, but I feel that if we’re going to be together for I don’t know how long, I want to get to know you more.” “That makes sense,” she said, “It’s not that I’ve been avoiding this, just that I’m kind of an open book. But whatever question you have, I’m all ears.” “Ok, first, when you’re…home, what do you look like?” “You mean back in my world?” she asked before mulling the question, “I sort of look like this.” “Sort of?” you said, “What do you mean by sort of?” “Err…well…I’m purple,” she said with a shrug, “but my hair and eyes look similar.” “Purple huh? That’s interesting. Well, you have no problem with me as I like the color purple.” “You do? Well, whereas yours is a choice, I was kind of born like that.” “So you mean not everyone there is purple?” “Oh no. We’re a whole rainbow of colors! My one friend is blue, another is pink, and another is white for example.” “So if I visited there, what color do you think I’d be?” “Hm….” she said staring at you for a moment, “Hard to say. Then again, I didn’t know I’d look this way coming to your world.” “Well, I think you look just fine,” you said trying not to let your eyes wander. “Aww…you’re so nice. Anyway do you have other questions about me?” “Well, besides liking magic and books, what else do you like?” “I like going outdoors and exploring, visiting my friends and relatives, traveling to new places, going to parties. How about you?” “I try to do those things, but my job kind of prevents me from just getting up and doing what I like.” “That’s a shame,” she said, “Where I come from there are jobs of course, but we’re free to do other things of course.” “Ok, one other question,” you said feeling emboldened by the way the conversation was going, “Do you have a significant other?” Twilight stared at you for a moment, as if unsure what she heard. Surely she knew what you meant by significant other, even if she never had one. You didn’t feel comfortable trying to explain this to her, as where this conversation was heading was towards dangerous personal territory. But just when you anticipated a question or a curt rejection of your prying to your question, Twilight merely sighed. “No, I don’t anyone in my life like that. Oh I’ve had some crushes here and there, but they didn’t last. Why do you ask?” “Uhhh…” you said pausing for a moment to choose your words, “No reason. Just something for getting to know you.” “Is that normal for people from your world to ask others about their romantic relationships?” “Well, only for special people, I guess.” “Special people huh?” Twilight said cocking her head to the side, “What kind of special person?” “Those who you’re friends with, really friends with?” “Oh, I see,” Twilight said before wearing a curious look. “I think. So, what about you?” “What do you mean?” “You wanted to know so much about whether I have a special someone, but do you have a special someone in your life?” “Well, I guess I could say I’m like you in that department,” you said with a shrug. “I had some girlfriends in the past, but nothing really happened. I guess what I was looking for in a relationship wasn’t what I could find with them. Maybe my expectations were too high.” “Alright then, what are your expectations?” Twilight said matter-of-fact like. “What do you mean?” “I love solving problems,” Twilight said proudly, “especially puzzles. What it sounds like is you have a puzzle with your relationship. The first thing to solving this is seeing what you have to work with. So, what are you looking for? What’s your goal in this?” “Well, goal wise…I want a girlfriend?” “Um…I think that’s kind of…obvious with you talking about people having a special someone” Twilight said while somehow removing her being a choice from the whole equation. “No, what I meant by goal was what qualities you’re looking for in an ideal girlfriend?” “I guess I’m looking for someone who’s smart.” “Smart huh? Ok, that’s a good start. How smart?” “Well, smart like you actually.” “Ah, I see. Alright, what else are you looking for in your special someone?” “She has to be kind, caring and friendly, not emotionally detached,” you said as you watched Twilight making a mental checklist, “She should be dependable, not like needing to be there for me all the time, but, you know, when it mattered. And, she should have a sense of humor, but not over the top.” “Is that all?” Twilight said as if waiting for another point. “No…I think that’s it. I know that anyone is more than those qualities, but these are definitely what I’d like to see in my special someone.” “Alright, well they all seem like really good qualities to me,” she said with a smile, “Funny, they all actually apply to….” Her voice trailed off for a moment as if she was reviewing the mental list once more like a person rereading a chapter in a book for clarity. Suddenly her eyes went wide with surprise as if a light suddenly was turned on in the dark. “Apply to…” you said echoing her last statement while confused at the pause. “Never mind,” she said shaking her head, “It was just something silly I thought of.” “Silly? Well, what was it?” “Well, looking at all those qualities, it seems they match perfectly with me. But that can’t be right! I mean, the qualities are correct, but surely you’re thinking of someone else.” She looked at you for what felt like forever, as if to get some confirmation from you.  