Tang Ri Shan

My Little Pony Equestria Girls- Project Tantabus

(This is a sequel to Equestria Girls- Seeing Double)

Ch 6

"WOOAAAAAOOOOOAAAAAOOOOAAAAHHHHHHH!" Twilight Sparkle screamed as she fell through the swirling vortex, she did NOT enjoy this feeling, the feeling of having her body stretched like taffy and wound up like a rubber band. Behind her, she could hear similar cries coming from her friends, except for Pinkie, whose squeal of "WHEEEEEEEEE!" seemed to echo through Twilight's head. She shut her eyes and waited for the experience to end.

Just when Twilight was afraid the feeling would never stop, there was a sudden flash of light followed by the sensation of pain as her body slammed into pavement, followed by even more pain as she felt her friends fall on top of her. "Urgh, can you girls get off me please?" She groaned as she felt her friend's shift off of her in response, allowing her to rise to her knees.

Twilight opened her eyes to see Canterlot High rising majestically above her and felt herself smile as she got to her feet and dusted herself off. She could never explain why, but she was starting to feel just as comfortable in this dimension as she did back in Equestria, maybe it was because she had been coming here so many times.

And this time, the fate of this world is not hanging in the balance! Twilight thought happily.

"AAAH!" Twilight spun around as five voices simultaneously gasped.

"Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy shot backwards, colliding painfully with the base of the statue behind her. She stared at her new hands in a mixture of horror and amazement, her breathing coming fast and heavy.

"Fluttershy, what's wrong?" Twilight dashed to her friend's side as Fluttershy turned to look at her, her eyes wide.

"Wh-what's happened to me?" She squeaked fearfully.

"What's happened to all of us?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as the girls took in their new human bodies and the clothing that had magically appeared on them.

"You're human now, remember?" Twilight smiled at them. "When a pony from Equestria comes through the portal to this world, they become human, but there's no reason to be scared of it."

"Well, maybe a little reason." Applejack cringed as she examined her long legs. "This feels...kinda weird" The other girls agreed.

"Oh come on!" Twilight countered. "You saw what your human counterparts looked like in the pictures they sent you, remember?"

"It's one thing to see it in a picture, darling. To actually experience it..." Rarity broke off as her new fingers traced over something that lay beneath her shirt. Her face reddened and she jerked her hand away. "I have to agree with Applejack, this is very, very weird!"

"You mean it's cool!" Pinkie chirped, reaching out to pick up a small stone lying nearby. "I like this outfit, and I don't have to pick things up with my mouth anymore. Come on, you've gotta like that!"

"She does make a good point" Applejack said, examining her hands.

"Hmm yes, these things do seem to have much more dexterity than pony hooves" Rarity commented, flexing her fingers.

"I guess I could get used to this" Fluttershy relented, pulling her long pink hair out of her eyes.

"Forget about what we look now! Come on, let's take a look around!" Rainbow Dash bent down, and then jumped up into the air, only to land with a thud. "Ow! Hey what happened?" She rose to her knees and jumped again, only to land hard again. "Ow! I can't fly!"

"Makes sense, it'd be kinda hard for ya ta fly with no wings" Applejack commented.

"WHAT?!" Rainbow Dash yelped, twisting her head around to glance behind her. Her eyes widened when she saw that there were no feathery appendages sprouting from her back. "My wings, they're gone!"

"EEEK! So are mine!" Fluttershy whimpered after she checked too.

"Now just calm down..." Twilight began

"Rarity and Twilight's horns are gone too!" Rainbow Dash cut her off.

"WHAT?" Rarity gasped, and slapped her hand to her forehead, searching for her horn. Upon not finding it, she started to panic, causing Applejack to place a hand across her mouth.

"Easy there Sugarcube. Ya gonna be okay?"

Rarity nodded and Applejack released her. "B-but how am I supposed to use magic without my horn?"

"You can't" Twilight explained, trying to calm her down. "Humans don't have wings or horns, because they naturally can't fly or use magic."

