Wind Whistler, Fizzy, Gusty, and Shady find a portal that leads them to a mysterious land where they meet ponies who seem familiar yet different...
Wind Whistler, Fizzy, Gusty, and Shady find a mysterious distortion hanging in the air, and Gusty decides to step through. The others follow, finding themselves in an unfamiliar town called Ponyville. The portal separated them, so they must find each other and find a way back to Dream Valley. Along the way, they meet six ponies who seem vaguely familiar...
This story takes place after the finale of Friendship is Magic, but before the epilogue episode. For the G1 ponies, it takes place after the series has ended.
“You know stuff, Wind Whistler,” Gust said. “What is it?” Wind Whistler, Gusty, Fizzy, and Shady were on their way to a field for a picnic when they encountered the strangest sight.
“I haven’t the faintest idea,” Wind Whistler said. They were staring at a large, circular distortion hanging in the air. Light refracted through it, making jagged rainbow patterns. The patterns swirled and jolted around in the circle. The effect was somewhat discombobulating.
“It’s pretty,” Fizzy said. Shady hid behind the other three.
“Well, if you don’t know what it is, then I’m gonna find out,” Gusty said.
“I don’t think that would be—” Too late; Gusty had already galloped into the circle. “—prudent,” Wind Whistler finished.
Fizzy cantered around to the other side. “She’s gone!” Fizzy said.
“Oh, no!” Shady said. “This is all my fault.”
“Huh?” Fizzy said, poking her head around the circular distortion. “Why’s that?”
“The picnic was my idea,” Shady said. “If not for me, we wouldn’t have found the portal.”
“Portal?” Wind Whistler said. “It could be. After all, there wasn’t any visible or audible release of energy indicating combustion or the destruction of matter. Perhaps Gusty was simply transported across space.”
“D-destruction?” Shady whispered.
“It’s a possibility,” Wind Whistler said. “I frankly don’t understand the nature of this distortion.”
Fizzy had come back to the others. “Gee, don’t you think we oughta help Gusty?” she said.
“You’re quite right,” Wind Whistler said. “It could be dangerous, but I propose that we step through the distortion like Gusty did. Wherever she is, she could be in need of our aid.”
Wind Whistler heard Shady gulp behind her. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”
“With our limited information, I believe it is our best option,” Wind Whistler said. “If it is indeed a portal, we have no assurance to its stability on this side or the other. Therefore, I propose that we all go in together.”
“Come on, Shady,” Fizzy said. “Gusty might need us.”
“Well, okay…” Shady stood on Wind Whistler’s right, with Fizzy on her left.
“I can’t!” Shady yelped at the same time. Fizzy was already leaping forward, but Shady was frozen in place. In a split-second decision, Wind Whistler stepped forward with Fizzy. If Shady stayed behind, she would be out of harm’s way. But Fizzy was going through, so Wind Whistler needed to go with her. The two of them stepped through the circular distortion, and Wind Whistler felt a falling sensation.
Thud. Wind Whistler lost track of up and down, her head was spinning, her ears were ringing, and her vision was foggy. The only sensation she processed clearly was the pain in her right hip, where she had landed on hard ground. “Darling, your tail bow is divine!” a voice said. “But what are you doing there in the dirt?”
“Heart Throb?” Wind Whistler said. She looked up and saw a white unicorn. Not Heart Throb. Was that Gusty?
“Heart Throb, who’s that?” the unicorn said. No, this wasn’t Gusty. Wind Whistler forced her eyes to focus. The unicorn had a carefully styled purple mane, rather than Gusty’s messy, turquoise and pink mane.
“A friend of mine,” Wind Whistler said. “Your speech patterns resemble hers.” Wind Whistler slowly stood up, still feeling dizzy.
“Are you quite alright?” the unicorn said.
Wind Whistler gasped. “Where’s Fizzy? Have you seen a teal, twinkle-eyed unicorn?”
“Right here, Whistles,” a voice behind Wind Whistler said. She turned to see Fizzy. A yellow pegasus with a pink mane was brushing her off.
“Are you hurt?” the pegasus said. Something about her seemed… familiar.
“No,” Fizzy said.
"Have we encountered each other previously?” Wind Whistler said to the pegasus. “You seem familiar.”
“Um… I don’t remember seeing you two before,” the pegasus said. “My name is Fluttershy.”
“And I’m Rarity,” the unicorn said. “Welcome to Ponyville.”
“Fizzy.”
“Wind Whistler. We’re looking for our friend, Gusty. She’s a white unicorn with five Acer saccharum leaves for her flank symbol. Have you seen her?”
“I certainly haven’t,” Rarity said.
“Neither have I,” Fluttershy said. “But we’d gladly help you look for her.”
Rarity gasped. “Darling, your eyes!” she said, rushing to Fizzy. “They’re dazzling!”
“Who, me?” Fizzy said.
“Yes, you,” Rarity said. “Who else?”
“Well, Galaxy’s eyes are even more… Wait, Galaxy’s not here right now!” Fizzy chuckled.
“Fizzy, I have to ask…” Rarity began. “No, I shouldn’t, it’d be r—But I must! Where in Equestria did you get eyes like that? Is it some new contact lens they’ve started wearing in Canterlot?”
“No, it’s, um… You see, there was this wizard who—”
“It is imperative that we stay focused on locating our friend,” Wind Whistler interrupted. “She could be in danger.”
“Maybe we can help you find her,” Fluttershy offered.
“Excellent idea, Fluttershy!” Rarity said. “If there’s a new pony in town, Pinkie Pie might know. Why don’t Fizzy and I visit Sugarcube Corner while you pegasi start scanning the town from the sky?”
“Sugarcube Corner?” Fizzy said. “I love sugarcubes!”
“Well… I suppose this could be more productive,” Wind Whistler said. “But we should have a predetermined means of signaling each other in case we find the others or we are in need of assistance.”
“I can make bubbles!” Fizzy said. Bubbles came out of her horn and shot upwards past the rooftops. “You should be able to see that from the sky.”
“I shall whistle at my highest volume,” Wind Whistler said. “I wish you exceptional fortune.”
“Good luck,” Fizzy said. Wind Whistler and Fluttershy galloped forward and took off.
* * *
“Here we are,” Rarity said. “Sugarcube Corner.”
Fizzy looked at the building, wide-eyed. “It’s like a giant gingerbread house!” she said. “Can you eat it?”
“No, but there are many things inside which you can eat,” Rarity said. They walked into the shop, and the smell of a thousand sweets hit Fizzy’s nostrils.
“Ooh, Cupcake would love it here!” Fizzy said.
“Hello, Miss Pie,” Rarity said to the pony at the counter. She was pink with a mane like cotton candy. “How is your day of work going?”
“It’s been slow,” Miss Pie said. “I think everypony in town still has leftover cupcakes from the Festival of the Two Sisters. So I’ve been doing some flavor experimentation in my spare time. Do you want to try a peach-mint cupcake with salted caramel on top?”
“Oh, I uh… I’m afraid I’m on a… diet,” Rarity said awkwardly. “Yes, a diet is what I am on…”
“I’ll try it,” Fizzy said.
“Thank you, pony I don’t know!” Miss Pie said. “WAIT, WHAAAT?” She darted up to Fizzy and shook her hoof vigorously. “I’ve never seen you here before. My name is Pinkie Pie, and I’m your new friend. Welcome to Ponyville…”
“Fizzy.”
“Welcome to Ponyville, Fizzy! You’re such a good friend for agreeing to try my cupcakes. I need some honest feedback from potential customers.” She shoved a cupcake straight into Fizzy’s mouth. “What do you think?” She looked at Fizzy with wide blue eyes.
Fizzy chewed and swallowed. There was a lot going on her mouth at once. “I like it, I think?” she said. “I may just be hungry. We were supposed to be having a picnic by now.”
“Hmm, interesting…” Pinkie said, scribbling notes so quickly that smoke was rising from the paper.
“Pinkie Pie, Fizzy is new in town, and she’s lost track of a friend of hers,” Rarity said.
“Gusty, a white unicorn with a greenish-blue and pink mane,” Fizzy said.
“Hmm… I don’t think I’ve heard anypony talking about her,” Pinkie said. “When did you arrive in Ponyville, and which direction did you come from?”
“A few minutes ago, and… up?” Fizzy said. “I’m not sure, really.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Rarity said.
“Well… we were in Dream Valley, and we were going to the fields south of Paradise Estates for a picnic. There was this pretty, colorful… thing floating in the air. Gusty stepped through, and she disappeared. Then Wind Whistler and I stepped through, and I remember falling and landing on my flank. And then we were here! That’s when you found us, Rarity.”
“Fascinating,” Pinkie said. “Was it a circular distortion that made rainbow patterns?”
“Yes,” Fizzy said. “How did you know?”
“Lucky guess,” Pinkie said. “I’d say you stepped through a multiverse quantum orthogonality.”
“A multi… quantum what?” Fizzy said.
“A multiverse quantum orthogonality. They’re temperamental by nature, usually only stable on one side for a few minutes. If you and Wind Whistler stepped through together, that’s why you landed in the same place. But in our universe, the orthogonality was probably moving rapidly. Gusty could be miles from here.”
“Oh, that’ll make it hard to find her,” Fizzy said.
“Wait, how do you know all of that?” Rarity said.
“Pinkie sense. If you want to narrow your search radius, you could ask Twilight to do a triangulation for disturbances in the space-time continuum.”
