Rarity nearly danced through the streets of Canterlot. Her fashions were a huge hit in this summer’s fashion show. She relished the many compliments received from her fellow fashion designers, including those whose work she respected most. Retailers in Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, and Baltimare would be displaying her fashions for the first time. At the trade show, she made contact with a number of new cloth makers, jewelers, and importers. And Rarity had acquired some truly stunning new fabric. She couldn’t wait to design with it.

The porter walking next to Rarity wasn’t dancing. The earth pony stallion was carrying said fabric, along with Rarity’s multiple bags, on his strong back.

Rarity passed by Pony Joe’s donut shop on the way to the train station. She glanced through the window at the treats inside. So tempting, so tempting. Her view was partially obscured by an unfamiliar unicorn. He was looking hungrily at the displayed pastries.

Rarity turned up her nose. “Hooligan. Ruffian!” She paid him no mind as she headed on.

Rarity paused. What was she thinking? That pony looked like he needed help. She turned around, but he had disappeared into the crowd.

Crossing Over
By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

Chapter 4: Too Shy

I reclined on a mattress on the ground floor of the library. There was a light shining upstairs, and I heard the quiet scratching of quill on paper and the occasional hoot of an owl. Twilight Sparkle was a unicorn possessed. I tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position. Each movement reminded me that I was in an unfamiliar body and an unfamiliar world, and still had no idea how or why.

I must have found a comfortable position, because the next thing I knew, Twilight Sparkle was nudging me awake. She seemed no worse for wear after what I assumed was a long night working. Today, it only took me two tries to stand up.

“Let’s try to find your friend today. Do you have any idea where she might be staying?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“No, she wouldn’t tell me,” I responded. “It kind of sounded like she found shelter, but not in anyone’s house. Are there any abandoned buildings here?”

“Why would anypony abandon a building?” Twilight Sparkle said incredulously.

“Then a building that wouldn’t normally be used at night? An old barn? A tool shed?”

“Hmmm. I have one idea,” said Twilight Sparkle. “Are you ready to go?”

“Sure,” I said.

Twilight Sparkle led me outside town, to one of the farms, or rather an apple orchard. No one was around. Hidden among some of the trees was a small building of crude construction, a child’s clubhouse. “That’s pretty nice,” I said.

“Since Apple Bloom is out of town right now, the other fillies aren’t going to stop by the clubhouse, either. It’s the most logical place a pony could find shelter and not get noticed,” explained Twilight Sparkle.

I climbed the ramp as quietly as possible, being careful to wedge my hooves between the ramp and the steps. I peered through the window. No pegasus. There were neat piles of yellow cloth, perhaps from some half-finished project, that were not disturbed. If I had stayed here, I would have used those as blankets. “I don’t see her, and I don’t think she was here,” I said.

I walked down the ramp. Yellow. “Bobbie said something last night. She met a yellow pegasus, and frightened her.”

“Fluttershy. She lives outside town. Maybe she’s the one who saw your friend.” Twilight put her hoof to her chin and searched her thoughts. “But I don’t know. She’s afraid of big dragons, and confrontation, and sometimes her own shadow, but she’s the kindest pony you’ll ever meet. She might be shy, but she shouldn’t be scared.”

I shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. And Bobbie isn’t my friend,” I added.

“Why not?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

I had to think about that one for a while. “That’s not how friendship works for humans” was the best explanation I could find.

“But you have so much in common!” Twilight Sparkle said.

“I only talked to her for five minutes. And in that time, I learned she lives half a country away from me, is passionate about a style of music I don’t care much for, and on top of everything, she’s from decades in the past! The only thing similar about us is that we’re from the human world, and I can’t be certain we’re from the same human world!” I explained.

“Wait, there are multiple human worlds?” said Twilight Sparkle, looking even more excited.

“How would I know?” I responded. “A day ago, I would never have thought this world existed. You’d be much more able to explain if it’s possible, with your knowledge of magic.

“Let me try to describe it this way. In my world, there’s the Harry Potter series of books, which you said doesn’t exist here. I’d love to talk about the story some time, but what’s relevant now is the world presented in this book. There’s this entire secret world of wizards and magic, hidden from the knowledge of normal humans like me. Now imagine you met a human from the Harry Potter world, not my world where Harry Potter is just a fictional character.”

“I’d love to meet a human wizard! There’s so much about alternate magical theories I’d love to learn.”

“Again, Twilight Sparkle, magic isn’t real! In my world, that is. And even if it were real, but I weren’t part of the secret world, I couldn’t help you.”

I chuckled. “Did you know I’ve often thought how awesome it would be to wake up in the Harry Potter universe? After this experience, all I want is to be a boring non-magical human again.”