"But you've used magic when you were here before" Applejack argued. "And you said yer friends have used it as well"

"Yes, but that was magic that was brought to this world from Equestria when Sunset Shimmer stole my crown, remember?" Twilight reminded them. "Magic doesn't naturally exist in this world"

"But then, how do humans control the weather?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Or raise the sun and the moon?" Rarity added

"Or communicate with animals?" Fluttershy pressed

"Or tend the fields?" Applejack finished.

"Well..." Twilight paused, trying to determine the best answer. "They don't really. I mean, humans do tend fields here, but not with magic. As for everything else, like the sun and moon, the weather, and the animals, they all take care of themselves"

Twilight's friends gasped in horror. "That's horrible!" Fluttershy gasped.

"No, that's just the way it works here" Twilight replied, glancing from one face to another. "I know it's a shock, but you'll get used to it"

"So what now?" Pinkie asked.

"Now we have to find my human counterpart, and Sunset's human counterpart" Twilight said, looking around. "They should be around here somewhere"

---

Peeking through the large doors that lead into the school, 'Sunset' and 'Twilight' were trying their hardest not to laugh as they watched Twilight's friends struggled to adjust to their new bodies.

"I wonder if this is what Twilight felt like when she first got here?" 'Sunset' giggled.

"And I thought I was an awkward person" 'Twilight' chuckled.

'Sunset's eyes suddenly lit up. "Hey, you wanna have some fun?" She whispered.

"What do you mean?" 'Twilight' asked.

"I mean" 'Sunset's face now sported an evil grin. "Let's just see how 'observant' the Princess of Friendship really is"

'Twilight' looked confused, then gasped as realization dawned on her. "You're evil, you know that?"

'Sunset' shrugged. "It's the clothes, I swear" She said, adjusting her top. "Besides..." She looked at 'Twilight'. "Don't you owe your double one for what happened at that sleepover, when she was pretending to be Cadence?"

'Twilight' grinned. "Okay, I'm in" She said quickly. "What do you have in mind?"

"Just follow my lead" 'Sunset' smirked. The two girls crept through the doors. 'Sunset motioned for 'Twilight to wait, then moved until she was at the bottom of the steps and leaned against the railing, pasting a sneer on her face.

Behind her, 'Twilight' fought the urge to giggle and turned slightly away.

"Well, well, well!" 'Sunset' spoke in her Beverly Hoofs accent, making Twilight and her friends look up. "What do we have here?"

"Huh?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

'Sunset' hid her smirk and turned to 'Twilight who was staring down at her iPod. "Hey Cirrus, look what the portal spat out?"

'Twilight' looked up and pretended to just now see Twilight and the others. She gave a dramatic gasp. "Twilight Sparkle? What is she doing back here?" She exclaimed, pointing at Twilight, while trying to keep from cracking up at her double's confused expression. how does it feel, Twilight? She thought as she came level with 'Sunset'.

"Friends of yours?" Applejack glanced at Twilight.

"Uh..." Twilight started to say.

"Oh please!" 'Sunset' cut her off. "Friendship is, like soo last season. Twilight and I are acquaintances at best!"

"I wouldn't even go that far Scarlet, considering what she did to us." 'Twilight' narrowed her eyes as she gazed at her double. "Oh, and in case you were wondering Twilight, No, I still haven't forgiven you" 'Twilight' made a big show of crossing her arms and looking away in disgust, which was really an effort to hide her barely concealed grin.

"'Forgiven her'?" Rarity repeated, before looking at Twilight. "Twilight, what's going on?"

"I have no idea!" Twilight exclaimed. "I've never seen these girls before!"

Both 'Sunset' and 'Twilight' pretended to gasp in horror.

"Seriously?" 'Sunset' snapped, moving forward until she was nose-to-nose with Twilight. "You, like, don't remember who we are? After what, like, happened between us the last time you were here, you have the nerve to stand there and say you've forgotten...who...we...are!" With each word, she pushed herself into Twilight, knocking the pony back until she was pressed against the base of the statue.

"We're Scarlet Flame and Cirrus Cloud, remember?" 'Twilight' added. "You're ex-best friends in this world!"