You knew what she wanted you to say, that you were just friends with her and nothing more. It would be easy for you to lie. After all, love at first sight was just something in stories, right? But as you opened your mouth to declare that you were simply friends with Twilight, you hesitated. It was only a few seconds, but to you and especially Twilight it spoke louder than anything you could say. “Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed as her eyes went wide, “You do like me as a special someone, don’t you?” “I…I think I do,” you said slightly confused. “No…now’s not the time for uncertainty. I want to know, do you like me as a friend, or something more?” “I like you, Twilight,” you said as the words poured out of your mouth, “I never felt this way before with anyone I knew. I know this is crazy. We just met and you’re from another world, but I can’t just ignore this any longer. The moment we first touch it was magic. I felt you, not just your hand but your spirit and your love. Surely you felt that too, right?”” Having nothing more to say, you waited for her to respond. Instead, she looked like a sudden wind would blow her over. “Twilight, say something. You’re starting to scare me.” “I…I felt it too when you took my hand. I…think I like you, too. Oh this makes no sense! We just met less than a day ago! How could we be like each other like this?” “I don’t know, we just do,” you said with a chuckle. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” “You can’t what?” “I can’t let this relationship continue. You’re from her, and I’m going to be going home sometime soon. If our relationship continues, if we fall in love, we’d be only breaking each other’s hearts when we have to leave. So, I’m sorry, but even though I want to like you more, I can’t. I just can’t.” The words struck you like lightning, destroying any promise of a future together. You could see Twilight on the verge of crying when she said this, not seeing a way out from this problem. You couldn’t believe that she with all her smarts would find a way out of this, that the two of you would make it work. But as you mulled the situation in your mind you knew it was a tough predicament. There was no way she could stay here on Earth, not when she longed to return home. If she stepped through that portal, there was no telling when and even if she would be able to return to this place and to you. Something did cross your mind, a flicker of inspiration but also a big sacrifice for you. Was this idea one to assure that your love would last, or was it one you would regret? The two of you returned to your apartment, no longer in the mood to see the sights of the city. You didn’t speak to Twilight, and neither was she interested in talking. It was clear the two had their minds filled with thoughts and emotions colliding with each other like magical energies. Love, sadness, confusion, and wonder; all these clouded your thoughts and hers as the sun began to set on the day. > Chapter 16- The Choice > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 16 The two of you returned to the apartment, not saying a word to each other. There really was nothing more to say after Twilight basically shut down all chances of a relationship with you, and chances were that when she did return to her world she would not ever come back. After all, when one declares their love for another, it was hard to go back to being simply friends. You could somehow feel that your time with Twilight was coming to an end, and although you longed to spend the last few moments with her you felt it was pointless. You and Twilight ate in relative silence, her only words for a while being a simple thank you. You didn’t feel much like eating, finding yourself simply just watching her and thinking about what could be. Twilight seemed also to think about the past conversation as she poked her food with a lethargic gaze. Finally after a while, she spoke to you. “I’m… sorry that I spoke to you that way,” she said with a sigh, “I do want love in my life, and I’m really flattered that you think. You’re a great guy, and I enjoy talking with you. It’s just I can’t see this going anywhere else but ending up where we both would end up heartbroken. There’s no telling once I return home if I’d ever be able to back here!” As you listened to her problem, you couldn’t help but have the same thoughts running through your mind. Surely there had to be something that could ally both yours and Twilight’s concerns. You wanted to be with her more, but time seemed to be ticking away. She also seemed interested in you, but she had her mind fixed on home. She always