“A triangle… for space-time what?” Fizzy said.
“A triangulation for disturbances in the space-time continuum, whatever that means, Miss Pie,” Rarity said, glaring at Pinkie.
“I will write it down,” Pinkie said. She scribbled and passed a note to Fizzy. “Just give this to Twilight and… oh, she lives in Canterlot now.” A few tears appeared in Pinkie’s eyes, but she was still smiling. “Find Starlight and give this to her. She may have to look up a few spells to make it work, but she’ll figure it out.”
Fizzy tucked the note into her mane. “Neat,” she said. “How do I find Starlight?”
“She’s the Headmare at the School of Friendship,” Rarity said. “Pinkie, darling, is there any chance you could take her there? I don’t want her to get lost, but I should be getting back to Carousel Boutique.”
“I wish I could,” Pinkie said. “Even though it’s a slow day, I can’t just leave Sugarcube Corner unattended, and the Cakes are on a business trip to Appleoosa.”
“Hmm…” Rarity mumbled. “I really must keep working on my designs for my next winter line, but… I shall find time later. Come with me, Fizzy.”
* * *
“The only white unicorn I’ve seen so far was Rarity,” Fluttershy said. “What about you?” They stood on a cloud above the center of town.
“I’ve fared no better, I’m afraid,” Wind Whistler said.
A rainbow blur sped past them and called out, “Hey Mom. Hey Fluttershy.” The blur slowed down suddenly, and Wind Whistler realized it was a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail. “Whoa, whoa, what?” She flew back to them. “Hheeeyy, stranger who I totally didn’t mistake for my mom,” she said. “Who’s this, Fluttershy?”
“My name is Wind Whistler.”
“Wind… Whistler…” The rainbow pegasus stared at her like something was confusing her.
“Oh, she does look a little similar, doesn’t she?” Fluttershy said. “I didn’t think of that.”
“I can assure you that I am not a mother,” Wind Whistler said. She deduced that she resembled the rainbow pegasus’s mother, and Fluttershy definitely reminded her of somebody. Oh, it was Posey! Fluttershy looked like Posey but with wings. She even talked a bit like her. This was remarkably peculiar.
“Anyway, I’m Rainbow Dash. How do you know Fluttershy?”
“We just met,” Fluttershy said. “We’re looking for her friend, Gusty.”
“I can find her in a jiffy,” Rainbow Dash said. “What does she look like?”
“She’s a white unicorn with a dark turquoise and pink mane, five Acer saccharum leaves in their autumn hue as her flank symbol, and green eyes,” Wind Whistler said.
“On it!” Rainbow said, and she darted off. She zipped between the buildings of the town, trailing a rainbow behind her.
“Her agility and acceleration are quite remarkable,” Wind Whistler said, looking down at the town. She moved so quickly that her rainbow trail was lighting up multiple streets at a time. “She may even be more adept in aerobatics than Whizzer.”
“She’s the best in all of Equestria,” Fluttershy said. “I just hope she’s searching thoroughly and not just going so fast to show off…”
Rainbow Dash darted back up to their cloud. “She’s not in Ponyville,” she said. “I did see a unicorn I didn’t recognize. She had a tail bow like yours, and she was blowing bubbles into the air with her horn.”
“That’s almost certainly Fizzy,” Wind Whistler said. “Where did you see her?”
“Over by Sugarcube Corner,” Rainbow said. “Follow me.” She dashed off. She was far faster than Wind Whistler, but at least she left a rainbow trail to follow.
* * *
“Who’s there?” Shady called out. Something had definitely moved in the shadows of this murky forest. There was something in the corner of Shady’s eyes. She turned quickly, but it was gone. The image of glowing, angry eyes staring at her lingered in her vision.
“Gusty!” Shady called out. “Wind Whistler! Fizzy! Is anybody there?” The only response was cawing crows and groaning wood. Shady should have gone through the portal with Wind Whistler and Fizzy. She had frozen in fear, but after they disappeared, she thought they might need her help, so she stepped through the portal alone. The others probably didn’t even know Shady was here. They would be looking for Gusty, and if they found her they’d all go home without Shady. “Oh, now I’ve really gone and done it,” she mumbled.
“You mean to say that the portal was unstable on this end and that its position likely shifted rapidly?” Wind Whistler said.
“I think so,” Fizzy said. “That sounds like what Pinkie Pie said.”
“That would be consistent with our inability to locate Gusty within the confines of the settlement,” Wind Whistler said. “I believe that our best course of action is to convene with this Starlight.”
“Very well,” Rarity said. “I shall lead the way.” She trotted off, and Wind Whistler and Fizzy followed. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had left to take care of some animals and whatever the “Wonderbolts” were. The walk gave Wind Whistler a moment to appreciate the town. Ponies trotted about everywhere, chatting and even occasionally singing. This town was much bigger than Paradise Estates, and it gave off a peaceful, friendly aura. By comparison, Paradise Estates felt like a little haven in a world of chaos, always on the brink of being invaded or destroyed.
While Wind Whistler was watching in wonder, Rarity opened a conversation with Fizzy. “Darling, where was it that you said you were from?” she asked. “I’ve never met a pony quite like you.”
“Oh, I’m from Paradise Estates,” Fizzy said.
“Paradise Estates?” Rarity said. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s in Dream Valley,” Fizzy said.
“Dream… Valley?”
“In Ponyland.”
Rarity chuckled. “Maybe Pinkie was on to something with that space-time whatever talk,” she said. “I’ve never heard of any of these places, and I’ve been around more than you might have guessed. Tell me, are there other ponies with eyes like yours where you’re from?”
“Yep, there’s probably about fifteen of us,” Fizzy said.
“I’d be so very interested in learning how you ended up with eyes like those,” Rarity said. “Is there any possibility I can have them too?”
“Ooh, I don’t think you’d want them,” Fizzy said. “The story of how we got them is a doozy!”
“Please, don’t feel obliged to share anything that makes you uncomfortable,” Rarity said.
“It’s no problem,” Fizzy said. “It all started…”
* * *
Gusty took off at a full gallop. Something was definitely chasing her. She heard howls, and the air smelled like rotting flesh. It was hard to run through this forest, with all the fallen logs and roots in the way. Whatever was on her tail was gaining.
Gusty snapped her head back and launched a blast of wind out of her horn. It kicked up hundreds of leaves on the ground, obscuring the view of her hunter. She got a glimpse of glowing eyes before the leaves blocked everything. She leapt behind a log and held absolutely still, hiding. Hopefully whatever was after her had lost track of her. She could still hear it prowling around and sniffing. The foul smell was getting stronger. The creature was coming closer. It would find her, and she couldn’t outrun it in this thick forest. Gusty started psyching herself up for an epic battle.
CRUNCH! There was the sound of dozens of branches and twigs snapping, then silence. The smell dissipated. Gusty dared to peak over the log. A pink earth pony was standing over a pile of sticks. “Shady?” Gusty said. “Boy, am I glad to see you.”
“Hey, Gusty,” Shady said.
“What happened?” Gusty said. “Where did the monster go?”
“I jumped on its head,” Shady said. “Turns out it was just made of sticks.”
“Where did you jump from?” Gusty said.
“Over there,” Shady said, pointing to a short cliff a few pony lengths away.
“Wow, that’s quite a jump,” Gusty said. “You really earned that earth pony jumping title. But how did you find me?”
“I’ve been following that creature for a while now,” Shady said. “I figured it might lead me to a path or something else useful.”
“You were following it, and it didn’t notice you?” Gusty said.
“My flank symbol isn’t sunglasses for no reason, you know,” Shady said. “When I was a filly, I would hide from everyone because I was so shy. I don’t hide from ponies anymore, but I’m still good at sneaking around.”
“Good job, Shady,” Gusty said. “You really got me out of a tight spot, there. Say, where are Fizzy and Wind Whistler?”
“Oh,” Shady said, lowering her head—which she had held high after beating that monster. “We were going to go through that portal together, but I froze in fear when the other two crossed. When I finally got the nerves to come through, they were nowhere to be seen. I messed up. You once told me to never doubt myself, and that’s exactly what I did.”
“Shady, you just hoofed it to a monster that had me running and hiding,” Gusty said. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Everyone messes up sometimes, but you gotta keep trying.”
“You’re always brave,” Shady said. “I could never be like you.”
It was sad, watching Shady’s mood turn so depressed after she had done something so heroic. There had to be something Gusty could do to make her feel better. “Oh, come on, I’m not perfect,” Gusty said. “I mean, for example…” She hadn’t really thought about this before. “There was the time I…” Could she really not think of any flaws she had? “Tell you what, Shady? While we look for a way out of this forest, you help me think of something I need to improve on. Then you can help me with that and I can help you with your confidence. We’ll be like… personal progress buddies.”
“Okay, but I don’t want to hurt your feelings,” Shady said.
“Nothing can hurt my feelings,” Gusty said. “Now come on. Let’s find the others and get out of here.”
* * *
“WHAAAT??” Rarity shrieked. “I can’t believe it. It’s too horrible!” She fainted onto a couch. Wind Whistler looked around, confused. She hadn’t noticed that couch earlier. Where did it come from, and what was it doing in the middle of the street?
“That’s really what happened,” Fizzy said. “I never did get that pony’s name. And she left before I finished adjusting my gem eyes, so I didn’t get a good look at her either. But I saw her coat color, at least, and I’m sure she smelled like apples.”
