"I'm scared!" I squeaked, clutching the steering wheel in what humans call a 'white knuckle grip', or I would have been, if I had knuckles.

"Just relax, there's nothing out here for you to hit. Just let the truck drive itself."

I exhaled and tried to let my shoulders loosen a bit. The gravel crunched underneath the tires as I crept along, barely pushing the accelerator pedal with my back hoof. For a dirt road, it was relatively smooth. ProteC had only managed to get the roads between Everfree and Ponyville paved, as well as part of the main drag to Canterlot. Right now we were on a scenic side route through the hills, and I was behind the wheel.

"Remember how easily you drove the ATVs?" James continued in a soothing voice. "This is even easier."

"But I can't see over the hood!"

"You'll get used to it. Trust me."

We had left Ponyville at sunrise, and James had pulled over at the edge of town and put me in the driver's seat. "It's important that you know how to drive well," he had insisted, standing outside my door in his Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts. "And this is the perfect spot, now that we've got the road to ourselves."

"Okay. I trust you."

"Good. Now go a little faster."

I did as I was told, starting to panic as the truck edged towards the shoulder. I swerved away. Now the truck was heading towards the other side of the road.

"Take it easy, you're overcorrecting. Just a little nudge."

I tried it. "Oh. That's better."

"You're doing good, babe."

"Can I play music?" Mia said from the back seat.

"Uh, sure," I replied. "Just nothing too wild, okay?"

Mia flipped through her collection using the holobracelet. "Hmm. Nightwish might be too much. Steppenwolf? Hmm. Maybe I'll take you on a magic carpet ride later babe, heh. How about Sia?"

I listened as music played through the stereo speakers, streaming from Mia's wristband.

I liked it, but the style sounded very familiar. "I could swear I've heard her before," I muttered.

"Well, Sia played Songbird Serenade in the MLP movies," Mia said, holding her wrist out with a holographic image of the pony in question.

"Oh crap, I know her!" I said, almost driving off the road. "Eeep!" I exclaimed, quickly pulling the truck back to center. "I mean I don't like KNOW HER know her, but I know of her!"

"Interesting," James said thoughtfully. "Almost like Twinners."

"What's a Twinner?" Mia asked, beating me to the punch.

"I've read a few books by Stephen King. In The Talisman, he wrote about people who have a mirror image, much like a twin that lives in another dimension. They're similar in ways, and often connected in some supernatural fashion. The similarity you talked about brought that to mind."

"Well in this case, there's an intentional similarity included in the show," Mia responded. "But that turns into a chicken or the egg question, doesn't it?"

"I do see odd implications," I agreed. "Like, is Songbird similar to Sia because of the show, or something else?"

"Maybe it's because of the reality barrier," James interjected. "The concept of a multiverse is at play, but if you've read Doctor Hardy's theory, we punctured reality itself, not simply another universe."

"What's the difference?" Mia asked.

"I'm not sure," James admitted. "But he seems to think it's a big difference. Considering the Gate is his project, I do tend to give his opinion some weight."

The truck quieted as we chewed on that comment for a bit.

"I give up," I said finally. "I'll leave it to the physicists, the mental gymnastics aren't getting me anywhere. But hey, I'm staying on the road better!"

"You sure are," James agreed. "Where are we headed, by the way?"

"Well, I figured we would go through Canterlot, and then maybe... I don't know, what would you guys like to see?"

Mia looked at me thoughtfully. "Hmm. Well, this is all stuff you've seen before, right?"

"Y-yeah," I admitted slowly. "But it's really fun to show it to you guys too!"

"But wouldn't it be more fun to see some things that none of us have seen?"

I considered that. "Hmm. Well, we could head further out to the frontier towns or something. You never know what kind of stuff you'll see out there." I looked at the battery charge gauge, which was still at ninety eight percent. "Will the truck make it?"

"This model can get up to about five hundred miles off a charge," James replied. "And as long as there is a place to plug it in somewhere along the way, we can have it topped off in an hour."

"We can be careful," I said. "If we use about half the battery without finding power, we turn around."