seemed to think about where she came from even at the very moment you first met her at your apartment door. It was like there was this vast chasm between you two. You could still see and hear each other, but the gap was wide enough that the two of you felt that you could not cross to meet each other. The more that time passed, the wider that chasm seemed. It seemed that there was no way for the two of you to truly be happy together, not unless one of you crossed the gap. You knew Twilight wouldn’t stay with you despite liking you, not when she mentioned being a Princess and afraid for the safety of her kingdom. There was only one way you could see this going, but were you willing to take that step and leave everything behind just on a feeling? Suddenly the phone rang, piercing the tension between each other. Part of you was not in the mood to talk to anyone but Twilight, but the call could be someone important. Reluctantly, you picked up the phone and brought it towards your face. “H…hello?” you said. “Hi,” a familiar voice could be heard on the line, “It’s Trixie. Listen, is Twilight there with you?” “Yeah, she’s here,” you said looking over at Twilight who at first sat slumped over at the kitchen table, but upon hearing her referenced suddenly made her sit up and take notice. “Good. Listen, Starlight and I have been going through all of our books, and we realized that opening a portal to Twilight’s world may not be as difficult as we all thought.” “Really?” you said shocked. “Think about it: what are we doing when we do a séance?” “Uh, opening a portal to the world of the dead?” “Right! Now I know that’s connecting to another layer of existence on this world, but is in the sense crossing over with other magic. So, what if we could modify a séance to connect to Twilight’s world if we all put enough energy into it? I’m sorry that it’s such short notice, but think about what today is.” “It’s May first…oh, right Beltane. The veil between worlds is thin just like Samhain.” “Right, and I just checked the Lunar calendar, and tonight there is going to be a full moon. Not just any full moon, but a blue moon, and therefore more energy. So putting these things together…” “She might be able to go home,” you said finishing Trixie’s sentence. “I…I can go home?” Twilight said shocked, “I thought I’d have to wait for thirty moons.” “Trixie and Starlight think they might have a plan to get you home tonight.” “Tonight? Oh wow. That’s amazing.” “Alright then,” you said, “Meet you two at the statue in the park by sunset?” “We’ll be there,” Trixie said before whispering, “If you have anything you want to say to her or any decision to make, you better do it soon. Time is ticking.” “Right, I will,” you said with a new sense of purpose and determination, “See you at night.” As the phone went dead, you glanced at the clock on the stove. It was six o’ clock, and soon the sun would set. It was now or never. “Twilight, do you like me?” “Uh…yes, I do.” “No, not as friend. Do you like me as a special someone?” “I do like you like that. I’ve never felt this way around another person before, not even my crushes in the past. I don’t see how this is relevant through since I’m going home in a few hours. Unless… wait, you not thinking about...” “Yes, I am,” you said. “You said it yourself, there’s no way we could even remotely get to know each other since we’re in two different worlds. Since you can’t stay here, I see only one way this could go.” “Do you even hear yourself speaking?” Twilight exclaimed. “You’re talking about this, your whole life, tossed aside like a scrap of paper, and for what?” “For friendship, and love,” you said. “No, you can’t do this! You shouldn’t do this! What if you don’t get to my world?” “It’s the same risk that you happened to you coming here,” you said with a shrug, “and it will be the same risk for both of us leaving here.” “But you’re risking all this for me? I’m not supposed to put people at risks. I’m not worthy of this attention. I…” Her words were interrupted as you approached her and gave her a kiss. As you connected with her, you could feel each other’s energies expanding and melding together. Gone were the chaotic flares of power. Now it felt like pure harmony. “Yes, you are worthy,” you said as your lips separated from hers, “I can feel this is right despite how crazy this all is. I want to be with you, Twilight Sparkle, no matter what. This apartment, these things I’ve collected, they don’t matter when it comes to you. Now, let’s get you home and me to my new home.” > Chapter 17 - The Ritual > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 17 - The Ritual You and Twilight left the apartment as the sun began to disappear for the day over the horizon. It was a surreal experience leaving the place you called home for a year for what you knew would be the last time. Your apartment was a major part of your life, a sanctuary when you needed to get away from life for a while or simply to wind down from the toils