“It is certainly a traumatizing account,” Wind Whistler said. “However, I must stress to you the urgency of our current situation. We must promptly discover whether our friend has been transported to a perilous locale.”
“Of course, you’re right,” Rarity said, standing up. “Let us say that I am no longer interested in getting eyes like yours, Fizzy.” She left the couch behind. So, it wasn’t hers? Soon, they arrived at a large, imperious building. It was built into the foothill of a mountain. A stream from the mountain ran into the building, coming out as a waterfall that spilled into a pool at the front of the building. A stone pathway crossed the pool to the impressive double doors.
“Here we are,” Rarity said. Their hooves clacked against the stone walkway as they crossed the pool. Rarity opened the door with magic, and they entered. There was a courtyard in the middle of the building, but they turned down a hallway. The hallways were mostly empty, but there were a few ponies wandering around. Most of them were young, perhaps students.
“Hey, Rarity,” an adult earth pony said. She had a deep voice and an accent. “Are these new students?”
Fizzy gasped. “It’s you!” She rushed forward and hugged the earth pony.
“Oh, hey, uh… What’s going on, Rarity?” the earth pony said, looking over Fizzy’s shoulder.
“I’m not quite sure, Applejack,” Rarity said. “These two are looking for a friend they’ve lost track of. However, I don’t know why Fizzy has decided to hug you.”
“It is you!” Fizzy said, still hugging her. “You smell like apples, just like I remember.”
“I had some for lunch,” Applejack said. “But what are you talking about?”
“Oh,” Rarity said, her eyes going wide. “She’s mistaken you for somepony from her past. Unless… did you buck a wizard into a crevasse without telling me?”
Before Applejack could respond, Fizzy grabbed Applejack’s hoof and shook it. “My name is Fizzy. It’s such an honor to meet you again. All us twinkle-eyed ponies are so grateful.”
“Twinkle-eyed—whoa!” Applejack jerked back, startled. “Y’all got something… on your face, there, partner.”
“Do you like ‘em?” Fizzy said. She gasped. “Would you help us look for our friend, Gusty? She’s a white unicorn.”
“Uh… sure thing,” Applejack said.
“Pinkie Pie said that Starlight might be able to find her using magic,” Rarity said. “Do you know where she is?”
“Ah, y’all missed her,” Applejack said. “She and Trixie headed out for a tour.”
“I thought she usually stayed a few hours after the school closed on Friday to wrap things up,” Rarity said.
“She used to, but I think her and Trixie had a talk about balancing friendships and work,” Applejack said. “She asked me to stick around and clean up in here.”
“Ah, but we need Starlight’s magical aptitude,” Rarity said.
“Whatever y’all need, I’ll be an apple in a barrel if Twilight can’t do it, too,” Applejack said. “We do have the Friendship Council tomorrow.”
“Our situation is time-sensitive,” Wind Whistler said. “Our friend could be in danger.”
“I’m afraid this magic will be beyond the abilities of anypony else,” Rarity said.
“Then we shall continue to search for our friend by conventional methods until tomorrow,” Wind Whistler said.
“If y’all can’t find her before dark, y’all are welcome to stay at Sweet Apple Acres overnight,” Applejack said. “Y’all can take the train with us to Canterlot to talk with Twilight tomorrow morning. If’n y’all still haven’t found yer friend.”
“We would love to stay with you,” Fizzy said, eyes sparkling.
“Listen, partner,” Applejack said. “I don’t know who y’all think I am, but I ain’t. I ain’t met nopony like y’all before, and I didn’t buck no wizard down a crevasse or whatever.”
“Oh, really?” Fizzy said, sounding a little down. “But I was so sure. You look just like her, and you even have the apple smell.”
“Sorry,” Applejack said. This struck Wind Whistler as significant. Another case of a pony from one side of the portal being reminiscent of a pony from the other side. It was statistically improbable. “I have a map of Ponyville and the surroundings in my classroom. Let me fetch that for y’all.”
“I do wish I could be of further assistance,” Rarity said. “But I must get back to Carousel Boutique. Good luck.”
“You’ve been remarkably generous with your time,” Wind Whistler said. “You have our gratitude.”
Applejack brought them the map and pointed out various features to them. “I’ll keep an eye out around Sweet Apple Acres after I’m done at the school, so consider that area covered,” Applejack said. “The real trouble will be the Everfree Forest. There’s a bushel and a half of dangerous creatures and plants out there. I wouldn’t go in without a guide. And flyin’ over the treetops, I reckon all ya’d see is leaves.”
“If our friend is in there, it is imperative that we find her,” Wind Whistler said. “None of these other locations seem inherently dangerous, so we could wait until tomorrow to reunite with Gusty. Logically, we should search the Everfree Forest first to minimize the danger to her.”
“Hoo boy,” Applejack said, taking off her hat. “I get bein’ loyal to yer friends. But I can’t go with y’all; I have to finish cleanin’ up here. If y’all are willing to take the risk, follow this here path to that little hut on the map. A zebra named Zecora lives there. She can help y’all stay safe in the Everfree Forest. Don’t leave the path until y’all meet Zecora, not even to look for yer friend. And for pony’s sake, don’t touch any blue flowers. There’s poison joke out there.”
“Thank you for the warning,” Wind Whistler said.
* * *
Soon, Wind Whistler and Fizzy had followed the map to the edge of Everfree Forest. The sun was already low in the sky. The whole forest was in shadow. Gnarled trees bent over the path, draped in moss. “It’s a good thing unicorns are good luck,” Fizzy said. “Because it seems like a lot of bad things could happen in there.”
Wind Whistler didn’t dare express her worries and dampen Fizzy’s mood. Unicorn luck was just a superstition, and Wind Whistler predicted a high probability of navigational error or worse. Even if they didn’t get lost or hurt, the odds of finding Gusty were low. And even if they did, Wind Whistler had no idea how they would get back to Dream Valley. Although the ponies they had met so far were certainly pleasant, Wind Whistler sincerely wished that they had never come here.
“Aw, we’re so lost,” Shady said. “It’s all my fault, I just know it.”
“We’re not lost, Shady,” Gusty said. They walked alongside the bank of a stream, stepping through thick, green grass and blue flowers. “If we keep following this stream, it will lead us somewhere. Maybe even a town.” Gusty had a point. Maybe things weren’t as bad as Shady felt.
The forest was darkening as the sun dropped, but there was still enough light to see by. Insects and birds called, water rushed over rocks, and leaves rustled in a wind that didn’t reach down here. “Hey, have you thought up of a flaw for me to work on, yet?” Gusty said.
“Um, how about this?” Shady said. “You jumped into that portal without really talking it through. So maybe you’re a little impulsive?”
“Maybe,” Gusty said. “But some of the other ponies are really hesitant. Sometimes we need a pony who will take action. I don’t think I want to change that about me.”
“Alright, I’ll keep thinking,” Shady said. She noticed that the trees were starting to thin.
“Hey, I told you we weren’t lost,” Gusty said. The forest opened up to a clearing. Flowers grew everywhere, a different kind than what they saw in the forest. A wooden cottage, its roof draped with foliage, sat at the center of the clearing. “Finally, some civilization,” Gusty said.
“Do you think they’ll be friendly?” Shady said as they walked up towards the door. “They could be witches.”
“I don’t think so,” Gusty said. “Witches like mud, lava, and gloom; this place is too nice.” She knocked on the door. Shady leapt back when she heard some kind of animal snarling behind the door. But then there was a voice. It was too quiet to pick out the words, but it sounded like the voice was calming the animal. A few seconds later, a pony opened the door. She was a yellow pegasus with a pink mane.
“I’m sorry about that,” the pegasus said. “Harry is in a bad mood today.” Shady caught a glimpse of something large and furry behind the pegasus. Was that a bear??
“It’s no problem,” Gusty said. “Do you know the way to Dream Valley, or if not, the nearest town?”
The pegasus gasped. “You’re the pony they were looking for,” she said. “Is your name Gusty?”
“Uh huh. How’d you know that?”
“Your friends are looking for you,” the pegasus said. “Do you know Wind Whistler and Fizzy?”
“Sure do,” Gusty said.
“Excuse me, my name is Fluttershy. What’s your name?” She looked at Shady.
“Shady.” She stepped towards the door again, keeping an eye on the bear.
“Your friends seemed awfully worried about you,” Fluttershy said. “I know it’s late, but we should probably find them and let them know you’re okay.”
“Wind Whistler, worried?” Gusty said, laughing. “The world could be burning around her and she’d be as concerned as a rock.”
“Oh, but she was very concerned,” Fluttershy said. “She was afraid you might be in danger.”
“Yeah, right,” Gusty said. “Let me guess, she was like, ‘According to my calculations, Gusty has a 22.4% chance of perishing.’” She said it with a dry, detached voice that was… yeah, it was pretty close to Wind Whistler’s inflection. Even so, Shady couldn’t help but think that Gusty was being unfair to Wind Whistler. She wasn’t the most expressive pony in Ponyland, but she wasn’t heartless either. “Anyway, where can we find them?”
“Oh, um, I last saw them with Rarity,” Fluttershy said. “Let’s see if they’re still with her. Let me get some of my animal friends situated, and then I’ll show you the way.”
* * *
Fizzy let out a whinny as Wind Whistler pulled a bright blue quill out of her flank. “You need to be more cautious, Fizzy,” Wind Whistler said.
