>I tend to forget I ain’t exactly the best at coming up with elaborate plans, but boy I’m stupidly good when it comes to finding stuff. It didn’t matter if it was an earring or a certain colt, I could find whatever I wanted to.
>Of course, there’s a difference between busting a colt who doesn’t want to take bath and a portal to another dimension, but the principle was more or less the same. I just needed to find that single hit that would take me to the right direction.
>Good thing I already knew where to head to, after all it ain’t hard to lose track of well… everything in the Void. Not exactly a bad thing if you ask me, if anything I would have exploded myself if this place ended up being as boring as the slums. 
>That said, it was incredibly frustrating to just ignore the many amazing things that plagued the palpitating skies of the Void just to stick with one goal, even more when everything seemed dead as heck this morning. It’s like this place loved to just taunt me.
>Maybe it did like to taunt me, but the idea of getting into Equestria was way more important than a bit of pride. Besides I was already at the house’s door, it’d be hella stupid to just drop everything for a bunch of fun looking floating islands.
 
“I swear, if those water slides ain’t here when I come back, I’ll blow Discord’s stupid house again!”
>After one final glance at the ever growing wonder land, I firmly and decisively took a hold of the doorknob and stomped my way inside the house.
“Huh, it’s… just how I left it. That’s kinda disappointing if I gotta be honest”.
>If I have to be honest, I ain’t sure what I was expecting. Discord wasn’t supposed to be here until way later, and it ain’t like the house has been especially interesting these past couple days.
“Dude, it’s like I just entered planet boredom again! Ugh, guess I better start looking before that old guy comes back!”
 >After doing a few stretches and warm-up exercises, I traced a circle with my paw and casted what I thought was an incredibly clever spell: I became a bolt of lightning. 
>Why would I ever do that? Easy, I didn’t have much time before Discord came back so this would let me search the entire house as fast as possible. This was also one of the few things I could actually do with like, 100% accuracy so there was that.
>With a thunderous cackle I started my electrifying search. I started ricocheting through the first floor, from the walls to the ceiling, to basically everything that came in my path.
“Aw, come the heck on! There’s nothing here!”
 
>I stopped for a fraction on the second and then shot myself through the ceiling and into the second floor where I repeated my search in the same shocking way.
>My search for the portal ended where I started: in the living room. There I rushed to the small volcano on the ceiling and puked my guts out. Shockingly enough, bouncing back and forth at stupidly high speeds can make a girl feel a bit sick.
>Once the world stopped spinning around and my limbs finally obeyed me, I sat on the floor and crossed my arms.
“Where the heck is it?! Agh, why does that old fart always has to make everything impossible?!”
 >I let out a tired sigh and jumped onto the couch with the grace of a drunken swan. Then, I combed my mane and lazily started scratching my belly.
“It HAS to be here, but where? It ain’t like the old guy has a door with a bright neon signs that says “EQUESTRIA! At least I don’t think so… ugh”.
>A rattling sound made me jump out of the couch and rush to a hiding spot beneath a table. Not really clever since the table was right in the middle of the living room and I was at least twice its size, but what can I say, I ain’t the best at coming up with stuff in the heat of the moment.
>As the door slowly opened, letting a painfully sharp creaking noise, I gritted my teeth and prepared whatever magic I could throw. I could’ve sworn that there was even a fine creepy mist coming from the other side.
 
>Thankfully, this painfully tense moment didn’t last long, I’d have had a heart attack if it did. The door stood still for a second before it was burst open by an incredibly worn out leather boot. Then Discord jumped inside the house. I’m not really sure if that actually improved my situation, but oh well.
>It was all over, I had failed to discover that stupid portal before Discord came back. All I had left to do now was to go back to the same old boring routine and just hope that tomorrow would be a better day… or so I thought.
>Discord had either gone completely blind, or was in the middle of a massive hurry. Like, the guy didn’t even notice that I was there, not even when he frantically searched under every nook and cranny in the living room. 
>Heck, he even lifted the table over his head a couple times without even realizing I was there. He just went back and forth mumbling to himself the same thing over and over, “Where is it? I know I left it here somewhere!”
>Finally, he rushed upstairs, leaving me alone again. I slightly peeked my head out of the table, but I went back to my poor excuse of a hiding spot just as fast when he came back a couple seconds after, holding a heck of a lot of merchandise for his carnival. 
>After putting on a goofy cap and one of those giant foam fingers, Discord whipped a couple drops of sweat from his forehead and annoyed mumbled to himself, “I should let the pink one to handle everything next time I do one of these things!” and with that he darted to the exit, slamming the door shut behind him.
 