of the day. But the more you felt about it, the more you realized that your place was just a space. You were the one that mattered to make a place your home, and now you had another person who would influence your world. There was no doubt as you followed Twilight to the park that your mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. On one hand, moving to this new world and abandoning everything you knew and loved scared you half to death. In fact you felt like a person facing their own death. Of course you doubted this trip to the other world would cause your death, but it certainly would be a rebirth of your life. You wondered if this was a good idea, and yet with every thought encouraging you to the safe route and abandon this whole plan, you only had to look into her eyes to make you realize why you were doing this in the first place. It was her, it always her that guided your heart and made you feel that this was not only the right decision but that everything would work out in the end. At last you made it to the park just as the moon began to rise. There Trixie and Starlight stood patiently awaiting your arrival while looking over some old tome, most likely a spell book. There was a circle surrounding the statue, formed by several quartz crystals and four pedestals like cardinal directions on a compass, each with unlit pillar candles on them. “We were wondering when you would come,” Trixie said, “We had the circle set up a half hour ago.” “We got here as soon as we could,” you said, “Anyway, it takes longer for us to get here than you two.” “Aww don’t worry, I’m just kidding you,” Trixie said, “Anyway we’re ready to start and get you home, Twilight.” “Actually,” you said giving a sigh before resuming, “I made a decision. I’m going with Twilight to her world. I’m…we’re in love.” “I had a feeling that you’d make that choice,” Starlight said with a smile even with a tear in her eye, “I could tell that you two had feelings for each other. Promise me that if you could, when you could, come visit us some time, ok?” “Deal,” you said, “Can you keep some of my stuff safe like my magical things and my computer? The rest you could do whatever you want with.” “Done,” Trixie said as you tossed her your keys, “You know we’re both going to miss you, right? You are our best friend, and we can’t thank you enough for being there in our lives.” “I know, and I’ll never forget you two. Don’t worry, when Twilight and I find a way to get back here safely, we will see you.” “Alright, sorry we can’t say our goodbyes longer,” Starlight said, “but we need to get this ritual started. Who knows how long this will take to get this portal open? I don’t want to waste any moonlight on this as I think this might take some time. One thing is for certain, when we get that portal open you two need to jump in as soon as possible since we probably won’t be able to hold it open for long.” “Right,” you and Twilight said almost in unison as both of you mentally prepared yourself for the ritual. It didn’t take much for you to get ready as the desire to get Twilight home and get you to being with her in this new world. It was your love for Twilight that wanted to help her in any way you could, and you were certain that her love for you and yours for her would see this ritual complete with the help of your friends. “Ok, first we need to cast the circle and call the Quarters,” Starlight said, “Trixie, you take Fire. Twilight, you take Air which is that pedestal with the yellow candle. I’ll take Earth, which leaves you with Water.” The four of you parted as you took your positions at the designated pedestals. It was interesting how Starlight chose you for Water, an element known for emotions, and Twilight claiming Air, an element for the mind. Quickly Starlight cast a circle with her athame to create a dome of energy and protect all from any negative energies before assisting Twilight in the calling of the Air Quarter. As each quarter was called, you could feel a sense of energy rising within the magical dome of energy. With the proper safeguards in place, Starlight continued. “We call upon the guardians tonight, to serve us in our blessed rite. We seek to open a door in this space to another time and another place. With our powers may we open the door, so our friends can return home once more.” As she concluded the intent, Starlight said, “The energy is rising here, and we are the conduits. Draw upon this energy and direct it towards the statue with your minds and hearts fixed on creating a portal to Twilight’s world. Think of a door opening as you direct this energy, and do not hold back until it manifests.” The four of you stood facing the granite edifice and raising your dominant hands at the structure began to pour your energy towards the structure. All the while you thought about you and Twilight coming home as your energies mixed with hers and your friends within the magical space. As their powers increased so did yours as you directed all