“I’m sorry,” Fizzy said. “They looked like bushwoolies!”
Fizzy and Wind Whistler had run into small, brightly colored creatures on the path. Fizzy had immediately approached, asking if they had seen Gusty. The creatures had said nothing in response, but they had shot dozens of quills at her. Fizzy whinnied again as Wind Whistler pulled two more quills and spat them out. “They did bear some superficial resemblance,” Wind Whistler affirmed. “But Applejack warned us there were dangerous creatures here. We should approach everything with caution.”
Wind Whistler was trying to be gentle, but Fizzy whinnied again as she pulled out the last quill. “That’s the last of them,” Wind Whistler said.
“Oh, good,” Fizzy said, sighing. “Those were painful to take out.”
“When we have the proper equipment, we should check for toxins and clean the wound in case of infection,” Wind Whistler said. “But currently our best course of action is to continue forward.” By now they were certainly closer to Zecora’s hut than Ponyville, and it was possible she could have some medical supplies.
They continued down the path in silence. The dire forest was turning Wind Whistler’s mood increasingly sour. Her analytical mind couldn’t stop thinking about all that could go wrong. The danger this forest presented to them was bad enough. Additionally, they still had no confirmation that Gusty was even in this area. For all they knew, the portal might have taken Gusty to an entirely different land. Even worse, it might have dumped her miles below the earth or miles above it. Thinking about the possibility that Gusty could be dead, and that they might never even found out what happened to her, Wind Whistler found herself on the verge of tears.
She steeled herself and blinked them back. She had to stay focused and not let emotions interfere with her decision-making. The chances of finding Gusty were best if Wind Whistler was functioning at peak capacity. “Are you alright, Whistles?” Fizzy said. She stepped gingerly. Her flank was starting to look red. But she was still smiling. That pony was tougher than she seemed.
“Look ahead,” Wind Whistler said coolly. “The path is overgrown with blue flowers.” They had seen blue flowers—presumably poison joke—several times so far. But now they covered the path. “We should follow Applejack’s instructions and not deviate from the path. Do you see where the flower patch discontinues? I’ll fly over the flowers, you wink out, and we’ll reconvene at that location.”
“Got it,” Fizzy said. With a flash of magic, she disappeared. Wind Whistler jumped and took off. She flew low to avoid the hanging branches of gnarled trees. With a flash of light, Fizzy appeared ahead of Wind Whistler, but not where she was expecting.
“Don’t move, Fizzy!” Wind Whistler called. She had winked into a little patch of bare ground, but she was surrounded by blue flowers on all sides.
“What’s up?” Fizzy said, standing rigid.
Wind Whistler came closer, and it became apparent that she had misinterpreted what she was seeing. Perhaps it was the shady lighting, but Wind Whistler had failed to notice that Fizzy had flowers in front of and behind her, but she could easily walk off to her left and continue down the path without touching a flower. There wasn’t much room where Fizzy was standing, so Wind Whistler hovered as she said, “I was mistaken. I thought you had winked into a patch of flowers.”
“Oh, did you mean that clearing farther ahead?” Fizzy said, pointing. “My bad.” She winked out again and reappeared farther along the path. Wind Whistler flew up to her and landed.
“I’m glad we traversed that without mishap,” Wind Whistler said. They continued walking quietly for a few minutes. If Wind Whistler’s estimate was correct, they would arrive at the hut soon.
“Are you okay, Wind Whistler?” Fizzy said. “You’ve been really quiet.”
“Is that unusual for me?” Wind Whistler said.
“No. But you seem down.”
“Perhaps I am.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Fizzy asked.
“No,” Wind Whistler said.
“Why not? It’ll make you feel better.”
“I doubt that assertion. Expressing my concerns aloud would be no better than pondering them silently. In fact, I suspect it would make matters worse. I do not wish to dampen your mood with negative contingencies that may not have crossed your mind.”
Fizzy hesitated. “I guess that makes sense.” A large tree was visible right on the path ahead. It had a door and windows carved into it. A couple of skull-like masks waited outside, and vials hung from the tree’s branches by strings. The windows glowed with an eerie, green light. “Wow, that’s a little foreboding,” Fizzy said.
“Appearances can be deceiving,” Wind Whistler said. “If Applejack trusts this Zecora, we’re probably safe.” Of course, it was a bit of a leap to trust a near-stranger like Applejack, but she had offered to help search for Gusty and to give them a place for the night. Wind Whistler stepped up to the door. She heard a voice inside, muttering some kind of rhyming chant. After a moment, she knocked.
“Could you wait a moment until I finish this phase?” the voice said. “If I do something wrong now, the brew will spew green haze.”
Wind Whistler waited at the door, glancing around. She jumped, startled. She thought she had seen something in the corner of her eye, something glowing. But it was gone now. “What’s up?” Fizzy said.
Before Wind Whistler could answer, there was a puff sound inside the hut, and the door opened shortly after. A zebra with brass jewelry and a swirling pattern on her flank opened the door. “I’m sorry for the wait,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting visitors this late.” Fizzy made a suppressed chuckle.
“Are you Zecora?” Wind Whistler said. “We were sent here by Applejack.”
“Ah, little ponies so far from home,” Zecora said. “There’s no need to continue to roam. You know my name, I see. Come inside and introduce yourselves to me.”
Fizzy laughed and said, “Your rhymes are so creative! I’m Fizzy.” They entered the hut and closed the door. A cauldron simmered in the center of the hut, lit by a green fire that appeared enchanted. An earthy smell wafted up from the cauldron. More masks decorated the interior, and dozens of herbal ingredients filled the shelves.
“My name is Wind Whistler. We are searching for a friend, a white unicorn mare named Gusty.”
“I’m sorry to say, I haven’t seen this mare,” Zecora said. “But you should also be concerned with Fizzy’s flank there.” Wind Whistler looked again. The whole area where the quills had hit her was red and swollen.
“Oh dear, the symptoms have worsened,” Wind Whistler said. “We encountered small, mammalian creatures with vivid colors and projectile quills.”
“Those would have been puckwudgies, for sure,” Zecora said. “Their poison is painful, but I think I have a cure.” She started searching through the many vials and jars in the hut. “It seems I’ve used up all my balm. I suggest you rest to keep the symptoms calm. I’ll be in the forest looking for ingredients. Hopefully I can make the antidote with expedience.” She grabbed a saddlebag and opened the door.
“We thank you for your assistance,” Wind Whistler said. “Please do keep an eye out for our friend.”
“Oh, but of course,” Zecora said. “I’ll look for that horse.” She closed the door. Fizzy gingerly walked to the bed in the corner and lay down. She was sweating.
“I apologize, Fizzy,” Wind Whistler said. “It may have been reckless of me to lead us into this forest. Considering that we may meet Twilight tomorrow, coming here may have been an unnecessary risk.”
“No, I think you were right,” Fizzy said. “This place is awful. If Gusty is out here, we need to find her fast.”
Wind Whistler nuzzled Fizzy affectionately. “You’re remarkably courageous for a pony whose behavior is so carefree.”
“Thanks, Whistles. You’re really caring for a pony who acts so stiff.” Fizzy closed her sparkly eyes, trying to rest. Wind Whistler’s anxiety was split between Fizzy and Gusty. While they were waiting, she paced just outside the hut, looking out for Gusty. She glanced back into the window frequently to make sure Fizzy was alright. She looked to be in considerable pain.
Wind Whistler heard a creature approaching long before she could see it through the thick foliage. Was it Gusty? Zecora? Another dangerous beast? It ended up being the zebra. “I found just what Fizzy needs,” Zecora said. “Just give me a moment to crush up these weeds.”
They entered the hut. Fizzy glanced at them, bleary-eyed, then laid down her head again. Zecora put a bunch of herbs into a mortar and started grinding with a pestle. They let off a pungent aroma that indicated they were probably in the Brassicaceae family. A few minutes later, she had a green paste. “Fizzy, you must awake,” Zecora said, tapping her. “I must warn you that this will sting, for your sake.”
Fizzy looked up. “Huh?” she said.
“Zecora has a remedy,” Wind Whistler said. “But it’s going to sting.”
“It can’t be worse than how I feel right now,” Fizzy said. First Zecora wiped off Fizzy’s flank with a wet cloth. “That wasn’t so bad,” Fizzy said. She squeaked as Zecora applied the paste to the wounds, and her body tensed. Zecora put paste in all the wounds, then she wrapped Fizzy’s flank in bandages. “Thanks, Zecora,” Fizzy said.
“You should rest here for the night,” Zecora said. “Between the remedy and sleep, you will recover your might.”
“If we do not return to Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack may become concerned and decide to search for us,” Wind Whistler said. “I don’t want to put her at risk, as well.”
“Applejack is a calm, knowledgeable mare,” Zecora said. “She will not endanger herself. My hut is small, but I can share. Traveling now will be bad for Fizzy’s health.”
“Very well,” Wind Whistler said. “But we must set out early tomorrow for a rendezvous with Applejack, Rarity, and the others. They have a friend who may be able to find Gusty through the use of magic.”
Zecora started moving things around to make more floor space. She let Fizzy keep the bed and laid out matts for herself and Wind Whistler. Zecora shared some food with them, and soon they were all asleep.
* * *
“Are y’all gonna be comfortable in here?” Applejack said.