"I doubt it will be an issue at all." James tapped the dashboard. "The roads here keep us going slow anyway."

He had a point. Even the cobblestone roads were really bumpy. We wouldn't be pushing the vehicle to top speeds anytime soon.

"So is everybody cool with that? I asked. "After we go through Canterlot, we strike for parts unknown."

"To boldly go where no man has gone before!" Mia intoned.

"Star Trek!" I exclaimed, excited to have gotten the reference.

"Look at you go," James said proudly, tousling my mane. "You're impressing me."

I smiled, feeling warm inside. "I am a humble student of the Internet, which has taught me that cats wear Pop Tarts and fly through the sky farting rainbows. And now, onward to Canterlot!" I pushed the accelerator harder in a sudden fit of bravery. "Whee!"

The streets of Canterlot were, naturally, the busiest we had yet encountered. I saw nothing but ponies pulling carts, many of whom eyed our vehicle curiously.

Mia had picked up a large bag of candy and chocolates at a random shop on our way through, and was now doing her best to make the rest of us fat.

"Ooh! Hey you guys, try this one!"

"Mia, wha-" I opened my mouth and instantly had a chocolate jammed into it. "...Mmmph! Ummmph? Mmm!"

She was right. It was really good.

"Hey, look!" I smacked, my teeth sticky with chocolate. "A car!"

"Huh. Haven't seen one of those in a while," Mia said with interest, gripping my seat and leaning forwards.

The white ProteC sedan was in the oncoming lane, approaching us slowly thanks to the heavy traffic.

"Is that?"

We all gaped out the windshield as the vehicle neared us. Within were two ponies, the one in the passenger seat a deep blue while the driver was a creamy white. Both wore ProteC baseball caps, their manes pulled through in ponytails.

"Oh my-" I began

"-Goodness!" Mia finished for me. "THAT'S PRINCESS LUNA AND CELESTIA!"

We all waved wildly out the windows. Both the princesses were obviously curious about us as well, since we were driving what was probably the only SUV in town. They smiled and waved their silver and gold hoofshoes energetically back at us as we passed each other.

"I wonder where they were headed?" James said as the car dwindled behind us.

"Probably Earthside, to ProteC Ecuador," I said. "Usually they'd wear their crowns if they are hanging out in public, not those hats."

"I'm amazed I actually saw them," Mia said, her voice filled with awe. "They're both so awesome."

"Yeah, they are pretty awesome," I agreed.

I continued driving through Canterlot. We stopped once more on the outskirts to buy maps, some snacks, and drinks for our trip, and then we were off into places I hadn't seen before. My confidence grew the more I drove, and after heading through the mountain passes I felt much more sure of myself. The main problem we had was the loss of all communication capability a few miles beyond Canterlot. The backbone network our ARHUDS, tablet phones , and bracelets relied upon currently only really covered the major areas around Ponyville and Canterlot, and without any orbital satellites, we were unable to use navigation features in the SUV or connect our gear to the Net. We could still communicate with each other, however, thanks to the inherent mesh network capability of our equipment. Not that it mattered, Equestria is relatively safe. Oh sure, there are a lot of unpleasant creatures lurking around, but they tend to avoid ponies and civilization, and we weren't planning to go digging in the woods for them. For the first time in weeks I wasn't worried about much, either. Being on vacation with my two best friends was doing wonders for my nerves.

Mia and James were feeling it, too. They asked me a lot of questions about things we saw along the way, and I was pleased to be able to answer them. It's fun to share your knowledge with people you like. I ended up driving for a very long time, although there was some amusement when Mia suddenly had to go to the bathroom at the side of the road.

"Don't wander off into the damn forest now," James warned. "Eris? Make sure she doesn't wander off."

If there's one thing that worries me in Equestria, it's the forests. This one wasn't very thick, but I quickly got out of the car as well, standing guard over Mia while she squatted next to the vehicle.

"You can watch if you want, Fuzzpoof," she whispered to me.

"I, er, I ah, well..." I blushed deeply. "I'm just making sure nothing drags you off."

"Okay. I don't mind." She put her hand on me for balance, which made me feel even more awkward.