>Again, I felt tempted to peek outside and see if Discord left a hint somewhere during his rush. It was a good thing that I decided to just lay on the floor to regain my breath, because Discord came back as quickly as he left. 
>It was almost as if I was looking at a different Discord. That hurried and stressed vibe was just gone, he had gone back to his usual goofy self. What the heck is up with this guy? I swear it’s impossible to understand him.
>Discord chuckled to himself while scratching his head. He placed some of the merchandise on the floor and murmured, “Silly me, I didn’t cast the portal! I’d probably forget my own head if I didn’t screw it last month!”
>With a snap of his talons the door morphed into a… well, a different kind of door. Like, it was if I was looking straight at a grand casino entrance. Heck it even had a hella big neon sign above it that read “EQUESTRIA HERE!”
>I had to cover my mouth to not squee like one of those dumb school fillies, but boy it was hard. Can you blame me, though? This was it, the frickin’ portal I was looking for! Now the only thing that stood between me and Equestria was Discord himself.
 
>Even with all my hype, I knew that I couldn’t just go for it without actually thinking this through and through. One bad move and I could unleash the anger of the most powerful dude in like, ever on me… Who am I kidding? I’ve never made an actual elaborated plan in my life and I wasn’t gonna start now!
“Aha! I gotcha now, you old lying fart!”
>Discord let out a shocked gasp, but by the time he actually realized what was going on, it was already way too late. I jumped outta the table, and after casting a spell that was nothing more than a glorified flash bang, I rushed to the door and opened it from pair to pair.
>What was behind the door was something I cannot describe. Best thing I can come up with is that it was like a collection of fuzzy images all blending together with the craziest colors I’ve ever seen, kinda like a broken TV.
>This… tunnel, started to distort everything around me as it pulled me into it.  I could hear Discord yelling at me, his voice sounded like it came from a busted old radio “What are you doing, my dear?! Come back here!” 
>I couldn’t help but laugh and give Discord a mocking salute as he started to become another fuzzy image on this tunnel of chaos.  
“So long sucker!”
>Maybe he said something, I’m not sure, the tunnel made it impossible to tell. Seriously, this place wasn’t just crazy with the visuals, there was a whole lotta noise in here. Like, millions voices coming from a tin can.
>The force that pulled me through it wasn’t exactly better either, I could feel how it pulled me up, down, and in all sorts of directions. It’d be a lie if I said that I didn’t become scared at that point. I mean who wouldn’t? It was impossible to tell anything, not even my own thoughts.
 
>I’m not sure how long it lasted, but I know when it ended. After what it felt like years of horrible pain, I realized that I could hear my own crazed shrieking. My head pulsed like crazy and my body felt like a wet noodle but I was out of the tunnel.
“I-Is it over? Oh thank goodness! But… w-where am I?”
>Holding to the few energy I had, I slowly stood up and took a look at my surroundings. I was in the middle of a forest glade, a stupidly creepy forest if I have to say so. 
>All the trees twisted and bended upwards in ways that I ain’t sure trees were supposed to do. Telling what lied beyond them was impossible since the tree tops were so lush that everything past the glade was in almost complete darkness except for some faint glows scattered around.
>I didn’t care about any of that, my mind was busy processing the world around me. My fur was grazed by a slightly cold breeze of wind, the first one I’ve felt in forever, my eyes had to readjust to the sun shining right above me, my ears ringed with the sound of nearby birds, and my hooves tingled thanks to the grass under me. 
>It didn’t matter if this wasn’t Equestria, it wasn’t the Void and that was more than enough. I raised my arms to the sky and yelled victorious.
“I DID IT! LOOK AT ME, DISCORD! I FINALLY BEAT YOU!”
>Then, I collapsed onto the ground, all my energy had finally faded away and so did my consciousness. It was alright, though. Victory was too sweet to worry.
>… … …
>… …
>…
“C’mon man, I can explain! I swear it ain’t what it looks like!”
>Twilight narrowed her eyes at you and both firmly and decisively placed her front hoof on your chest, “Explain what?” She yelled while taking a quick, furious glance at the guards, “That you lied to me about giving the Princess a nice surprise to go and set up this… this casino?!”
>You raised a hoof and opened your mouth, but quickly retracted and looked at your surroundings, more specifically to the pretty hefty sum of bits lying before you.
“Never mind, that’s actually what it is… I mean!”
>Realizing how immensely stupid your answer was, you frantically searched for anything that could get you out of trouble. The problem is that you didn’t have much to work with.
>Spike was completely out of the question, the poor guy was completely frozen in place, heck if it wasn’t for the fact he was trembling like jelly you’d have sworn that he had become a statue. Those frickin’ guards were no good either, bunch of cowards were pretending that no one happened.
>To make things worse, Twilight wasn’t going to back down anytime soon. She leaned closer to your face, her eyes making her anger more than clear, “Well? Do you have something else to say, mister?”
“Uh…”
>Your eyes darted over again, this time with thankfully some success. Lying around not far away from Spike was the huge book you decided to bring over in case the show needed something to give the guards some ideas. 
 