“It’s a lovely room,” Shady said. “Thank you so much for sharing.” Fluttershy had taken them to see Rarity, who had forwarded them to Applejack as the last pony who had seen their friends. Applejack had let them use her little sister’s bedroom.
“Y’all ain’t the guests I was expectin’ to house,” Applejack said. “Of course, y’all are welcome too, but I hope Fizzy and Wind Whistler found Zecora.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about them,” Gusty said. “Wind Whistler is smart, and Fizzy’s magic is pretty strong.”
“Really?” Applejack said. “Fizzy didn’t strike me as the magical type.”
“What makes you say that?” Gusty said.
“Ah, nothing much,” Applejack said. “Just, the most magical unicorns I know, Twilight and Starlight, are both a might studious, and Fizzy seemed a little… distracted? Come to think of it, Twilight and Starlight are both wound up tight as a clock, too. Does anxiety have something to do with magic…?” She shook her head and said, “I hope y’all sleep well. Yer friends are probably just staying at Zecora’s. I’ll be a bushel of hay if they ain’t back here tomorrow.” She exited the bedroom and closed the door.
Shady and Gusty had to share a bed, but it was fairly spacious, and much better accommodations than Shady had expected considering that she was lost and alone in a forest earlier today. “Well, goodnight, Shady,” Gusty said, turning her back to Shady. “If Wind Whistler and Fizzy were here earlier, they’ll definitely come back. We’ll find them, and then we can find a way back home. So you can rest easy.”
“Thanks, Gusty,” Shady said. Seeing Gusty so positive really did help her feel better. “Hey, um… I think I thought of something for you to improve on.” She had wanted to say so earlier, but she didn’t want to out Gusty’s flaws in front of Fluttershy, Rarity, or Applejack.
“Oh?” Gusty said. “What is it?”
“Sometimes… you say stuff that’s kind of mean,” Shady said. “The way you made fun of Wind Whistler, for example.”
“Well, it’s true,” Gusty insisted. “Wind Whistler doesn’t feel anything. But I guess… that doesn’t mean I have to make fun of her for it. Yeah, I see what you’re saying. Okay, I’ll try to be nicer. I was trying to encourage you today to help you be brave. Was it helping?”
“Yeah, it definitely was,” Shady said. “Thank you. You’re a good friend.”
“Thanks, Shady,” Gusty said. “If that’s all, I’m going to sleep.”
Gusty woke up feeling exhausted. They hadn’t walked all that far yesterday, had they? Maybe this wind had kept her up. Why was a wind blowing through the bedroom? Gusty got out of bed and walked towards the window to close it. The wind whipped the curtains out of the way, revealing that the window was already closed. “What…” Gusty mumbled. Where was this wind coming from?
“I slept terribly,” Shady said. She fell right out of bed.
When Gusty turned her head, a gust of wind blew the blanket right off the bed. “What’s going on?” Gusty said. Everywhere she looked, clothing and papers blew around.
“It’s your horn!” Shady said. “Stop blowing!”
“Huh?” She hadn’t noticed it earlier, but her horn was making the light and noise that signified it was active. She tried to turn it off. The wind kept blowing. “I can’t stop!”
Shady fell over again as she tried to stand up. “What happened to you?” Gusty said. Shady finally managed to stand up, revealing exactly what was wrong. Her legs had grown overnight. She was twice as tall, with spindly legs holding up a body that hadn’t changed size.
“What’s going on, Gusty?” Shady said. “Did we get cursed or something?”
The door of the bedroom opened. “I heard a commotion in here,” Applejack said. “Wh—” She stared up at Shady. “Whoa, there,” she said. “Is that normal where y’all come from?” Gusty looked at Applejack, accidentally blowing off her hat and ruffling her mane.
“No!” Shady said. “Do you know what’s going on?” Gusty turned her head sideways, blowing against the wall. The papers in the room—probably homework—still fluttered around.
“Y’all came out of the Everfree Forest?” Applejack said. “It’s poison joke, I’m sure of it. Do y’all remember touchin’ any blue flowers?”
“Sure, they were all over the place,” Shady said, wobbling on her stilt-like legs. She had to duck to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling.
“Alright, we can fix this,” Applejack said. “Let’s see… I know Zecora can make the cure, but sending you back into the Everfree Forest might not be ideal. Hmm… There’s a book with the recipe. Ooh, Tirek—”
“Tirac is here??” Gusty said.
“Naw, he’s been turned to stone,” Applejack said. “But not before he destroyed the library. Um, let’s see here… Oh, the spa ponies! I think they know the recipe. Y’all up for a trip to the world-famous Ponyville Spa?” There was a knock at the front door. “Can ya get that, Big Mac?” Applejack called.
“Eeyup!” a stallion called back.
“Well, if we have to go to the spa to fix this, we’re going to the spa,” Gusty said. “But we can’t take any time to relax. We gotta find our friends.”
“Found them!” a voice cried. Fizzy darted into the room, almost knocking over Applejack. Fizzy ran up to Gusty and excitedly nuzzled her. “It’s so good to see you, Gusty! Hey, why are you blowing?”
“It’s good to see you too, Fizzy,” Gusty said. “My magic is out of control, but it’s not as bad as what happened to Shady.”
Gusty pointed, and Fizzy neighed in surprise. “Wow, I thought for sure you had passed your last growth spurt, Shady,” she said. “Still good to see you. I’m glad you’re both okay.”
“Are they?” a voice at the door said. “That’s beyond the scope of a normal growth spurt. What happened to you two?” Wind Whistler stood at the door.
“Something called poison joke,” Gusty said. “But we’ll get it fixed, right, Applejack?”
“Right,” Applejack said.
“I’m relieved we finally located you,” Wind Whistler said. “But we should lose no more time in sentimental reunion. We should seek a remedy to this immediately.”
“Follow me, then,” Applejack said, leaving the room.
Gusty looked over and Shady, rolling her eyes. “Typical Wind Whistler,” she said. Gusty’s wind was enough to ruin Shady’s precarious balance, and she went tumbling.
“Ouch!” Shady cried out. “It hurts to fall from so high.”
“Sorry, Shady,” Gusty said. “I forgot that everywhere I look, I blow.”
Eventually they managed to get Shady out of the house and headed towards the Ponyville Spa. As they walked through town, everypony stopped and stared at them, especially at Shady. “I wish I could just disappear,” Shady said. “I look ridiculous!”
“You sure do,” Gusty said. Shady blushed, looking around at the other ponies. Gusty tried to shut off her horn again, but it kept humming and glowing. A bulletin peeled off a wall ahead.
Soon they arrived at the spa. It was a welcoming, relaxing place, and it seemed all sorts of ponies came here, from well-muscled stallions to a group of giggling fillies. Applejack generously covered their treatment, and one of the spa ponies went off to prepare the herbal bath they would need. Shady sat on a couch, lowering her head. She looked horrifically uncomfortable and self-conscious. Gusty just had to keep her horn away from anypony. She ended up staring at the ceiling.
“Ve’re ready for you,” the spa pony said in a thick accent. She led them back to a room with a bath. “Stay in vater for tventy minutes to make sure treatment vorks,” the pony said.
“We’ll be waiting for you in the lobby,” Wind Whistler said.
Gusty looked at the bath—blowing off a layer of bubbles. It was a large tub, but Shady’s long legs had Gusty worried. “You get in first,” Gusty said. “I’ll get in after if there’s room.”
“Okay,” Shady said. She stepped over the edge of the bath and tripped, falling into the water with a plop. After splashing around with her long legs for a moment, she righted herself. She must have knelt down in the water, because she was mostly submerged. “There’s room you. And the water is nice.”
Gusty stepped into the bath. The water was a translucent green-blue. It was warm, and it had a nice, earthy fragrance to it. It reminded her of the forest, but not in a bad way. They must have walked past whatever herbs were in this bath, because the scent seemed familiar. Gusty submerged herself up to her neck. Her horn was still blowing. “How is this going to work?” Gusty said. “I can’t keep my head under for twenty minutes.”
“It seems to act fast,” Shady said. “My legs are already shorter.”
“Really?” Gusty said. “Well, let’s see if this works.” She took a big breath and dunked her head completely under the water. Her horn made a powerful current in the water, churning the whole bath. She could feel water rush past her ears from behind. After a few seconds, however, the water became calmer. Gusty removed her head from the water.
“Hey, your horn stopped!” Shady said.
“Great!” Gusty said. “Do we really need to stay here for twenty minutes?”
“It can’t hurt,” Shady said. “And maybe the symptoms will come back if we aren’t in here long enough.”
“Alright,” Gusty said, locking the stay apparatus in her legs for a quick standing rest. They stood quietly for a few minutes. Gusty occasionally dunked her horn into the water again. As her mind wandered, Gusty remembered the conversation last night where she had set the goal to be nicer. It had all slipped her mind in the chaos of this morning. She had already failed that goal today. “Shady, I just remembered that I said you looked ridiculous,” she said. “I made a goal to be nicer, and that wasn’t very nice. I’m sorry.”
“It’s no problem,” Shady said. “I said I looked ridiculous. You just agreed with me.”
“You looked uncomfortable,” Gusty said. “I could have said something to try to make you feel better. I’ll do better next time.”
“Okay, Gusty,” Shady said. “I’ll try to help remind you.”
