A Not So Simple Holiday
The large building outside of Ponyville was constructed quickly under the many curious eyes of the sleepy residences. The only ones who had known what was going on inside the walls and why it was being built were the ones building and working in it. The building had not been as tall as it had been wide, but that didn’t fail to show its impressive size. Though its architecture was not what was important to the two mares walking towards it from the hillside road with travel saddlebags on their sides.
“Lyra, are you sure this is a good idea?” Bonbon asked, looking at her close friend who seemed as a giddy as a school filly. Bonbon had always been one to follow her friend in many different things, no matter how silly or strange. This was one she had never thought of when Lyra told them she was paying for a holiday to an exotic place for a week.
“Of course it is. When I signed us up, they kept talking about going to a place no pony has gone before! How could it not be a good idea? Think of the things we could find to do.” She said, bouncing a bit down the hill, nearly falling over before stopping to dig in her hooves to stop from rolling all the way to the building.
“But you never told me it had anything to do with this place, and if no pony has ever been there like you said, how do we know it’s safe?” Bonbon asked, pointing out a few things as they kept walking, able to see the symbol of the Equestria Travel Bureau and the Equestria Magic Counsel next to it. “What if it’s really some sort of island where they want to see if its inhabitants eat ponies or something?”
Lyra rolled her eyes and looked at Bonbon with a grin. “Well, I don’t think they would have been giving out those free bagels and had me sign those contract things if it wasn’t safe.” She said with a big grin that made Bonbon shake her head. “Besides, it wasn’t hard to sign for you either.”
“I’m not going to even point out how wrong that is...” she said, still looking down as they stepped in front of the large glass doors which were opened quickly by a unicorn in a plain white lab coat. To Lyra it looked more like a chef's outfit, but to Bonbon it was another worrying sign.
“Ah, you two must be the ones who signed up for our trip,” he said with a smile, his glasses masking his eyes and making them look more like swirls than anything. “I am Swirling Space. Come in and I’ll show you around.” Stepping out of the way to let the two mares through the door, Lyra was smiling, smugly looking at Bonbon as she stepped in while the Earth pony just shook her head and stepped inside.
The lobby of the building was rather bare: a few chairs against the wall with a large wrap-around desk with a few things sitting on it. Swirling Space stepped around the two mares and walked past the desk toward the door, while the two followed close behind him looking at everything with interest. As the first door opened, it was rather clear it wasn’t some sort of fancy office space.
“Welcome to the first location of the Experimental Portal Study System of Equestria,” Swirling said. He was smiling as he motioned to the many ponies walking around the large circles around the room that were either crackling with different magical colors to the right. The other side was a large group of desks with ponies who were filling out copious amounts of paperwork. “I’m glad we had two ponies sign up so quickly to help us test our working portal.”
“Where does this portal go anyway?” Bonbon asked, looking at a few things lying on a rolling table that looked like something the Griffons called calamari with eyes on the end of each limb, which then blinked at them before a Unicorn rolled the cart down a different hallway.
“That is what you two are going to find out. We had discovered many of these odd stone tablets deep within the old castle within the wastelands that were, in the past, unexplorable because of diplomatic problems with the Changeling Empire. Not only were the tablets written in Draconic, they were near the largest artifact we were ever able to find. The basis of all of our research here,” the colt replied with a happy tone. “But we have gotten the artifact working and the tablets mostly translated.”
“What do you mean, mostly translated?” Bonbon asked carefully before Lyra looked at the pegasus who was trying to capture a few multicolored clouds that had been floating around the small cubicles and raining different colored liquids onto the ponies.
“Well, other than the basic instructions of the Portal, the tablet was inscribed in a very ancient dialect of Draconic that was known mostly as Noble Draconic. A near dead language which only the oldest dragon would be able to translate. Without the translation of that, we can’t tell you exactly where you’re going,” he said before he stopped in front of a large door with a guard pony the size of the well-known Big Macintosh.
“Identification please,” the guard pony said in a monotone voice looking over the three. Swirling Space lifted out a card from one of his own saddle bags and floated it in front of the guard’s face. A moment passed in silence before the guard said, “Go on through.”
Lyra looked up at him as he opened the large door with his back hoof and didn’t notice where they were headed, but Bonbon’s gasp brought her attention to the much larger and much more interesting room in front of them. A slight chuckle leaked out of Swirling Space as he looked at the two mares with their jaws nearly on the floor.
The sight was one that would impress anypony that had never seen it before, and even if they had, the sight was still impressive. In the large room that would have been able to fit two large barns was a glittering black ring floating above a stone pedestal in the center of the room. All types of ponies were doing different things. Some were writing down symbols they saw on the outer edges as they glowed a light purple color and shifted every few minutes, while others were taking notes of the different colors that came from the symbols.
“This is our main source of information and our studies. We moved it here from the wastelands for the distance from Canterlot in case anything happened with it, and close enough to Ponyville for the scientists to stay there until we can understand it a bit better,” Swirling Space explained as he walked toward a long table with a few saddlebags, boxes, and a few other ponies talking to one another with smiles.
When they got closer, one of the shortest, a mare with amber colored eyes and a rose colored coat saw them and waved to them, smiling a bit. As she walked over, she levitated one of the seemingly bulging saddlebags off the table toward Swirling Space.
“Dr. Space, I assume these two are the ones who had signed up for the trip then?” She asked, looking at the two mares carefully and nodding to herself.