>Well, it might not exactly be what you expected but you weren’t going to let this chance slip by just like that. You might not know Twilight very much, but she had made one thing clear when you met her: She was an even bigger nerd than you… and not as cool as you.
>Twilight seemingly running out of patience, placed a hoof on her forehead and let out a sigh in frustration, “I was supposed to be the one in charge. What am I going to tell to Princess Celestia?”
“Easy, you tell my mom exactly what I was doing here: Just playing a small and very educative game with some new friends”.
>Twilight rolled her eyes, completely unamused by your reply, “Hah, hah. Very funny, Resonance”. She said in such a sarcastic tone that it’d make a satirist blush, “Oh wait, it is not! Because now I have to explain the princess why her son was gambling while I was supposed to take care of him! Worst part is that I can’t understand in the name of Equestria why Spike would join such a… bad activity”.
>Spike lowered his head and rubbed his right arm, the guy looked and spoke like he wanted to be swallowed by the earth, “Sorry, Twi”.
 
 
 
>Alright, that was your cue to get into action. You might not be that fond of Spike, but you promised that guy to take the fall for him, and for all that was good and profitable in this world you were gonna cover his butt. Especially when you could use him for future scams.
>You combed your mane and went back to your more chill and showy act. Then you looked up to Twilight and shrugged without a care in the world.
“Honestly Twilight, why don’t you tone it down a little? You asked what we were doing and I answered. We were playing a game, and it was one heck of an educational experience too! I don’t get why you don’t believe that”.
>Twilight rolled her eyes and let out a little grunt, “That’s a great question, Resonance! I’m actually not sure how to answer it”. Man, this mare was a master at being sarcastic, “Oh wait, I know! Is because of that pile of bits right there!”
“The bits ain’t the game, Twilight, just what you win or lose once the round it’s over. The game itself is just what I said it is, but I don’t think you really believe me. That’s fine, though, because I know the best way to prove my point”.
>She let out a frustrated sigh as she slapped her forehead, “Resonance, I’m really trying to be patient here, but you’re really pushing it”.
 
“Good, because I ain’t gonna waste more time with this. Play my game and see it for yourself, Twilight, there won’t be any bits involved this time. If you still think the same after one round then fine, I’ll admit I was being a jerk and groom your mane or whatever, but if you don’t… well, then we play for real”.
>Twilight raised an eyebrow as she scoffed, “And why in Equestria would I ever do that?”
“Because if you don’t, then how can you be absolutely sure you’re right?”
>Twilight locked eyes with you for a few seconds before extending her hoof, “Alright, but I want you to promise me that there won’t be any more lies”.
>You shook her hoof without any hesitation, after all there was no way you could ever lose at this.
“Sure, why not?”
>Looking way calmer, Twilight sat on the ground and politely asked, “So… how is this game supposed to be played?”
“Easy, you throw me a question and I answer it. If I’m right I win two bits, if I ain’t then… well, don’t worry about that. There’s usually some bits on the line for each question, but you could say this round is a freebie”.
>Mistrust took hold of Twilight’s face as she raised an eyebrow, “Is that it?” 
“Yup, it’s as simple as that!”
>“And can I ask about anything I want or is there a set or rules we need to follow?” 
 
“Well, it ain’t like there’s a hard limit… as long as it ain’t anything stupid, I mean but you see those guys over there?”
>You pointed at the group of guards. Surprisingly and somewhat annoyingly enough, they hadn’t leave the moment Twilight arrived. Instead they were surrounding the area in a semi-circle while keeping a safe distance in case things went south.
“I dunno why, but they were throwing nothing but math questions. So I was thinking that maybe we should stick to that, at least for this round and then move onto whatever we want… that is, if I convince you that this is no gambling scheme, of course. You okay with that?”
>Twilight’s eyes lit up like fireworks as a wide smile appeared on her lips, “Oh, I like where this is going! I used to play something like this when I was filly.” She looked up in the sky with a vague hint of nostalgia behind her eyes, “Heh, heh! Every morning I went to the bathroom mirror and asked myself all the equations I could think of!”
>Spike chuckled to himself after hearing those words, “I remember that! You made Dad wait so long to use the toilet that he ended up bucking the bathroom door until his leg got stuck. Mom had to change the door AND the carpet that day, it was hilarious!”
>A clear blush appeared on Twilight’s cheeks, “Yeah, I remember that too... b-but now is different! I actually have somepony to play with. Oh, this is so great!” She then ponderously scratched her chin, “Now we only need some material to really get this going! Hmm… Hey Spike did you pack my abacus?”
 