By the time their bath was over, Gusty felt totally relaxed. Her horn was under control, and Shady was a nice pony to be around. Her skin felt refreshed. That herbal bath was pleasant, regardless of the symptoms it had cured. She dried off and returned to the spa lobby. Wind Whistler stood up and said, “The symptoms have abated, I see. If we hurry, we can make a rendezvous with a pony whose magical expertise may help us return to Dream Valley. Come along.”
Ugh. Gusty had such a relaxing time in the bath, and now she had to deal with this pony again. “Do you always gotta be so cold, Wind Whistler?” Gusty said.
“Pardon?” Wind Whistler said.
“You’ve just been whisking us around all morning,” Gusty said. “No time, we have to get you cured. No time, we have to meet this other pony. You know, I was glad to see you two. I didn’t know where you had gone. But there was no time for a sentimental reunion, apparently.”
“I didn’t know if the symptoms would become more severe with time,” Wind Whistler said. “And transportation is set on a strict schedule here. I don’t know exactly how it works, but we need to be at the town’s waystation in twelve minutes.”
“You didn’t even seem happy to see us,” Gusty said.
“Not this again,” Wind Whistler said, bowing her head.
“Again?” Gusty said.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve accused me of having no feelings.”
“Well, you sure act like you don’t.”
“You never even apologized!” Wind Whistler said, raising her voice. The spa lobby went quiet. “I risked everything to distract that stone canine, for your sake! Buttons and Truly apologized, but you never did!” She stomped her hooves on the floor, furious. “And your teasing was more hurtful than either of theirs! Now you accuse me of not being happy to see you? I was worried sick about you!” Wind Whistler paused, and her eyes darted around the room at all the ponies who were watching her. She bolted out the door.
“Wait, come back, Wind Whistler!” Fizzy called from the door. Wind Whistler did not return.
“Oh, no,” Shady said quietly.
“Oops,” Gusty said, feeling chagrined as she thought about her personal improvement goal. “I guess I messed up again, huh?”
She had yelled at Gusty, not vice versa. She would not make herself the victim, even though she felt that way. Certainly she would not cry in front of all these ponies. She had flown straight to the Ponyville Station. Hopefully the others would realize where she had gone and they could keep on schedule.
Wind Whistler had just perfectly demonstrated exactly the kind of emotional outburst she usually tried to avoid. There was nothing inherently wrong with emotions. They were only problematic when they inhibited common sense. The ponies of Dream Valley found themselves in high-pressure situations so often that Wind Whistler rarely let herself get too emotional. Her cool head had helped them out of many a tight spot. Now her outburst could cause them to miss their meeting with Twilight, and worse, she had almost certainly hurt Gusty’s feelings.
“I thought I might find you here,” a voice said. It was Gusty. Wind Whistler stood up, feeling anger as cold as ice inside her. Anger was the emotion Wind Whistler liked the least. Happiness and even sadness had their proper place. But anger helped no one. “I’m sorry,” Gusty said. “I was mean to you.”
“I apologize as well,” Wind Whistler said stiffly. “I should not have raised my voice at you.”
“It was my fault,” Gusty said. Her ears were down and her head hung low, a submissive posture. “I didn’t know you were still hurt from that time with the Rockdog.”
“I shouldn’t have pent up antipathy for so long,” Wind Whistler said. “It is illogical to hold on to past grievances.”
Gusty hesitated. “I don’t understand you, Wind Whistler,” she said. “Half the time I just don’t know what you’re saying, and even when I understand the words I don’t know why you do what you do. You always act like you have no feelings, but clearly I hurt you. I don’t know what you’re feeling. Maybe I could make it right if you told me?”
Wind Whistler didn’t like talking about her feelings. But maybe that was the only way she would connect with Gusty. She didn’t want to lose Gusty as a friend. She appreciated the unicorn’s selfless bravery. In the very same incident with the Rockdog, Gusty had risked herself to help the others escape, getting turned to stone. None of them knew if there was any way to reverse the petrification. Gusty very well could have died. Beyond being heroic, Gusty was just a fun pony to be around when she wasn’t teasing. Wind Whistler wanted Gusty along in both dangerous adventures and relaxing picnics. She had to find a way to restore their friendship.
“Buttons and Truly saw me get emotional in a high-pressure situation with the Rockdog,” Wind Whistler said. “That’s how they knew for certain that I do have feelings. You were petrified at the time, so I understand why you never apologized. But I still resent you for starting the whole affair. The other two were merely chiming in; you were the first to start teasing me.” Wind Whistler looked right into Gusty’s green eyes as she said, “I do have feelings. I simply don’t want to allow them to inhibit my ability to make good decisions.”
Some kind of machine moved up to the station, and dozens of ponies exited and boarded it. They had missed their opportunity. But it didn’t seem important at the moment. “That doesn’t mean I wasn’t happy to see you this morning,” Wind Whistler continued. “I was filled with anxiety for your welfare ever since we were separated. When I heard that you were in Sweet Apple Acres, I was so relieved, I was nearly brought to tears. I took a moment to compose myself, which is why I arrived in the room after Fizzy. I’m glad I did, because I don’t know how I would have reacted to seeing you in your afflicted conditions if I hadn’t calmed myself beforehoof.”
“You were that worried about me?” Gusty said quietly.
“I try to contain emotional outbursts,” Wind Whistler said. “I think I demonstrated just a few minutes ago exactly what can go wrong if emotions are not kept in check. Despite not always expressing it, I truly do enjoy spending time with you. I want to be your friend. But I need you to respect me.”
Gusty stepped closer and gently nuzzled Wind Whistler. “Thank you for telling me all this,” she said. “I’ll do my best to respect you from now on. Friends?”
“Friends,” Wind Whistler affirmed.
“Wow, that was beautiful,” a voice said. Fizzy came onto the station platform, wiping away a tear. “I’m so glad you made up.”
“Fizzy, how long have you been here?” Wind Whistler said sharply. Shady, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity came around the corner of the ticket office into view.
“A few minutes,” Fizzy said. “We didn’t want to interrupt you.”
“I’m grateful we were afforded the opportunity to reconcile,” Wind Whistler said. “But I’m afraid we’ve missed our scheduled departure.”
“Don’t fret about it,” Applejack said. “Shady stopped us all before we got to the platform so y’all could finish workin’ that out. Twilight is a busy pony, but she’ll understand. She is the Princess of Friendship, after all. We’ll just git on the next train.”
They had to wait thirty-two minutes until the next train. And what a sight the train was! Wind Whistler had been occupied with more important matters when the last train had passed. But now that she was really looking at it, she didn’t know what to make of it. It was a colorful machine that pumped steam out the top. The weight of the whole contraption must have been tremendous. “Darling, you look like you’ve never seen a train before,” Rarity said as she walked past her to board.
“I hadn’t before today,” Wind Whistler said, following Rarity. Shady, Gusty, and Fizzy sat for a pleasant conversation with Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, but Wind Whistler’s mind was still on the train. She walked towards the front, intent on learning more about how it worked. As she passed row after row of passenger seats, she started to think that perhaps this machine carried more ponies than Wind Whistler had ever seen in one place. The prosperity of Equestria was beyond Wind Whistler’s comprehension. Their technology was beyond anything in Ponyland, their population was orders of magnitude greater than the little ponies of Dream Valley, and Ponyville seemed so peaceful and friendly.
Wind Whistler got to the front car, which appeared to power the whole machine. She convinced the operators to let her observe. After watching for several minutes, she started to gather that the heat energy of the coal furnace caused a state change in water, and the energy of the steam was converted into the kinetic energy of the train. Wind Whistler wondered if she could duplicate such a device on a smaller scale back home.
The train arrived at its destination. Wind Whistler exited the train and stared in awe. They had arrived in a city that was nestled halfway up a mountain. There wasn’t too much room up here, but this city was clearly more central than Ponyville. Its buildings were more impressive and lavish. “Welcome to Canterlot!” Rarity said proudly. “Magnificent, isn’t it?” At the highest point of the city was a structure with imposing spires and colorful, pointed domes. “That’s where we’re going,” Rarity said, following Wind Whistler’s gaze. “The Canterlot Castle.”
They made their way up towards the Canterlot Castle. The ponies here seemed to move with more purpose than in Ponyville, and they were perhaps less welcoming than the ponies of Ponyville. No spontaneous musical numbers here. They were also almost all unicorns. Curious. They arrived at the gates of the castle, and the guards let them in, apparently recognizing Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. After making a few turns, they found themselves in a spacious, lavish chamber with stained glass windows and little channels of water running along the sides of the room.
Waiting near the front of the room, standing just beneath the elevated throne, was a purple pony with a horn and wings, along with Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and an impossibly familiar purple dragon. “Spike?” Wind Whistler said, thoroughly surprised.
“That’s me!” the dragon said. His voice was different, however. “Why, you heard of me?”
“Don’t you recognize me?” she said. “It’s me, Wind Whister.”
“Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met,” he said.
The purple pony, who wore a crown, looked at Wind Whistler and her friends and said, “Welcome to the Friendship Council. I’m Twilight Sparkle.”
Wind Whistler, Shady, Fizzy, and Gusty introduced themselves. “I’m sorry we’re late,” Applejack said. “I know this Friendship Council is mighty important, but these ponies need our help. I reckoned helpin’ them is the best we can do with our time.”
“If they need our help, of course that’s a good use of our time,” Twilight said. “But first…” With a flash of purple light, she winked right next to Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie and wrapped them all up in her wings. “I’ve missed you. Things have been hectic here in Canterlot. I wish you’d all write more.”