"Wow Twilight, you didn't mention these two girls were your best friends here!" Pinkie said. Unlike the other girls, she didn't look nervous.

"That's because they're not!" Twilight pleaded, she looked like she was on the verge of panicking. "I've never met them before!"

"Do you ever stop lying, Twilight Sparkle?" 'Sunset' placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder, keeping her pinned against the statue.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Rainbow Dash tried to come to Twilight's aid, but quickly lost her balance and fell back on her butt.

"Ha! Smooth move!" 'Twilight' laughed. "First day with your new legs?" She teased, glancing at Twilight as she spoke. She bit her lip when she saw a look of shock appear on her double's face.

Rainbow Dash glared at them, but 'Sunset' ignored her, and turned back to Twilight.

"Seriously though, you seriously don't remember us? That is like, soooooo rude of you! Wouldn't you like, totally agree Cirrus?" 'Sunset' winked at 'Twilight'

'Twilight nodded'. "Oh yes Scarlet, definitely" She said, moving her glasses up and down, hoping Twilight would notice them. "It's completely and utterly heinous!"

"Uh, Yeah, it is! I feel like, sooooo under appreciated right now. Especially considering how we like, totally saved your life the last time you were here! Remember that?" 'Sunset' snapped, the hair from her red wig flashing as she ran her free hand through it while she spoke. She made sure to show a flash of yellow from her real hair underneath.

"Wait, what?" Twilight blinked in surprise.

"Some 'Princess of Friendship you are!" 'Twilight' snorted, accenting the title with her fingertips. "And to think I actually fell for your friendly disguise, I'm never making that mistake again!" She looked Twilight in the eye, and winked.

"Disguise? What...?" Twilight muttered as she watched 'Twilight' fiddle with her glasses again. Her gaze slowly swept over 'Twilight', then 'Sunset', both of who were desperately trying to hold onto their angry looks, but who were both failing miserably. Twilight's eyes suddenly widened, than narrowed to angry slits. "HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!" She exclaimed as both girls dissolved into hysterical laughter. "GIRLS! THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" She yelled.

"It is to us!" 'Twilight' chuckled in her own voice as she let go of Twilight and slapped 'Twilight' a high-five.

"Gotcha!" 'Twilight' crowed. "Gotcha good!"

Twilight groaned and rubbed her head.

"Uh, what just happened?" Applejack asked, her face mirroring the confusion exhibited by the rest of the girls, except for Pinkie Pie, who chuckled.

"Isn't it obvious?" Pinkie chirped. "These girls are actually the human counterparts of Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer, who helped Twilight face off against Imitae the last time Twilight came to Canterlot high. The two Twilights exchanged places so that the real Twilight could disguise herself and track down Imitae without people wondering why there were two Twilights in the same place, because hello! That would be weird! So anyway, they eventually found out that Imitae was planning to control everyone during a big dance, so they enlisted the aid of Sunset's human counterpart, and then they all wore the same costume to the dance so that Imitae couldn't tell who was who and then the two humans harnessed the power of a magical stone to destroy Imitae's power once and for all! And now they're in disguise again because they want to help plan Sunset Shimmer's upcoming birthday party without her knowing about it! But when they saw us come through the portal they just couldn't resist having a little fun with us!" Pinkie inhaled a tankful of air after speaking. "Right?" She finished, beaming at the two humans, who were staring at her with wide eyes.

'Twilight' and 'Sunset' exchanged a glance. "Yeah, more or less" 'Sunset' replied, her surprise evident.

"HEE HEE! I thought so!" Pinkie smiled triumphantly, bouncing up and down on her feet and clapping her hands together.

"So what was all that about just now?" Applejack's eyes narrowed at the two.

"Yeah girls, you really scared me" Twilight added, giving them an annoyed look.

