1-12 When Egos Collide

Biin Hejj and Horatio Q. Booper-Snoot stared at each other. Their noses got within inches of one another.
"It's like I am staring into a mirror," Horatio whispered.
"Yeah, one that actually works." Biin blinked back. "At best, all I could do back in...well...back where I didst come from, all I could do was hold a mirror. Pick it up. Put it down. Pretend I could see into it and pretend it reflected."
"Except I talk back, deary."
Biin frowned and pursed his lips. "That, you do."
The silence was thick with awkward. Augusta and STEVE! shrugged at one another.
"So is this the part where we fight to the death?"
Horatio began to titter. Biin followed. Soon, they fell into a roaring laughter. They eventually collapsed into each other's arms.
"Wha...t just happened?" said Augusta to STEVE!.
The dwarf just shrugged. "STEVE! HAS ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA." He shrugged again and then turned towards the glowing orb of light that contained a small and nondescript room. He muttered a few arcane words and gestured over the miniverse with his magical staff. It shimmered for a while, and then slowly evaporated at the same rate and consistency as a morning fog before the sun.
"I do believe that the reverberations of our proximity are causing waves in the personality-being continuum," Horatio marveled.
"I have no idea what he said, but it's what he said," echoed Biin.
"Can you explain that to us beings from the three-hundred thirteenth and three fourteenth universes?" Augusta smirked.
"I do believe that Mr. Hejj, here, and I share a kind of link, if you will," said Horatio. "And there is another Multiverse law regarding the conservation of egos that must be followed."
Augusta rolled her eyes. "Of course there is. You know, for being an all encompassing multiverse, your laws make no sense to me."
Horatio tipped his hat, "That's what has to happen. Universes of pure magic and pure physics along with universes of both have to have laws that none of them understand. You should try to see STEVE! wrestle with the conservation of energy.
"STEVE! BELIEVES THAT IS A SILLY LAW THAT MAKES STEVE!'S HEAD THROB WITHOUT THE JOYS OF ALCOHOL."
"So, what are we to do, Professor?" asked Biin. He gestured at his clothing, which now consisted of a couple of items he recognized from his former universe along with new ones. He tugged at the familiar ones first—a jacket made of crocodile leather and boots made of the same material, dyed a darker black. Then he gestured at his other garments—a black t-shirt and black jeans. Missing from him was all of his silk clothing—pants, jacket with tails, and top hat, most notably, along with a set of tinkers goggles, which had a number of small lenses, mirrors, pincers, and other odd bits attached to it. "You seem to have my silken wares, and I seem to be decked out in the uniform of my musical performances."
"Indeed," Horatio smiled. "Whereas I have your flair, style, and all of your fabulous flamboyance! But whereas I seem to be a tad more on the side of the explorer-sci-archanist, you, my good sir..."
"...retain the exuberance and style of a tinkering musician. Outstanding!"
"My dear boy, do you know what this means?" Horatio squealed.
Biin nodded his head up and down. "Absolutely not!"
Augusta facepalmed.
"It means that we are, on the one hand, twinsies!" Horatio clasped his hands and began to jump up and down excitedly.
"And on the other hand, our separate selves!" Biin added, flapping his arms about like a liberated albatross who just discovered he could save money on car insurance by switching to another company represented by a gecko mascot while ignoring all of the hassle those funny television commercials never tell you about.
They jumped up and down together in unison while giggling in chorus: "Thus the conservation of egos is thusly preserved!"
Augusta buried her head in her hands. A little moan came out that wasn't unlike the moan she makes whenever she comes down with a debilitating migraine headache.
STEVE! just looked at the entire scene blankly. After following the discussion, he finally gave up and located a very large and unopened bottle of whiskey, which was soon deflowered with great haste.