As cultivated lands began to give way to forested wilderness, Twilight Sparkle and I approached a cottage at the edge of the forest. It was an animal lover’s dream, with multiple bird feeders and a chicken coop, and unafraid wild animals everywhere. I suddenly feared they would break into a Disney song and dance number.

Twilight Sparkle knocked on the cottage’s door. “Are you there, Fluttershy?” she called.

The door was opened by a pastel yellow pegasus with a light pink mane. “Oh, Twilight,” she said quietly. “It’s so good to… eep!” She looked at me, and stepped back, covering her head with a wing.

“Uhhh,” I uttered, raising a foreleg. “Hi?” A small white rabbit jumped between me and Fluttershy. He didn’t talk, which was a welcome respite from this world’s craziness, but he showed unnatural intelligence with his actions.

“What’s wrong, Fluttershy?” asked Twilight Sparkle, worry evident in her voice.

The yellow pegasus peeked out between her feathers. “I… I don’t know,” she slowly said. Fluttershy lowered her wing, and took a deep breath.

“Why don’t we try this again,” Twilight said. “Fluttershy, this is John. He just came to Ponyville yesterday from… very far away.”

“Nice to meet you, Fluttershy,” I said, extending my hoof.

Fluttershy tentatively reached her hoof towards mine. As she drew closer, her foreleg started shaking more and more, until she suddenly pulled back. “I’m sorry, I can’t do it.” If this was Bobbie’s introduction to ponykind, I can see why she was so freaked out.

Twilight Sparkle looked very worried now. “Fluttershy, I’m here for you. I can help you. But you need to tell me--what’s going on?”

“I feel so… strange. The closer I get to John, the more I feel… I feel… not liking.”

“You mean hate?” I said.

Fluttershy screamed – although it came out more like a squeak – and buried her head under both forelegs and both wings.

My heart sank. How could this be happening to her? She seemed so gentle, so kind, and she couldn’t even shake my hand… hoof.

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy. It’s just that… I’m cursed.” I lied. Do they have curses in their magic system? I sure hope so. Twilight raised her head, looking ready to interject. I mouthed to her, “Play along.”

Again, Fluttershy’s sad eyes peeked through her wings. “I don’t care if we can’t shake hooves,” I said, hopefully reassuringly. “It makes me very happy to know you want to be my friend, and I’m thrilled to accept your offer of friendship.”

Fluttershy stood up again, and composed herself. “That makes feel so happy I could scream.” She inhaled audibly, and then issued a barely audible “yay.” That white rabbit, however, was not convinced. With a reassuring glance from Fluttershy, he finally retreated.

“Twilight Sparkle and I came by for a reason,” I said. “We’re looking for a friend of mine, a red pegasus. She’s also new to town, and she’s also cursed like me.”

“Oh my,” said Fluttershy. “I did see a red pegasus yesterday, and I remember that horrible not like feeling. Is she okay?”

“I don’t know,” I said.

“Fluttershy, would you help us look for her?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“Of course,” she replied. “A pony in need is a friend indeed.”

I explained to Fluttershy what little I suspected about Bobbie’s shelter. The other two ponies were particularly worried, talking about the dangers of something called the Everfree Forest; apparently, we were near the edge of it. It didn’t look any different to me; I thought it would be a nice place to go camping. Then Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy described the dangers therein: hydras, sea serpents, cockatrices, giant death bears, and any number of other mythological creatures that were as real here as magic.

Having a pegasus along was helpful. She was able to fly and get a better vantage point than us, though she didn’t spend much time far from the ground. Often, she appeared to be talking to the animals. Unlike the ponies, the animals in the forest didn’t talk; I also thought they looked a lot more like Earth animals, lacking those ridiculous color schemes. On the other hand, they were certainly a lot less skittish than Earth animals.

During one of those moments when Fluttershy was preoccupied with the forest animals, Twilight Sparkle turned to me. “A curse, you said?”

“I don’t know. I just didn’t want Fluttershy to feel like it was her fault for feeling so bad. Do curses exist in your system of magic?”

“Curses, charms, enchantments, compulsions… there are a number of negative forms of magic,” Twilight Sparkle explained. “While I haven’t sensed anything like that from you, any of those are theoretically possible. I’ll need to search the library for the appropriate spells to better diagnose your condition, if you do in fact have one.”

I laughed. “One of those things humans fear about being in an alien place is being captured, strapped to machines, and endlessly analyzed.”

“Thanks for letting me know that, John. I’ll be sure not to hook you up to the laboratory equipment in the basement.”

Twilight Sparkle changed the subject. “So Bobbie is your friend now?”