"We're sorry Twilight, but we just felt like we owed you one" 'Twilight' replied slyly. "Think of this as a response to a certain girl making a fool of herself at a certain sleepover"

Twilight groaned as she realized what her twin was referring to. "That wasn't my fault! I tried to tell you Sunset knew about my disguise last time"

"Speaking of time, we'd better get inside before we attract any attention." 'Sunset' said, glancing at her watch. "Or before any of your counterparts see you"

"Well come on then! Let's go!" Rainbow Dash took off running towards the school, but she was still moving on all fours, which caused 'Sunset' and 'Twilight to burst out laughing again. "What?" Rainbow Dash paused when she noticed. "What's so funny?"

"Uh, humans don't move like that, Rainbow Dash" Twilight explained, smiling as she recalled trying something similar when she first arrived. "They walk on their back legs, like this" She took a few slow steps forward for her friends to notice.

"Oh, that's why their back legs are longer than their front legs" Fluttershy observed, rising onto her feet, wobbling as she did so.

"Technically, our front legs are called hands" 'Sunset' corrected her, giggling as she watched the girls all rise to their feet, wobbling as they did so, except for Pinkie, who seemed to have mastered the art of walking on two legs instantly.

"Oh, so these are hands. I always wondered what Twilight meant about that" Rarity commented, glancing at her hands.

"Me too" Rainbow Dash nodded.

'Sunset' and 'Twilight' glanced at Twilight, who smiled and shrugged in reply.

"And, what about our back hooves, what are they called?" Applejack asked.

"They're called feet" 'Twilight' giggled as she replied.

"Hands and feet. Got it" Applejack legs suddenly seemed to buckle under her. "Woah!" She flailed her arms in an effort to stay balanced.

'Sunset' rolled her eyes and held out her hand. "Here" She offered.

Applejack paused for a moment, then laid her curled hand in 'Sunset's open one, and Rainbow Dash placed her's in Sunset's other hand. 'Twilight' helped Fluttershy and Rarity to their feet.

"Thank you" Rarity said.

"No sweat" 'Twilight' smiled at her, "You'll get the hang of it"

---

A minute later, inside Canterlot High...

Twilight and the others followed or, in the case of most of them, stumbled after 'Twilight' and 'Sunset' through the mostly deserted corridors to the drama department. Once inside, the two humans quickly locked the door.

"Okay, let's get you all in your disguises" 'Sunset' announced.

"Disguises?" Rarity raised an eyebrow. "We have to wear disguises?"

"Of course" 'Twilight' nodded at her. "Remember, Sunset doesn't know you're here. And we'd rather avoid the confusion of people suddenly seeing two of all of you"

The girls exchanged glances before nodding, showing they understood.

"Okay, we don't have time to do a complex disguise" 'Twilight' commented, glancing at the clock on the wall. "So we may just have to settle for a change of clothes, a wig, contact lenses, and some light alterations"

"What's the rush?" Twilight asked her twin.

"There's a pep rally in the school gym in about 45 minutes and I believe our counterparts are all going to take part in it, well except yours." 'Sunset' glanced at the two Twilights.

"A what rally?" Applejack cocked her head.

"A pep rally, it's a big meeting that involves the entire school, both students and teachers. It's designed to heighten school spirit before a big competition" 'Twilight' explained as she began opening closets revealing clothes hanging on hooks and even more in bins. "As it happens, Canterlot High is competing in an event called the Equestrian Games later today"

"Equestrian Games?" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "What kinda name is that?"

'Sunset' and 'Twilight' exchanged a look. "We'll explain it all later, but we don't have much time right now. we need to get you all glamorized before the rally starts"

"You want to handle clothing, or should I?" 'Sunset' asked 'Twilight'

"You go ahead, you're more 'fashion-sensitive' than I am" 'Twilight' giggled, glancing at 'Sunset's outfit.

"Very funny" 'Sunset' snorted as she lead the girls in examining potential outfits.

"I'll get the special effects ready" 'Twilight' announced to the group, pulling out what looked like a large makeup case. "And remember, each of you needs to decide on a new identity and, if possible, a new voice as well"

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy! I LOVE disguises!" Pinkie giggled like a little kid being presented with ice cream.

"Oooh" Rarity squeaked, noticing the make-up kit. "I can help with make up if you want."