you could toward the gate. “Twilight,” you said, “Think about your world and your friends there. That way we could connect there.” “I’ll try,” she said as she poured more waves of energy towards the statue. The once unmoving structure began to give off a glow. You watched as once again Twilight floated into the air, once again having those ethereal wings and horn as she did in the magic shop. As the energy surged towards the structure with the goal firmly planted in each person’s mind, Starlight noticed that the side of the statue facing hers began to ripple as if the hard granite was being turned to water. “It’s working everyone! Keep pouring your energy into the statue.” You could feel your energy depleting and your body becoming tired, but you knew if you quit now there might not be another chance for Twilight to get back until days maybe months later. With a surge of energy, you focused on the emerging portal with all you had until suddenly you felt like something give, like a stone once in the road is cleared. “The portal is opened,” Starlight said as she spoke to you and Twilight, “Now’s your chance. Both of you continue directing your energy at the statue but slowly move closer to me.” You and Twilight continued focusing on the portal with your energies as you inched closer. Finally the two of you stood on each side of Starlight facing the portal. What you saw was an amazing display of swirling colors like a kaleidoscope you had as a kid. “Ok you two,” Starlight said clearly exhausted, “When I say go, I want you to run as fast as you can to the portal. I don’t think Trixie and I have much energy left to hold this gate open. Farewell, you two, and thank you for being our friends.” “Thank you, both of you,” you both said to Starlight and Trixie as you and Twilight joined hands. “Now go,” Starlight said as she sent one final surge of energy at the gate. The two of you took off running towards the portal, hoping that it would remain open and that you would get back to where you needed to be. You could see the portal starting to shudder like it was about to collapse. “Jump!” Twilight shouted, and without a second guess you leapt with her into the unknown, right before the portal closed on the world you knew. As the portal shrank and dissipated, Starlight and Trixie collapsed to the ground, exhausted in their efforts. Slowly Trixie crawled over from her position on the circle to Starlight before embracing her. “We did it!” Trixie said panting from the lack of energy. “Yes, we did,” Starlight said. “I didn’t know we could, but thanks to Twilight’s energy we opened that gate. One thing’s for certain: I’m going to miss them.” “Me too,” Trixie said wistfully as she started at the now solid granite side of the statue. “Do you think they made it home?” “I hope so, Trixie,” Starlight said as she slowly stood up. “I hope so. Now, let’s close this circle and clean up before we get seen. Tomorrow we’ll go over to his apartment and see about what to do with his things.” > Chapter 18- Epilogue - Welcome Home > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 18 – Epilogue – Welcome Home You jumped into the portal just a few seconds after Twilight did, finding yourself falling head first through the kaleidoscope of colors that danced around you as you held onto her guiding hand. Occasionally, you would spot flashes of colorful lightning; hoping one of them didn’t strike you. You wondered if anyone really died while jumping between worlds like this, their essence simply being scattered across many worlds and yet not wholly in any of them. Even worse, you would find yourself trapped in this psychedelic world in between worlds, unable to reach Twilight’s land or any place for that matter.  After all, it was Twilight who tried visiting another realm only to find herself stuck in yours. The fall seemed to last an eternity, neither speeding up nor slowing down. You wondered where the end was to this journey, if there would be an end. Suddenly, you felt Twilight’s hand separate from yours as you watched her drift away from you. “Twilight, hang on. I’m coming!” you managed to utter with surprisingly great difficulty as you tried making your body more aerodynamic to catch up like a superhero flying towards some disaster. Despite your attempts you watched as she floated away from you, not even hearing your words. A fear began to grip your chest at the possibility of losing her in the vastness of space and time. If you lost her when you were so close to being with her in her home it would be the death of you. As you watched her in the distance you noticed her body was being stretched and pulled, becoming nothing more than a blur of colors. Then in a bright flash Twilight was gone. Before you could think about where she went, you felt your body tingling as if the air around you was electrified. Your skin began to become numb until there was no feeling at all. You happened to catch a glimpse of your hands in front of you as they began to blur