I sighed. “If I can say I’ll be friends with a pegasus who’s deathly afraid of me, then maybe I can be friends with her, too.”

“I’m so glad you are experiencing the magic of friendship, John,” Twilight Sparkle said.

I shook my head. If I was brought to another world just to learn a lesson in friendship, then someone has some serious explaining to do.

“I have something,” Fluttershy said. She gently fluttered to the ground, a chipmunk resting on her head. “Mr. Chipmunk here says there’s somepony sleeping by one of his food caches, and his mate and babies are very hungry, and wouldn’t we do something about it?”

“Well, then, lead the way,” I said.

“Mr. Chipmunk wants you to promise not to tell anypony where his cache is,” Fluttershy added.

“Of course,” Twilight Sparkle responded.

I facehoofed. “Sure, fine, whatever.”

The chipmunk chittered, and Fluttershy led the way between a pair of oaks. Choosing a path through the wilderness, we reached a rocky area. About five feet below us, a stream ran through a gully. “She’s in a cave by the stream,” Fluttershy said. The chipmunk gave Fluttershy a quick nuzzle, and jumped off, disappearing into the underbrush.

We climbed into the gully. Sure enough, Bobbie had taken shelter there. She was dirtier, with that same stressed expression of a person who has experienced a terrible shock. I got a better look at the mark on her flank; it was an electric guitar over paper… a page from a book?

“Bobbie!” I said. “You don’t have to stay out here. Come into town.”

She looked up. I think she had been crying. “I said I can handle myself.” Bobbie noticed Fluttershy. “YOU!” she yelled.

Fluttershy flew backwards. “I’m terribly sorry for the way I reacted earlier,” she said quietly. “I didn’t know you were cursed.”

“Cursed?” Bobbie exclaimed. “This whole place is a curse!”

“Bobbie, this is Twilight Sparkle,” I said, motioning to the violet unicorn. “She’s going to help me get home. She’s going to help us get home. But she can’t do it if you’re hiding out here.”

“The forest is a dangerous place,” Fluttershy said. “Why, at any moment, a manticore could try to eat you, or a cockatrice could turn you to stone.”

“What?” Bobbie said. The way she was grinding her hooves into her head, she must have a terrible headache. She looked totally exasperated.

“Maybe you’d feel better after a nice dinner?” Twilight Sparkle offered. “My treat!”

“I said I’m fine,” Bobbie responded.

She sounded less sure of herself this time. I pressed the issue. “But what have you been eating?”

She lowered her head. “Grass,” she said, less confidently. “I mean, I’m a horse, right?”

“Pony,” I corrected her. To say that so quickly, I must really have gotten used to this world. That was a scary thought.

“Please come with us, Bobbie. Let me show you what a good grass meal is. I know just the place in Ponyville,” said Twilight Sparkle.

Bobbie relented. “Fine.”

It was early evening when the four of us made it back to Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle took us to a restaurant near the railroad station, specializing in stir-fried wild grass dishes. And she wasn’t kidding about the restaurant being good. The flavor reminded me of Chinese noodle dishes, with garlic and ginger and hot peppers. The technology level of this world is all over the place, but they must have a decent system of trade, to import all those spices. The way Bobbie attacked her food, she hadn’t eaten much. Then again, we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. A dozen plates were stacked at the edge of the table when we finally finished dinner.

We heard the sound of a train whistle in the distance. “Rarity should be on that train,” Twilight Sparkle said. “Do you want to meet her? She’s another of our good friends.”

“Sure,” I said. Bobbie didn’t look thrilled, but she assented as well.

Twilight Sparkle left a handful… hoofful of bits on the table, and we walked the short distance to the railroad station. The passengers were in the process of disembarking from an old-fashioned steam train. Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy honed in on another unicorn, brilliant white with an elegantly-styled bluish-purple mane. Her horn was glowing as she magically carried bolts of fabric alongside her.

“How was the fashion show, Rarity?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“It was fabulous!” she replied eagerly. “The buyers just loved my designs, and I found such gorgeous new fabrics in Canterlot. I predict months of inspiration!” Rarity looked over at me and Bobbie. “Well, aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“Rarity, this is John, and this is Bobbie. They’re both visiting Ponyville from far away. Bobbie, John, this is Rarity, owner of the Carousel Boutique and talented fashion designer.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, extending my hoof.

Rarity shook my hoof. “A pleasure,” she replied. Her accent was sort of upper class, East Coast or proper British. I wondered if it was an affected accent, since no one else I talked to spoke like that.