“I’m sorry, things have been so busy,” Applejack said. “I’ll do better.”
“Me too,” Pinkie said.
“I think I’ve been fairly consistent…” Rarity said.
“You have been,” Twilight said. “Anyway, what can we help you four with?” She turned to Wind Whistler and the others.
“We come from Dream Valley, in Ponyland,” Wind Whistler said. “So far no one we’ve met has heard of it.”
Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Nor have I,” she said. She levitated a notebook and quill from her throne. “Tell me everything.” A curious one, Wind Whistler noted. We might get along well.
Wind Whistler described in detail the distortion they had walked through, as well as reciting Pinkie’s theory on what it was. “Pinkie’s multiverse theory may have some validity,” Wind Whistler added. She stared at Spike and said, “We have met several individuals here who bear an uncanny resemblance to individuals in Ponyland.” She glanced at Fluttershy and said, “It’s happened at least four times now. It seems too unlikely to be coincidental.”
“Yeah, I don’t think you’ve met my mom, Twilight, but Wind Whistler?” Rainbow Dash said. “Windy Whistles? This is just bizarre. Although in fairness, you act nothing like my mother.” Wind Whistler wasn’t sure how that was meant to be taken.
“Well, this is absolutely fascinating,” Twilight said. “I don’t know off the top of my head how to send you back to Ponyland, but I’ll bet the information is somewhere in the library.”
“A library?” Wind Whistler said. “I’d be happy to help you search.”
“However, we do have some crucial matters to discuss, as well,” Twilight said. Spike unrolled a long scroll. “We cannot skip this stuff, and I know the five of you are very busy with your lives in Ponyville. Let’s discuss these matters quickly, then you can all head back to Ponyville while Wind Whistler and I search the library.”
“Sweetie, your life is the busiest of all of us,” Rarity said. “You’ll find whatever you’re looking for more quickly with more eyes searching. I insist on staying to help you search.”
“I’ll stay, too,” Fluttershy said.
“I reckon we all feel that way, ain’t that right?” Applejack said, looking at Rainbow Dash.
“Hey, of course I’ll help,” Rainbow said in an accused tone.
“Thank you all,” Twilight said. She turned to Wind Whistler and her friends. “You are welcome to listen in if you’d like. Or the guards can show you to the kitchen, if you’re hungry. We’ll be done in two hours and eleven minutes, if we stick to my schedule.”
“I’d like to listen in, if you don’t mind,” Wind Whistler said.
“You listen in, but I’m going to the kitchen,” Gusty said.
“I’ll come with you, Gusty,” Fizzy said.
“I’m half-starved,” Shady said. “We’ll see you after the meeting, Wind Whistler.” The three of them followed a guard out of the room.
Twilight turned to her friends, looking over the list Spike held. “Now, what do you all think about funding the construction of a railroad across the Tenochtitlan Basin?”
After wandering around the library for another ten minutes, Fizzy circled back to the desk where Wind Whistler was working. Twilight Sparkle was still with her. The two of them were comparing two books, talking about… something. Fizzy didn’t understand half the words they were saying. “Hey, Wind Whistler,” Fizzy said. “I still don’t really know what I’m looking for.”
Wind Whistler looked up from her book and said, “I already explained to you what we’re looking for. I know this kind of research is complicated, but I simply can’t slow down to help you right now. Twilight and I are making magnificent progress towards understanding this enigma. I’d suggest you find one of the other ponies and help them.”
“Okay, Wind Whistler,” Fizzy said, feeling a little deflated. She was just no good at this kind of thing. She walked away from Wind Whistler’s desk, randomly browsing the shelves.
“What’s up, Fizzy?” a voice said. “You look a little lost.”
“Huh?” Fizzy said, looking around. “Where are you?” There was nobody around.
The voice chuckled and said, “I’m right here.” Fizzy followed the sound and noticed a pair of blue eyes staring at her from behind a shelf, having removed two books to have a view. Fizzy walked around the shelf. It was Pinkie Pie.
“I don’t really know how to help,” Fizzy said. “I’m no good at research.”
“This is some really advanced interdimensional theory we’re researching,” Pinkie said. “Say, I have an idea! We’ve been researching for a while, and I think I saw Rainbow Dash banging her head in frustration. Why don’t you and I go out and get the others some refreshments?”
“Gee, that sounds great!” Fizzy said. They started walking towards the exit of the library. “We should get them something that isn’t too greasy or crumby. I’d hate to ruin those books.”
“You’re right,” Pinkie said. “What’s least likely to cause a mess?”
“Well, I’m the clumsiest pony I know,” Fizzy said. “But I never spill a drink if I have a straw to go with it. How about some soda or something?”
“It might have to be ‘or something,’” Pinkie said as they stepped out of the library. “We’re in Canterlot. It’s all high-class foods and beverages here. I don’t know where we could find soda.”
“Well, can we make our own?” Fizzy said.
“Hmm…” Pinkie pondered. “I know some candies that you can dissolve in water to make a good soda flavor, and I’m sure we could find those here. But I don’t know where to find a carbonator pump.”
Fizzy chuckled and said, “You’ve got one!” She cantered over to a puddle across the street and lit up her horn. Bubbles rose from the puddle.
“WHAAAAAAT??” Pinkie said, practically glowing with excitement. “You can carbonate whatever drink whenever you want? THAT’S SO AMAZING!!”
“Gee, thanks,” Fizzy said. “Should we go get some candy and water?”
“Of course!” Pinkie let out a scream. “This is so exciting!”
* * *
Shady plopped another stack of books onto the table. Fluttershy looked up from her book, eyes wide. “That’s a lot of books,” she said.
“I know, but we have to be thorough,” Shady said. “With magic as obscure as sending ponies back to an alternate reality, we don’t know where the answers might be. Better to be thorough the first time than to skim the library, miss the answers, and start over. I don’t want to test my luck by searching in only a few places.”
“We brought soda!” Pinkie Pie said quietly, trotting towards Shady and Fluttershy. Shady had heard Pinkie shout “soda” in several sections of the library, each time met by aggressive shushing. Pinkie had a tray with glasses of colorful drinks and straws, and Fizzy was with her. “What flavors do you want?” Pinkie said.
“Do you have grape?” Fluttershy said.
“You bet,” Pinkie said, putting a glass on the table.
“The usual for you?” Fizzy said to Shady.
“Yes, please,” Shady said.
“Good because finding a cardamom-flavored candy was not easy,” Pinkie said, putting a brown drink on the table. “But Fizzy insisted that we got it right. She’s a good friend like that.” Fizzy’s horn lit up, adding just the right amount of fizz to Shady’s drink.
“How much fizz do you want, Fluttershy?” Fizzy said.
“Just a little, thank you,” Fluttershy said. Fizzy’s horn lit up, and Fluttershy’s purple beverage started lightly bubbling.
Shady sipped through her straw. Root beer with hints of vanilla, cardamom, and ginger. Fizzy often made drinks for her friends, and after years of experimentation Shady had decided that this flavor combination was perfect. “It’s like a little sip of home,” Shady said. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” Fizzy said. “Let’s see if we can find Wind Whistler and Twilight.” They trotted off.
“They seem to be getting along,” Fluttershy said.
“Yeah,” Shady said. She sipped her soda and turned her attention back to the stack of books. She opened the first book and started skimming the contents for useful topics or references. It was just so much to look through. Shady quickly felt overwhelmed. “Oh, this is hopeless,” she said, laying her head on the table. “What if we never find our way home? I like it here, but I can’t bear the thought of never seeing my friends again! Heart Throb, and Paradise, and Surprise, and Buttons, and Lickety Split, and Galaxy, and Posey and all the others must be so worried about us. I miss them!”
“That sounds scary,” Fluttershy said softly. “I know what it’s like to feel like everything won’t work out.”
“Really?” Shady said, sniffling.
“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy said. “My friends and I have had to fight to protect Equestria from doom. Too many times it’s felt like everypony’s fates were on my shoulders, and I was terrified I would fail.”
“Equestria has faced threats like that?” Shady said. “But everything seems so peaceful.”
“It hasn’t always been that way, but every time things worked out,” Fluttershy said. “Your situation will work out too.”
“How can you be so positive?” Shady said.
“Do you want to know the secret? It’s okay to be scared, but you can’t let that freeze you and prevent you from doing your best.”
Shady was surprised to see such bravery from Fluttershy. Maybe she had this idea that all the bravest ponies were like Gusty, loud and bold. But if shy, quiet Fluttershy could be brave, so could Shady. “Thanks for the encouragement,” Shady said. “Let’s figure this magic out.” She started flipping through another book.
* * *
Gusty sipped her club soda, using a light breeze to flip through the pages of another book. Rainbow Dash happened to be walking by at the same time. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she said, pausing in Gusty’s breeze. “Is that you?”
“Yeah, that’s me,” Gusty said, turning off the breeze. “It’s easier than turning the pages by hoof.”
“Neat spell,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Thanks,” Gusty said.
“I’ve never met a unicorn who could control an element of the weather,” Rainbow said. “Not even Twilight does that.”
“From what I’m reading, it seems like unicorn magic works a little differently here,” Gusty said.
“Say, how strong a wind could you make?”
“Strong enough to blow a pony off her hooves,” Gusty said.
Rainbow smirked and said, “You wanna take a little break from researching?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“We’re not far from the summit of Canterlot Peak,” Rainbow said. “Let’s go to the top and you make as strong as wind as you can. Then I’ll fly through and see how much of a boost you can give me.”