and distort just as Twilight did moments before. You knew you were still alive despite what you saw, and thankfully you didn’t feel any pain. There in the distance but growing larger with each passing moment, exactly where she disappeared was a white light in the midst of all the spinning colors. You felt a little relief that wherever Twilight went that was where you would be. The white light then enveloped you in its blinding glow before suddenly everything cut to black. You felt yourself in the darkness for a long time. Soon your senses began to return, starting with your hearing. While you couldn’t quite make out the details, there were voices, human sounding ones. Each one had its own tone and pitch from one that sounded refined to one that sounded very upbeat. But then you heard Twilight’s voice, that soothing distinct tone that put your mind at ease. Your sense of feeling came next, like your body once asleep waking up once more. You were no longer floating through the vastness of that in between world but what felt like lying down on something solid and cool. There was something strange about it, like your body wasn’t the same. Your back felt misaligned and out of proportion with your head, and you couldn’t feel your fingers or toes. Was this what Twilight mentioned when she said that she didn’t look like the girl you knew back in your world? You wondered if you changed form just as she did. Then your sight returned just as quickly as turning on a light switch. Your eyes slowly opened, revealing a very interesting sight. You were in a large room made entirely of crystal. It wasn’t some cave you were in but some building. But this wasn’t the only thing that caught your attention in this room. There, standing before you was six creature that looked like ponies, only way more colorful with large eyes. Some of them had wings which you knew were Pegesai while others had horns which were unicorns. They weren’t looking at you but instead talking to each other. “Oh I’m so glad that you came back!” the pink pony said to a pony that you couldn’t see in the backgrounds, “I mean, you were only gone for like a day, but still it was a long day!” “So where did you go?” the rainbow manned pony spoke up as she flew back and forth, “Were you at that other world where you met our other selves?” “Girls,” a white unicorn said with sophisticated tone, “I’m sure we will get all the details soon, but can we give her some space.” “Well, what I’d like to know, Twilight, is: who’s that stallion over there?” the orange pony wearing a hat said. “Uhh…” you groaned while trying to open your mouth and speak, “T…Twilight?” “Oh my girls,” the yellow Pegasus said in a meek tone although somehow directing the attention to the other ponies, “I think he’s waking up. He looks a little dazed but ok.” “He’s ok?” a distinct voice could be heard, one that you knew was Twilight, “Let me see him.” The crowd of ponies parted, revealing a pony neither unicorn but Pegasus but instead having both wings and a horn. It was her purple mane and the look in her eyes that made you certain this was your Twilight you met in your world. “Are you ok?” Twilight said as her horn flickered and you felt a tingle pass across your body, “Nothing broken or torn.” “I…I feel fine I guess,” you said, “My head is a little spinning and my body feels weird, but I’m ok. So…you’re some kind of purple horse unicorn thing with wings?” “Close enough,” she said with a giggle, “I’m a pony, butt more specifically I’m an Alicorn. I guess you didn’t expect me to look like this, huh?” “Not really,” you said looking over her body. “I look ok, right?” Twilight said with a look of worry that you crossing over to this worl was all for naught after seeing her for who she truly was. “You look fine,” you said with a smile before a thought came to mind, “Wait, if you are a pony, then are others ponies too on this world?” “Mostly,” Twilight said, “There are some griffons and dragons and zebras, but mostly ponies?” “So… does that mean that I’m a pony?” “Well… actually… yes,” she replied, “In fact, you’re a unicorn. You know, I kind of imagined you to be. Want to see how you look?” “Sure,” you said trying to stand like a human would but suddenly losing your balance and falling over, “Guess I need to get used to the whole hooves thing.” “Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it, and of course I’ll be there to help you. How about I introduce you to my friends first? I’m sure Rarity has a mirror for you to look at. Ok, first get you hooves under you and try to stand.” You nodded and slowly got to a standing position. It felt like you were more like you were crawling when you were a baby. “Now slowly walk with me,” Twilight said calmly. You followed her, sticking close by her. Despite that two of you were ponies, you still felt that same magic and love between you. Whatever happened in this new world, you knew the two of you would stand strong together and go on the adventure of life. The End