I couldn't help myself. I sneakily glanced down at the trickling noise.

"You're looking now, though."

I snapped my eyes back up. "No I wasn't!"

"Sure you weren't." She placed her other hand on my body as well, her gentle touch teasing me.

I just scanned the trees, hoping my fur would hide the burning cherry my face had become.

"Um, did we bring any toilet paper?" she asked me after a bit.

"No, I don't think we did."

Mia grinned at me in a way that made me rather nervous. "Fuzzpoof? Can you help me out?"

I frowned. "What do you need?"

"There's no toilet paper, dear. You've got that lovely long tongue, maybe you could do me a favor?"

"What?" I thought for a moment, then my mouth dropped open. If my face had been a cherry before, now it felt like a raging inferno. "Oh my goodness! You want me to...?"

Her hands stroked my neck, gently urging me towards her. "Come on. Nobody will know."

"Mia, I, ah, oh my." I licked my lips nervously, letting her pull me in. I could already smell it so strongly that I could almost taste it. "Oh my gosh, Mia. Oh my gosh," I whispered frantically, shaking a little. I closed my eyes as the smell increased, then, hesitantly, I began to stick my tongue out.

Some napkins fluttered down on top of my head.

"Mia, you're gonna give poor Eris a heart attack," James stated blandly, leaning out the passenger window over us. "I found these in the bag with the egg salad sandwiches."

"Gee, thanks a lot." Mia said venomously, scowling up at him and releasing me. "Just what I wanted."

I sat down with with a plop and put my hoof over my face while Mia used the napkins.

Soon, she chuckled and leaned closer to me. "You were really gonna do it, weren't you?"

"M-maybe?"

She gave me a kiss on the nose. "I'd do the same for you, anytime. Come on, love. Let's get going."

The shadows were growing long when we finally reached a small town, many miles from any other landmarks. The forest rose around us on all sides, but we saw the cheerful and welcoming lights of an inn and, a little beyond, a restaurant.

"It's very quaint here," Mia remarked with a smile. "I've always been a city girl, but I'm loving this. Can we stay here for the night?"

"I think that's a fantastic idea," I agreed.

"Let's hit up the restaurant after we grab a hotel room, okay?" James suggested.

"Sounds good to me!" I pulled the truck up to the little inn, gaining several stares from curious locals. We got out of the vehicle, Mia still wearing her heels. I was rather impressed by her ability to gracefully walk in them over some surfaces that were somewhat less than flat and solid. She's a talented girl.

We obtained a room easily, my humans gaining a raised eyebrow from the pony behind the counter, but he did little else to indicate his surprise. Since Equestria is full of all manner of differently-formed intelligent creatures, humans really don't pull as much attention as they seem to expect they will. Their technology, however, does inspire curiousity.

Once we had dumped our extra stuff in the room, we went outside and across the intersection to the little rustic restaurant, which sat on the very edge of the dark, looming forest. I could hear night birds chirping and insects buzzing in warm night air, and I couldn't help but smile as I walked between Mia and James, my happiness written plainly across my face, and echoed in theirs.

We approached the log-building restaurant, and a pleasent smell drifted over us. James stepped ahead onto the wooden porch, where he held the plank door for both of us as we entered.

The interior was as rustic as the outside, cut log tables and chairs populating the warmly earth-toned decor of wood cuttings and oil lamps that brought an inviting flair to the busy establishment. The hum of conversation quieted for a moment as we entered, the ponies inside understandably distracted by the appearance of three newcomers. As usual, I saw numerous bulging eyes directed at Mia, her perfect alien form obviously making several stallions reconsider their defenitions of beauty.

The noise picked up again as a waiter came out from behind the long bar counter and approached us.

"Just the three of ya?" she asked pleasantly.

"Yes, please," I replied.

"All right." With a nod, she led us to a table and dropped some menus.

We ordered immediately, omelettes and pancakes. "Breakfast for dinner!" James grinned. "A favorite of mine."