Bobbie and Rarity then shook hooves, reluctantly. I gathered that Rarity really didn’t like Bobbie’s hairstyle, and that the feeling was mutual. But the greeting was finished with all due politeness, and certainly without the fearful reaction we had seen with Fluttershy.

Near the train, a worker was looking lost. The pony, a young earth pony stallion wearing soot-covered overalls, was checking a note and trying to get his bearings. Fluttershy flew over to him. “Do you need any help, sir?” she asked.

“That’s mighty kind of you, ma’am,” he replied. “This is my first evening stop in Ponyville, and I’m looking for the Railside Inn. I’m afraid these directions I have aren’t helping me.”

“It’s over there,” she replied, pointing to the north. “If you just go through the station building and out the other side, you’ll be able to see the inn’s sign on your right.”

“Well, thank you kindly, Miss…”

“Fluttershy,” she replied, holding out her hoof hesitantly.

“Little Ironhoof,” replied the not-so-little stallion. He shook her hoof vigorously. “I just joined the railroad as a coaler last week.”

Fluttershy smiled broadly. “You enjoy your visit, sir!” she said.

With a tip of his hat, the coaler departed. Fluttershy just looked at her now soot-stained foreleg, and smiled.

Twilight Sparkle and I had been watching their interaction. “I think she needed that,” she said.

“What?” I said.

“I think she just wanted to be sure she could still be kind to a stranger. Now, let’s get back to the library,” Twilight said. “Bobbie, I insist you accept my offer of hospitality, and stay with me tonight.”

“I don’t know,” Bobbie said.

“If you’re thinking of going back to the woods, you might want to take a look up,” Twilight responded. The sky was abuzz with pegasi, moving black clouds all over Ponyville. “It looks like the weather team is bringing in a pretty fierce storm tonight.”

Bobbie muttered something like “Weather control?” She sighed. “Okay, I’ll stay with you tonight.

Mere seconds after we returned to the library, Twilight Sparkle was pulling books off the bookshelf. “Hmmm. The Conundrum of Curses: A practical guide to impractical magic.” She flipped through the book rapidly.

“Really? Curses?” Bobbie commented.

“I threw out the idea earlier today, and Twilight Sparkle seems to be running with it. Like you, I have no idea how we got here, but it’s bound to be because of ‘magic’. So if magic is the cause, then someone who knows magic should be looking at us. And she seems to know magic.”

A bolt of lightning flashed outside, and thunder punctuated our conversation.

“Just as long as there’s no Dr. Frankenstein laboratory in the basement,” Bobbie said.

I declined to mention the laboratory Twilight Sparkle had said was in the basement.

“Okay, I think I’ve found a good diagnostic spell,” Twilight Sparkle finally said. “You shouldn’t feel anything.” Her horn glowed yellow, and a similarly colored aura enveloped us. She was right; I didn’t feel anything.

Twilight Sparkle concentrated for a long time, longer than I had seen her using her magic. Finally, the glow ceased, and she said, “Nothing.”

“So we’re not cursed?” Bobbie asked.

“No, nothing. The spell shows nothing. I’ve never seen that before.” Twilight Sparkle immediately turned to her bookshelves. “Enchantments. Magical wards. Auras.” More books flew around the library.

Twilight Sparkle started another spell. Again, there was a glow, pink this time, and an aura that enveloped me. Again, I felt nothing. And again, Twilight Sparkle was disappointed. She tried spells from two other books, with no effect.

“Are you sure she knows magic?” whispered Bobbie.

Finally, Twilight Sparkle set the books aside, and looked at me. Her horn glowed, with no effect. “John, that last bit of magic was one of the first spells I learned as a filly, one that I’ve used for years to style my mane. It couldn’t move a single hair in your mane. None of my magic is working on either of you. It makes no sense!”

“Is it because we’re from a non-magical place?” I wondered aloud.

We heard a sudden flare upstairs, like alcohol igniting. Spike stepped up to the railing and waved at us. “Twilight, you have a letter from the princess!”

Twilight Sparkle drew the scroll to her and opened it. “The princess is requesting my presence, along with any ‘guests from certain faraway locales’. She wants us to come on the first train tomorrow.”

Bobbie scoffed. “A PRINCESS? You have got to be kidding me.”

“Princess Celestia is a wise and powerful alicorn, Bobbie. If there’s anyone with the power to send you home, it’s her,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Sorry, it’s just… I’ll explain later,” Bobbie said. “I’m definitely in. I won’t go back to hiding in the forest.”

Twilight Sparkle selected three books. “I have some more studying I want to do before I turn in. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I curled up on a couch, leaving the mattress to Bobbie. As the rain fell outside, I wondered if tomorrow would be the day I’d finally figure out what was going on.