'Twilight' agreed, thanking her. "Hey, how about some music to get us in the mood?" She said, pulling out her iPod.

"Go ahead" 'Sunset' nodded.

"Okay then" 'Twilight' scrolled through the songs and selected one.

"This is our big night!" Twilight's eyes widened as six familiar voices resonate from the device. She gave her double a knowing look. 'Twilight' just shrugged, causing Twilight to roll her eyes as she and the other girls looked over what was available to them.

"We're getting ready and we're doing it up right!

This is our big night!

Friendship survived, now let's build it up right!" As the music swelled, the girls plunged themselves into the closets and bins that held clothing used for costumes. They picked out various items and stood in front of mirrors around the room, comparing images and trying out new vocal tones and accents, to the amusement of the others.

"The time is right,

gonna make it last 'cause it's the first night,

that we're ever gonna start to just have fun together.

We're so glad, so happy,

we just can't be mad.

We did it right now, let's enjoy this night now!"

Once the girls had all chosen a suitable outfit, they sat down at makeup tables where 'Twilight' and 'Sunset', with Rarity's assistance, applied makeup and and gave them colored contact lenses and wigs for them to try on. Rarity applied her own disguise, refusing any assistance. Twilight also declined assistance, saying she remembered enough from last time that she did not require help.

"Best friends on the way up now!

Best friends here to show you how!

This is our big night!

We're getting ready, and we're doing it up right!

This is our big night!

We've made it happen so let's party all night!"

As the music filled the room, each of Twilight's friends slowly began to get more comfortable and began asking for opinion from the others less and less. The plunged themselves into their work and the room was soon covered in discarded clothing. The air smelled like powder and perfume.

"This is our big night!

This is our big night!

This is our big night!

"This is our big night!"

As the song ended, 'Sunset and 'Twilight' stepped backwards and admired their work. Before them stood five girls who looked completely different than they did a little while ago. "Well, not too bad for a rush job" 'Twilight' commented.

"And considering the fact that neither of us know anything about fashion" 'Sunset' added, causing 'Twilight to snort in amusement. "So, have you all decided on a new name and background yet? Applejack?"

"Hmm" Applejack pondered, running her fingers through her now black hair and adjusting the brown belt that wrapped around the burnt orange dress that she was wearing under a dark brown jacket and matching boots. She blinked her now brown eyes and studied her hand, which had been darkened like the rest of her skin. "Ah think A'll call myself Timberwood, from Appleoosa" She said in an accent that sounded more country than usual. "It's got a nice earthy tone to it"

"I like it" 'Sunset' nodded. "How about you Rarity?"

"Me?" Rarity purred, drawing her gaze away from the mirror where she was admiring her own handiwork, having just placed a purple newsboy cap on her head. "I'm Amethyst, after the gemstone, and I am from beautiful Las Pegasus" With her pink hair, purple long-sleeved top and matching miniskirt with pink strappy shoes encrusted with gems, she certainly looked the part. "How do I look?" She asked in a slightly flirtatious tone, fluttered long eyelashes at them and struck a pose.

"Lovely" 'Twilight' said rolling her eyes. "Rainbow Dash?"

"Don't call me that!" Rainbow Dash snapped, dusting off her torn cut-off jeans and black t shirt and adjusting her dark jacket. Her rainbow-colored hair was now slate gray, her eyes were black and her skin had been grayed as well. "Today I'm Gray Light, from Baltimare" She struck a fighting pose with a fist raised. "You got a problem with that?" She snarled at 'Sunset', pretending to look tough.

"Not at all" Sunset shook her head. "Fluttershy?"

"Who's Fluttershy?" The girl giggled as she ran a hand through her now yellow hair. Her skin tone had also been darkened, making her appear heavily tanned, her blue eyes glittered and she adjusted the straps of her green tank top and matching skirt that was covered with flower patterns. "I'm Wildflower, from Manehatten" She added in an accent that sounded very similar to people in Manehatten.

"Clever" 'Sunset' commented, causing Fluttershy to blush. "Pinkie Pie?"

