Rainbow Dash shot out of the mirror portal, easily landing on four hooves beside Mike who lay on his back, eyes closed and panting, duffle bag landing heavily behind her.

Her P.T. clothes were now a Wonderbolt uniform, leaving her cutie mark exposed. She stretched first one blue wing, and then the other, opposite back leg extended to help keep her balance, dancing a little on the brightly polished crystal flooring at the sheer joy of being in her original form - oh, it was good to be home!

And, her roots were showing, but here it didn't matter. Hooves clattering, she crouched, launching herself into the air of the lofty, darkened room, circling among the unlit chandeliers because she could, "Whoo-hoo, I'm back!" she yelled, banking off a wall before circling the room once more.

The lights came on and her friends yelled, "Surprise!" as they trotted in looking up at her as she hovered in the middle of the room beneath the main chandelier.

The unexpected party with it's flurry of excited greetings and distribution of gifts got louder and louder in the big chamber until Applejack coughed loudly from the sidelines where she stood over where Mike, no, a large, muscular pale gold stallion lay. He'd opened his blue eyes and was staring wildly around him, black hooves thrashing in the air helplessly as he tried to stand up.

Chatter trailing off and gifts forgotten in the now awkwardly echoing room, Rainbow Dash and the other ponies turned and stared at the stranger as Applejack nudged at him like a newborn foal as he struggled to rise on the slick crystal until he clumsily gained all fours. Upright at last, he teetered, head down, breathing hard, the whites of his eyes showing, close-cropped golden mane and pale flanks dripping with sweat, staining his ponyfied flight suit with golden wings where a name tag should be on the left breast a darker blue.

Applejack stepped away from the panting, trembling Mike, glaring suspiciously at Rainbow Dash, "'Scuse me Dash," the tall Earth pony drawled, "But is this here stallion the best in ya'll's class on the other side— amIright?" She gestured with one front hoof at their unexpected guest.

Fighting the urge to giggle, Rainbow Dash answered straight-faced while rolling her eyes, bored, "Puh-leeeeeease! Don't remind me!"

"Welp, if he is, then why is he an Earth pony? And what in tarnation is he doin' here?"