"Excuse me," Twilight said as she approached the green filly standing alone in a Canterlot park, "but you look like you're lost. Can I help you?"

The list of possible responses she had assembled did not include getting kicked in the face.

"Help, I'm being foal-napped!" the filly shrieked, flailing wildly.

Twilight sputtered, glanced about fearfully, then pulled the child off her with telekinesis, gagging her in the process. Luckily, nobody seemed to be watching." I'm not foal-napping anypony! I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, See? Wings and a horn and everything!"

The child stilled, and Twilight gently set her back down.

"I've never heard of a Princess Twilight," she grumbled.

Twilight sighed. "What's your name? And where are you trying to go?"

"My name is Melon Ball. I just got my cutie mark, see? I want to go show my mom, like we promised."

Her mark was, unsurprisingly, a slice of watermelon. The name also sounded familiar for some reason. "Do you know your address? I can take you there."

Melon bit her lip. "I live with my dad, and don't get to see Mommy much anymore. But I promised that I’d show her my cutie mark when I got it. I have her address here, but I can't find it."

"Hmm. I know where this is. Follow me, I’m sure your mom will love it.”

Helping a lost filly find her mother should have been one of her easiest friendship problems yet. But as Twilight led her through the streets of Canterlot, she found them twistier, and more confusing then she remembered. Signs were crooked, and the streets were strangely empty of ponies for this time of day.

Eventually, they somehow found themselves back at the park where they had started.

“Alright,” Twilight said, rubbing at her eyes with a hoof. “I think I know where I took the wrong turn. Let’s try again, shall we?”

After the third time she ended back up in the park, Twilight was starting to get angry.

“It’s no use. I can’t find her. I’ll never find her,” Melon said, sitting down and lowering her head.

Ah. Something clicked in Twilight, a smattering of old memories. She fired up her horn, feeling out with magic to confirm her suspicions.

“I figured out what’s wrong!” Twilight announced, puffing out her chest. “We’ve been trapped in a nth-dimensional manifold warp. I’ve read about these. They vary, but generally it will prevent us from leaving until one of us discovers and accepts something personal about themselves.”

Melon cocked her head to the side. “What does that mean?”

“It means, kid, that we’re going to cheat.” Twilight crouched low, spreading her wings. “Hop on.”

Once she secured the filly on her back with magic, Twilight took off, flying as high as she could. She felt the world resist her as she did, but she pushed against it with her own will. Once she reached her apex, she dived, putting on speed. She’d never pull off something like a sonic rainboom, but as reality strained against her, she channeled her momentum into power and teleported through the ephemeral barrier with a pop.

“Here you go,” Twilight said, once she had skidded to a stop. “This is where your mom used to live.”

Melon stood up shakily, frowning as she looked over the empty lot. “This isn’t right. Where is she?”

Twilight lowered her head. “Your mother moved after you passed away in the carriage accident on your way to see her. I remember reading about it in the newspaper.”

“Oh.”

What other reaction would really fit? Twilight watched silently as the filly processed the uncomfortable truth.

“I really can’t show Mom then, huh?”

“I’m sorry. I wish there was something more I could do.”

Melon wiped tears from her eyes. “Okay. Um, thank you for helping me anyway, Twilight.”

And with that, she was gone.

---

Twilight stepped out of her door to get her mail. It was a beautiful morning in Ponyville, and everything was normal.

Other than the green filly sitting on her doorstep.

“Hi!”

“Uh, shouldn’t you have moved on or something?

Melon shrugged. “I thought about it, but there’s still a lot of cool stuff I want to see and do, and I guess I don’t actually have to leave yet. Hey, can I see your castle? It’s totally awesome!”

Twilight blinked twice. Well, stranger things had happened. She smiled, and opened the door. “Sure. I’ll introduce you to Spike.”