Pinkie ran her hands through her now rose-colored hair and adjusted the white dress with a frilly skirt and puffed sleeves that she was wearing. then she brushed a speck of lint off her pink-and-brown leggings and matching boots. Hazel eyes blinked at them slowly as she said, rather dramatically. "It's true, I was once Pinkie Pie, but now I am the sweet and cuddly Cotton Candy, from Fillydelphia!" She spoke in a high squeaky voice, even higher than usual, that made everyone laugh.

"Wow! You girls look and sound so different!" 'Twilight' said when the laughter finally subsided

"You'll fool everyone for sure!" 'Sunset' added.

"Twilight, are you...woah!" 'Twilight's voice faltered as Twilight stepped out from behind the changing screen. Her hair was now bright magenta, matching her eye color, and her skin was now pink, like it had been when she played Cadence. She wore a pink-and-purple dress with pink socks and light purple boots and she had placed matching purple bracelets on her wrists.

"What?" Twilight asked in her 'Cadence' voice when she saw them all staring at her. "I've done this before, remember?"

"And who are you going to be this time?" Her twin snickered.

Twilight thought for a moment then answered "Crystal, will do, from right here in Canterlot"

Her twin chuckled while 'Sunset' rolled her eyes.

Just then, the speaker mounted on the wall above them crackled to life. Principle Celestia's voice flooded into the room. "Attention students, please make your way to the gymnasium. The pep rally will start in five minutes. Again, please make your way to the gymnasium"

"Well, looks like we're out of time" 'Twilight' sighed, straightening her own wig. "Let's see how our disguises fair out"

"But how are ya gonna explain eight new girls just showin' up outta nowhere?" Applejack asked.

"Oh don't worry. We've taken care of that." 'Sunset' answered gesturing to each girl as she spoke. "As far as anyone here knows, we're Timberwood, Amethyst, Gray Light, Wildflower, Cotton Candy, Crystal, Cirrus Cloud, and Scarlet Flame, a group of potential transfer students who will be taking a tour of the school and will watch the games and festivities afterwards."

"So just follow us, keep a low profile, and remember to stay in character, got it?" 'Twilight added'

"Got it!" Six voices chorused

"Okay, let's go" 'Sunset' turned and lead the way out of the room. Twilight brought up the rear, helping to support Fluttershy, who still seemed to have a problem with walking on two legs.

"Thanks Twilight" Fluttershy whispered as they followed the others down the hall "And I'm sorry for acting so scared earlier. This is just all so new to me"

"No problem" Twilight placed a hand on Fluttershy's shoulder, and smiled at her. "You should have seen me when I first arrived here. I screamed so loudly I'm surprised the whole school didn't come out to see what was wrong. You'll get used to it"

Fluttershy giggled and then and gently pushed herself away from Twilight, taking a few wobbly steps before smiling back at her and moving quicker to catch up with the others.

Twilight chuckled as she moved to catch up and felt her heart flutter as other students appeared in the hall. She met the gaze of several student,s but no one appeared to notice anything. So far, everything appeared to be working, but the real test would come in the gymnasium.

---

And Cut!

This took WAY longer than I expected to get up, a combination of writer's block and external influences. But it's up now, and I'm quite proud of it.

So, what do you think of the new looks of the Mane 6? I took some ideas from their new appearances from the Elements of Insanity that you can find on Youtube (created by the Inverted Shadow, I believe. A strange twist of MLP franchise, but interesting to watch nonetheless).

Using 'This is Our Big Night' for the disguise scene may be a little cheesy, but I think that the song theme actually fits in well with this scene, maybe even better than the movie scene because they just survived the 'rigors' of 'Twilight' and 'Sunset's little joke, and they may have to face more rigors in the future. We'll see.

So, the Pep Rally is up next! Will the girl's disguises be enough to trick the students? Or will someone figure out who they really are? And how will these eight disguised figures affect the outcome of the Equestrian Games and the plans of Project Tantabus?

Stay tuned to find out! That being said, if you have your own ideas, please feel free to send them in.

Until Next Time!