The food was ready remarkably fast, and as usual the flavors were top notch, something I love about Equestria. Back in the Menagerie, Cookie's meals are good, given the materials he has to work with, but, as Mia and James agreed, nothing can compare to a country meal prepared in my own homeworld.

It had gotten quite dark outside by the time we finished our meal and began on dessert.

"It feels so good just to relax with you guys," I sighed contentedly, eating a piece of apple pie.

"Mmmhmm." Mia licked her ice cream with gusto.

"You sure are talented with your tongue," I joked.

"Mmm, and ice cream isn't the only thing I like to lick, hey babe?"

I giggled, feeling a little moist between my thighs, and looking forward to snuggling up with her later. "Trying to make me blush again, dear?"

"You look cute like that. I can't help it!" She took another lick of her cone, then we all jumped as the door banged open.

A pony staggered in and collapsed on the floor, his tan body bedraggled and muddy. The door swung shut behind him.

We quicly stood from the table. "Are you okay?" I asked, approaching him.

"Somepony please help me!" he begged wild-eyed. "They took everyone! My family is gone! They-"

A strange slapping and dragging sound rose from outside. It had the distinct air of something large attempting to be stealthy.

The pony's eyes widened, and he scrabbled backwards along the floor in abject horror. "Oh no. They're here. They followed me! Oh no!"

"Who's here?" I asked, pulling my pistol out of the holster.

"THEM!"

With a crash, the window burst open behind us. A thick, slimy dark tentacle shot in, flinging James across the room and into a table near the front door. He fell to the floor limply and his pistol slid somewhere under the tables. The other restaurant patrons let out terrified squeals, moving in a panic away from the window and hiding under tables.

"Shit!" Mia stood tall in her heels, bringing her pistol to bear on the lashing nightmare appendage. She leaned forward in a wide-stance two-handed grip and unloaded a volley of glowing bullets into the monster. With a chilling screech, the tentacle withdrew, followed by a loud shuffling sound.

"James!" Mia exclaimed. glancing towards him while still covering the window. "Are you okay?"

"I'll get him!" Dropping my pistol in the air and holding it with my telekinetic field, I rushed to James's side, setting my pistol on the floor and placing a hoof on his neck. "He's just stunned, I think-"

Another huge boom exploded, and the door right behind me slammed into the wall. I began to turn, and suddenly I fell on my face as my legs were jerked out from under me. I looked back and saw a tentacle wrapped firmly around my rear hoof. "Help!" I yelped, my chest constricted with terror. I clutched at the small cracks in the floor with both hooves, sliding further towards the door as I failed to find purchase.

"Eris!" Mia shouted, rushing towards me. She crouched between me and the door, and the room rang with explosions as she put bullet after bullet into the tentacle gripping me. It loosened, and I scrambled forwards desperately. "Thanks Mia, you saved me aga-"

I looked back again, hearing a clatter behind me. Mia was in the doorway, a tentacle wrapped around her waist and left arm, pinning it to her body. She had dropped her pistol somehow, and now clutched the door frame with her right hand. The creature was trying to pull her out, and she was hanging on for dear life.
"F-Fuzzpoof?" she gasped, looking at me with eyes so full of fear and sorrow that my heart broke instantly. "I-I... mmmph!" Her eyes widened in desperation as another tentacle slid over her nose and mouth.

"MIA! NO!" I shrieked, flopping on the hardwood floor like a fish out of water in my panicked efforts to get on my hooves. I managed to flip up and rushed towards the door, slamming three of my legs against the frame and grabbing at her hand with my right forehoof. I felt her warm fingers slipping under my invisible ones and tried to grip them, but it was too late. She shot backwards out into the fading light, and another tentacle immediately flew into my face and knocked me violently across the room.

I will never forget the silent terror in the eyes of my darling Mia as the darkness swallowed her that night. It is an image that was burned forever into my mind, and in that moment it tortured me beyond any pain I had ever before experienced.

I tumbled helplessly backwards, drifting for what felt like an eternity in slow motion through the air, the glittering reflections of her shimmering tears surrounding me in flight.

Then I crashed headfirst into a hard wooden table and unconsciousness claimed me.