>Before Spike could give any kind of reply, a loud noise broke out from the group of guards. The incredibly muscular mare was holding Fancy Scrolls above her head with such that it almost looked like a kid flailing a toy around.
>Despite his constant protests and attempts to break free, the guard mare spun him a couple times and tossed him with incredible precision to Twilight’s side. Then, she yelled “Purple princess can use my puny friend!”
>You found kind of baffling the fact that Fancy Scrolls didn’t do much other than adjusting his glasses and giving a quick glare at his muscular friend. Even more confusing was the fact this guy addressed Twilight. He just kept fidgeting his hooves around and avoiding any and all eye contact, “C-Corporal F-F-Fancy Scrolls a-a-at your service, your majesty”.
>Twilight couldn’t be more uncomfortable by the whole scene. Her entire body language couldn’t be more clear about her wanting this guy to leave as soon as possible, “Yeah… you really don’t have to call me like that”.
>“N-No titles? O-O-Okay” Fancy Scrolls gulped down and dropped to the ground in what you thought was an attempt of bowing to her, “Y-Y-Your m-majesty, I-I mean Twilight! Yes, because that’s your name right?! I-I’m more than happy to deal with this runt f-for you… c-colts like him aren’t supposed to be with an angel like yourself!”
“Hey, I don’t give two bits if you’re a guard or not, you say that again and I’ll frickin’ buck you in the face, man!”
>Fancy Scrolls quickly turned to you and frantically waved his hoof over and over, “Shuddup, lad! Can’t you see I’m the middle of something important?”
 
>Twilight frantically looked left and right in what you thought was a desperate attempt at finding a way out. Finally, she walked over to you and awkwardly pulled you closer to her, “Ah… I’m sorry sire, but that won’t be necessary. I think me and Resonance can manage on our own just fine. Thanks for the offer, though”.
>Fancy Scrolls raised a shaky hoof and tried as hard as possible to muster a word, but thankfully didn’t go beyond that. Defeated, he dropped his head and walked back to his group of his friend who received him with kindred words such as “What the hay was that pick-up line?” and “Bro, you suck with girls”.
>Once your mind recovered from… whatever the heck that was supposed to be, you turned to a completely zoned-out Twilight and poked her a bit.
“So, uh… still wanna play?”
>“What?!” Twilight frantically shook her head to snap back to reality and nodded, “Oh yeah, the game! Ah… we were going to start with math, right? Let me think on a good one.” After rubbing her chin for a couple seconds, Twilight eagerly clapped her hooves and said, “Okay Resonance, this was one of my favorites when I was your age: If a train is traveling at 60 m/s and it hits the breaks, and it takes a minute and 20 seconds to stop, what’s the train’s acceleration? Uhm… is this one okay?”
“Sure, why not?”
 
>Twilight poked her hooves together as she looked at the sky with a genuinely naïve expression on her face, “Well, you specifically mentioned to stick with pure math, and this isn’t hard math, but I just couldn’t help myself! I love to do stuff like this!”
“That’s neat, Twilight but…”
>Spike quickly cut you off with a small scoff of his own, “It’s not that neat when she won’t give you your toothbrush unless you answer right, though”.
>While you found this comment to be funny, you really didn’t want to waste any time when there was bit to be made. You calmly spoke up, in hopes to get back to the game.
“Guys, I don’t think that’s…”
>“How else are you going to study then?!” Twilight snapped back at him, “You’ve been neglecting your studies for months now, Spike!”
>They didn’t listen, understandable considering how salty both of them were. All you had to do was to be a little louder this time.
“Yo, that sucks but…!”
>“Give me a break, Twi!” Spike yelled while flailing his chubby arms, “Just because I don’t read 200 books every day doesn’t mean that…!”
>You felt your left eye twitching and your temples starting to pulse. Screw politeness, man. It has never taken you anywhere! If you wanted for them to listen, you had to do it right!
“Alright, you two shut the heck up already, geez! Oh, and Twilight? The answer to the problem is about 0.7 m/s^2. Err… it’s actually past the 0.71 but you get the gist, right? ”
 
>Spike looked down in a bit of shame and kicked the ground, “Sorry…” On the other hoof, Twilight was staring at you with the wildest frickin’ look you’ve ever gotten.
>You couldn’t help but to feel awkward as heck, it felt like she was looking at some kind of test tube. After rubbing the back of your head, you decided to make this stop.
“Yo, Twilight, everything’s ok? Did I get something on my face or something?”
>“Not really, I’m just… amazed”. She excitedly placed a hoof on your shoulder, “Resonance, would you mind if we take this game to the next level? I can pay those two bits if you want”
“What do you want me to say? Show must go on, man!
>Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “Great! In that case, what’s the mathematical derivative of…”