Rachel went rigid when she watched this world's Rarity coming out of the bathroom. Look of kill in her eyes.
Not her, not her, not her. She mentally repeatedly told herself. Pony Rarity is dead, she's gone, not coming back.
She rubbed her eyes, shuddered a little as she took deep breaths. Not Pony Rarity, not her Spike. They may have their voices but it was not them.
"Oh, hello dear." Human Rarity greeted once she saw the new tall girl. "Are you okay?"
"Rachel here is having a bit of an adjustment." Sunset explained. "She knows the other yous," gesturing to the other girls and Spike. "Personally."
"Yeah." Rachel muttered before looking at them, lowering her hand. "I'm sorry if I come off as snappy and bitchy, my mind is coming to terms with some things. If I snap at you guys for any reason, it's not your fault… especially you two. " She looked at Spike and Rarity. "I know it's different here so please forgive me if I seem… "
"Grouchy?" Pinkie Pie giggled.
"Plus hormones, yes I'm doing this mission pregnant so please forgive me for any future outbursts." Rachel said with clarity.
"You're pregnant? You know we're going to be doing something dangerous." Applejack grunted.
"I already went through this song and dance before I left." Rachel sighed deeply. "I can't wait until I give birth to do this, judging by both worlds, we're running out of time." She said as she walked over to one of the chairs next to the small dining table and sat down.
Rarity watched her as pulled the towel off of her head. Rachel narrowed her eyes, noticing instead of purple, Rarity's long wet hair was a dark brown color. "If it makes things a little better, you can call us by our real names."
That's right! Rachel had forgotten that this side doesn't use weird pony like names!
"Right, right, that would help with me actually." Rachel muttered. She looked at everyone as her hands dug into the burger bag and pulled out several hamburgers and fries out. "So, what's your names?"
"I'm Cassandra." Sci-Twi said with a smile and wave.
"Lucy!" Pinkie spoke.
"Serenity." Fluttershy whispered.
"Angel and trust me I would rather stick with Rainbow Dash because I'm not an angel." Dash said as she sat up.
"Yet you got the wings of one, babe." Applejack winked at her. Dash stuck her tongue out at her. "Name's Jacklin but I've always been called Applejack. And Angel here is my girlfriend."
"And I am Elizabeth." Rarity introduced herself.
"I've always been called Spike so no name for me." Spike said before Cassandra scratched his spot on his shoulder and he let out a happy whine, leg thump in joy.
"I don't know my human name so I'll just stick to Sunset." Sunset chuckled.
Okay that does help out Rachel tremendously. Also as they were introducing themselves to her, they but Elizabeth who already had hers off, took off their special necklaces, their colorful hair - aside from Applejack's - faded to their real colors. Cassandra and Angel's hairs were black, Lucy's hair was a reddish blonde but still insanely curly, Serenity's was a champagne blonde, Sunset's was still fiery red but she had dyed frosted blonde streaks.
"We get our colorful hair when we pony up and or wear these magic necklaces." Cassandra explained when she puts the necklace back on, the pony colors returned. "We also have some sort of pony magic too."
She demonstrated by raising her left hand up to Rachel, hand glowing pink. She engulfs the same aura around one of the burgers, raises it up in the air and unwraps it for her and gives it to Rachel.
"Oh, thanks." Rachel said, impressed before diving into the burger. First bite of meat she had in a few weeks was the best she had. After chewing and swallowing, she waited to see if the baby was going to have a problem with it.
No feeling of throwing up so Rachel feasted happily.
"Ooh ooh I wanna demonstrate!" Lucy enthusiastically raised her arms up.
"NO!" The other girls shouted.
Dash became a blur, speed running up to her friend and grabbed her hands and held them. "No confetti explosion! Remember what happened at the last motel we stayed at?"
"What?! Our neighbor was throwing a party and I got a little too excited." Lucy whined, jumping a little.
"Sugarcube, I know the phrase "blow the roof off this place" but you literally blew the roof off of that place." AJ reminded her.
"Plus we talked about not to use your powers indoors." Spike muttered before yawning.
"I-I can talk to animals." Serenity said as she put her necklace back on as well.
"And wings, both Cassandra, Serenity and I have wings and we can fly." Dash said, making sure Lucy wouldn't use her powers before letting her go. "And I'm wicked fast."
"I can see memories of those I touched." Sunset said.
Rachel pauses her eating to stare at her. Sunset did touch her twice earlier.
Just what did she see?
"Don't worry, I saw nothing." Sunset assured Rachel, even though it was a lie.
Don't think she needed to say anything about her love life with a dragon. However the fact Rachel's currently pregnant with a dragon's baby does raise some questions.
Rachel resumes her burger feast.
"So anyway, mission debrief." Sunset clapped her hands, getting everyone's attention.
The girls gathered around to listen, Rachel listened from her spot while eating.
"Okay, Rachel here is sent from Equestria to retrieve an artifact from the Temple of Draconia, where the Portal recides to help combat the soldiers who are currently invading that world. And we've been asked by Princess Twilight to assist her in this assignment."
"It's surrounded by the U.N soldiers so getting in is going to be tricky." Cassandra said as she pulled up an online map, showing off the aerial view of where they needed to go, showing them military convoys unloading supplies. "Not to mention there are a lot of unexplored places inside the Temple so the artifact could be anywhere. I already contacted my older brother Shaun, he can fly us as close to the temple as he can. Then we're on our own."
"Isn't Shaun one of the soldiers?" Dash asked.
"He refused to participate in the Invasion along with others. So big brother is on our side." Cassandra pushed the glasses back on.
"So we're basically Tomb Raiding?" Lucy asked, already excited for this.
"Basically." Rachel gulped her burgers down before switching to the large fries. "And I don't know what else we're going to be encountering, either way, it's going to be dangerous… and saying sorry ahead of time for whatever therapy sessions you all might need after running with me. Thank you all for helping me out." She was grateful to have the help.
"You're very welcome." Serenity smiled.
"Okay, we know the mission, we'll head out to the airport tomorrow, get some sleep. Rachel, you're bunking with me for the night." Sunset said.
"Gotcha."
After finishing eating her delicious greasy food and throwing the trash away, Rachel and Sunset went to another motel room down the outside walkway.
Sunset looks up at her. "You know what you need to do?" She asks her.
"Getting the dragon staff I need." Rachel responded as she rubbed her satisfied bump.
"Am I going to expect trouble with you and Elizabeth? I saw that look of yours, you looked like you were ready to skin her alive." Sunset pointed out when they came to their room for the evening.
"If she was Pony Rarity, I would have." Rachel admitted but shook her head. "I'm good. I know the difference. Same goes for Spike."
Sunset nodded. "As long as there won't be a problem, we're square." She said before looking at Rachel's bump. "Are you really pregnant with a dragon's baby? With Spike's no less?"
"Eeyup. And I'm planning on finding my mate after I return home." Rachel nodded.
A sound of a camera going off in the distance caught Rachel's attention. She looked over the railing and gazed out in the bushes. She sniffed the air, combing through the different smells, separating smells from the motel to something in the bushes.
And it smells Equestrian.
"Everything okay?" Sunset asked her. She was told that Rachel has extremely heightened senses being what she was.
Rachel stared out before grunting. "Let's not be in the open." She says and the girls retire for the night.
In the bushes, several people were hiding, one of them had a large camera in their hands. They scanned the photos they managed to catch of the motel, examining Rachel's pictures in particular.
"There's the target." One of them spoke in confirmation. Holding an old picture of Rachel in their hands to compare the photos.
They wore similar white clothes with red splashed on them with the White Mantle symbol etched in their clothes.