“Sounds fun,” Gusty said. “As long as we’re quick. I don’t want to leave the others toiling in the library while we’re out having fun for the whole afternoon.”
“Obviously we can’t do that,” Rainbow said. “We’ll be fast. Let’s go.”
Gusty stood atop Canterlot Peak. From here she could see the landscape below in every direction for many miles. The old snow was hard under her hooves. The sun was warm, but a chill wind blew. Perfect. Gusty’s magic was more powerful when she was building off a wind that already existed.
Rainbow Dash hovered next to Gusty. “To start out, blow some wind and I’ll fly against it to a get a feel for how strong you are,” Rainbow said.
Gusty added a little more speed to the wind that was already blowing. Rainbow turned against it, flapping slowly to stay in the same place. Gusty turned up the strength of her wind, and her horn glowed brighter and whirred louder. Rainbow flapped harder to stay in the same place. Soon her mane and tail were whipping wildly and she had to squint to protect her eyes from the wind.
Gusty turned up her magic to maximum strength. In the open air of the mountaintop, Gusty managed to make an impressive gale, maybe one of her fastest ever. Rainbow wavered for a moment, nearly getting blown away, but she managed to recover. She beat her wings furiously just to keep up. She let out an elated whoop. Then, to Gusty’s surprise, she sped up and broke past Gusty’s wind. Without the headwind, she shot off with a sudden burst of speed. Wow, she’s fast. Gusty thought. Most pegasi couldn’t fly faster than Gusty’s full-strength gales.
Rainbow Dash came back to Gusty and said, “That was great! Now do it again, and this time I’ll use it as a tailwind.” Gusty’s horn lit up again. Rainbow backed up and let Gusty build up her wind to full speed. She flew a wide circle to come at Gusty’s wind at high speed. She slipped into Gusty’s airstream and—
BOOM! There was a sudden burst of colorful light, a bone-rattling sound, and a shockwave that threw Gusty into the snow. She blinked, trying to clear the splotches of color that lingered in her vision. Suddenly Rainbow was standing over her, helping her stand on wobbly legs. Rainbow said something, but Gusty’s ears were ringing. Rainbow spoke again, and Gusty managed to understand. “Gusty, say something! How many hooves am I holding up?”
“One,” Gusty said. “What happened?”
“I’m so sorry!” Rainbow said. “I underestimated your wind. You pushed me past the rainbarrier, and I did a sonic rainboom right on top of you. It was my fault. Are you okay?”
“I, uh…” Gusty’s ears were still ringing, and she felt dizzy.
“Let’s get you off this mountain,” Rainbow said. She hovered over Gusty and wrapped her legs around her to pick her up.
“I can walk,” Gusty said.
“No, you look wobbly,” Rainbow said. “I don’t want you to trip.” She lifted Gusty into the air and carried her down the mountain. By the time Rainbow put her down in a street in Canterlot, she was feeling better. “Do you need to see a doctor?” Rainbow said.
“No, I feel fine now,” Gusty said. “I think I was just a little shocked.”
“I feel so bad,” Rainbow said, ears down. “I just wanted to have some fun, but I could have killed you!”
“Hey, I had fun,” Gusty said. “That mountain was a great place to practice my magic. And, you know, I had never seen a ‘sonic rainboom’ before. Now I’ve seen one up close.”
Rainbow chuckled. “You know, you’re a cool pony,” she said. They were just outside the library, and they started walking back inside. “Do you play any sports? We should hang out sometime.”
“I play several sports,” Gusty said. “As for hanging out, let’s figure out how to get me home first. Then can see if there’s a way for us to visit.”
“Oh, right,” Rainbow said.
* * *
“Please pass me Starswirl’s Compendium,” Wind Whistler said. Purple magic levitated the massive tome towards her.
“Did you find something useful?” Twilight said.
“Possibly,” Wind Whistler said. “It may just be another version of the mirror gate spell. I need to compare them.” Wind Whistler flipped in the compendium to the mirror gate spell and compared it with the spell she had just found in another book. “Hmm… I may need your expertise,” Wind Whistler said. “I don’t quite understand this ‘horn notation.’ Galaxy would have been a more proficient researcher in arcane topics than me, had she been here.”
“You have been a brilliant research partner,” Twilight said. “Let me see that spell.” She stood next to Wind Whistler, comparing the two spells. “This is something different, alright. Let me see if this fits into the formula that Shady and Fluttershy found.” She took the book back to her seat. After looking over it again, she started scribbling furiously.
Wind Whistler watched her in admiration. Twilight seemed to share Wind Whistler’s passion of learning for learning’s sake. She was educated, focused, and brilliant. Apparently she was the “Princess of Friendship,” whatever that meant, but she wasn’t constantly chatty like Pinkie Pie. Through these hours of research, Twilight and Wind Whistler had wasted no words in idle chat, only talking to communicate their findings. It was refreshing to spend so much time with a pony who seemed to think more like Wind Whistler, a pony who could keep up with her complex ideas—and even surpass her in the topic of magic. There were smart ponies in Paradise Estates—Galaxy and Paradise, for example. But they had their differences with Wind Whistler, and sometimes she felt isolated because nobody’s mind worked quite like hers.
“This is it!” Twilight said, tossing her paper in the air in elation. “Wind Whistler, you’re a genius! With this spell, we can get you home.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Wind Whistler said. “A thought has crossed my mind. I would like to visit you all again once this is all over. Could we use that mirror gate spell to establish a connection between our worlds?”
“I think that’s a great idea!” Twilight said. “I’ll have to go with you to Ponyland to set up the connection. Let me finish calibrating this spell to your reality, then we’ll meet in the library to send you home.”
* * *
All the ponies had gathered in the throne room. “I’d like to express our gratitude to the six of you for offering such valuable assistance to us,” Wind Whistler said.
“Absolutely, you six are amazing!” Fizzy said happily. “You’re all so generous, and smart, and funny. I can’t wait to see you all again.”
Everyone said tender goodbyes, exchanging gratitude and hugs, except Wind Whistler and Twilight. Wind Whistler didn’t like goodbyes. As for Twilight, when Fizzy tried to hug her, she said, “I’m going with you to set up the connection between our worlds, Fizzy.”
“Oh, right,” Fizzy said, hugging her anyway.
“Wait, if you’re going to an alternate reality, I want to come too,” Rainbow Dash said. “It could be dangerous.”
“Oh, take me too!” Pinkie said. “We should all go!”
“I don’t see why not,” Twilight said.
“As long as we don’t stay too long,” Applejack said. “Those apples ain’t gonna farm themselves.”
“Your world isn’t too scary, is it?” Fluttershy said.
“Oh, it’s terrifying!” Gusty said, smirking. “Just wait until I tell you about Grogar!”
“Grogar?” Twilight said.
“Don’t try to scare them,” Shady said. “Our world has its threatening forces, just like yours. But most likely you won’t encounter anything dangerous in a short visit.”
“Sorry, she’s right,” Gusty said.
“Very well,” Rarity said. “Shall we begin?”
“Yes,” Twilight said. She raised a scroll for reference, then cast a spell on an elaborate mirror with a pink frame. “That’s our world’s gate,” she said. “But that’s the easy part. Getting to Ponyland is the hard part.” She raised another scroll.
“You can do it, Twilight,” Pinkie said. “It’ll be easy-peasy!” Twilight cast a beam directly at the scroll, apparently using the text to trigger the spell. She seemed to visibly strain as her horn continued to glow and hum. A distortion opened up in the middle of the room. It had swirling, fractured rainbow patterns, just like the portal they had walked through yesterday.
The portal flickered and wavered. “Gah, something’s wrong,” Twilight said. “It’s unstable on this end.” Her horn stopped glowing, but the distortion stayed. Then it suddenly jerked forward and passed over Fizzy, who vanished into it. “Gosh, it’s still going!” Twilight said. She blasted the scroll with another beam, but nothing seemed to change. The portal rushed over to where Gusty stood, engulfing her. It moved towards Shady next, who jumped back, startled. The portal lurched forward, as though attracted to Shady, and she disappeared through it as well. “I’m sorry, I can’t control it!” Twilight said. “I hope this takes you to the right place.” Wind Whistler flinched as the colorful distortion rushed at her.
Chaotic sensations ensued as gravity shifted and colors warped. Wind Whistler landed on a blanket of bouncy bubbles. “Thank you, Fizzy,” Wind Whistler said, standing up shakily, feeling disoriented. They were in a street, and not at Paradise Estates. It was a town that looked strangely similar to Ponyville.
“Whoa, that was the weirdest rainbow I’ve ever seen!” a voice said. Wind Whistler turned to see a mint green earth pony with a mane of light and dark pink stripes. “Is everything okay in Unicornia?” she said. She stepped up to Shady and said, “Wait, you’re not all unicorns. Where are you from?”
“Paradise Estates, in Dream Valley,” Wind Whistler said, dreading what came next.
“Wow, I’ve never even heard of it,” the green pony said with a goofy chuckle. There it is, Wind Whistler thought, disappointed. “Just wait until I tell Pinkie Pie about this!”
“Pinkie Pie?” Wind Whistler said hopefully. “Are we still in Equestria?”
“Nope, haven’t heard of it, either,” the green pony said. “Hey, my name’s Minty. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Oh dear,” Wind Whistler said. “Something appears to have gone wrong.”