“They are. This is Lyra Heartstrings and Miss Bonbon,” he said, introducing the two mares. With a slightly forced smile Bonbon nodded and with a much more true smile Lyra waved lightly. “You two, this is Madam Shifting Planes. She is Equestria’s researcher on the study of the different Planes of existence, and Head of our projects here.”
“Yes, yes I am,” she said, smiling warmly and looking at the large ring. “So you two will be going through there to help us study why this was built, where it goes, and where the beings who created it are.
“And as such, you will not only get the once in a lifetime chance of going to an unknown location like this,” she said as she opened one of the saddlebags to show what was inside: bars of gold and other precious metals. Bonbon’s and Lyra’s eyes nearly popped out of their skulls staring at it. “You will be given this bag to help you trade with those you find there. In case they do not understand you, this should be enough to bridge the gap of peace. Plus, if you come back with the bag and its contents with enough information. I’ve been told you may keep what is left.”
Bonbon just looked at the bag and then back up at the doctor then to Lyra; this was the last bit of assurance she needed. She had thought it was going to be expensive, which it wasn’t. She thought it was going to be boring; with everything going on around them, that was the last thing she thought of it now. But now, with the gold and things inside a bag with what was basically “Use this for souvenirs and other expenses” as their instructions for it...
Lyra looked at the metals and then to Bonbon, the rather small smile on her face saying, ‘I told you it would be interesting.’ Bonbon nodded a bit, rolling her eyes at her friend, sighing a bit as the bars in the bag were set on her back, nearly making her knees buckle from the sudden weight.
“Now that you’ve been set up with that, I suggest that you start to write things down as you go; there should be some notebooks in the bag. Write about different strange things you see, draw a few things that you can’t describe, things of that nature,” Swirling Space said, adjusting his spectacles again, and motioned to the portal which seemed to be forming an odd swirl in the center.
“It seems the Spells have been primed and everything is ready for departure for you two,” Shifting Planes said with a smile on her face. “Do you have any other questions before we set up the platform for you?”
“Yes, how long will the Trip be exactly?” Lyra asked, smiling, half paying attention while watching the arching magical energy from different unicorns casting spells at the base of the ring powering the runes to glow faintly.
“Well...By what the tablets have said, and my research on the spells on the ring itself, it will be an unknown amount of time on the other side while only a week in Equestria passes. So in theory, you could be there for a day, or a month, before the portal on that end opens once again in that week,” Shifting Planes replied, smiling. “But as you go through the portal, it should stop the aging process once you come back through.”
“That’s an impressive spell...No wonder this thing is so massive. It must have taken years to put all those spells on the outer ring,” Lyra said to herself. She hadn’t gone to any of the schools only for the greatest unicorn students, but she had read enough on her own and done enough spellwork on her own lyre that she knew it took time and effort.
“It is, and it must have taken nearly a year of work with a minimum of fifteen old Archmage-level Unicorns. Luckily we’ve worked the way of enhancing the spells through different ways to substitute the massive power supply, ” Swirling Space said, smiling to himself a bit as he motioned for the mares to go up the rising steps being held up by magic onto a bridge in front of the portal toward its center where a swirling vortex of magic was forming.
The four ponies stepped up onto the bridge-like platform and walked toward its end. Lyra and Bonbon were carrying their two sets saddlebags and other things on them that were strapped to them as they looked at the portal while the two scientists looked at them taking a few notes. The mares looked at one another, Lyra with a smile on her face and Bonbon sharing a careful look at the portal.
“I told you this was going to be fun,” Lyra said as they stepped toward the edge. It was clear they would need to jump off the platform and into the portal itself.
“I have to admit...it’s better than your idea to make money on our spare time collecting cans,” Bonbon said. “But if it takes a year for the portal to get back to Equestria, I’m kicking you out of a window. Into Rosebud’s garden.”
“Fine fine, and when we come back from the strange place in perfect health, you owe me an order of Hay Fries,” Lyra said and stepped back a bit to get a running start. Bonbon soon followed suit, backing up to be in line with her friend.
“On three, ready?” Bonbon said and looked at the Portal, narrowing her eyes. Lyra crouched next to her with her tongue stuck out to ‘focus’.
“On three,” Lyra agreed with a grin.
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three!”
On three, the two mares ran forward and jumped into the portal of magical energies. The ring shook and sparked at the ponies around it making them all back up quickly so they would not get hit. As it shook and sputtered its magical energies, the portal’s magical spiral dissipated and the Mares who seemingly were jumping into the unknown vanished from sight.
Author's Note
Alright, for those of you have read this chapter before, it has been proof read by Alicorn Priest, who has helped me so much improve this first chapter. With all the improvents on the grammar and other things it now looks so much better.
The magical vortex had seemingly gone on forever for the two mares. They felt as if they were flying, watching colors and lights shift around them. Behind them, the lights were fading and a more pure white light was in front of them. Everything around them shifted, the white light becoming brighter and brighter until all they could see was white.
With a flash, they felt themselves no longer in the strange vortex. They didn't even feel like they were standing on anything, and gravity soon showed them that this was correct when they both fell onto a stone floor with a thump. They looked around to see where they were and saw something they didn't quite expect.
First was the source of the light. They saw a smaller ring on top of a large pile of boxes near a light bulb that must have been blinding them. All around them were cardboard boxes. Most seemed to be covered in some sort of stains from water and full to the brim with different things that neither mare could identify. One of the strangest was a fake pine tree leaning against some large metal tub.
“Uh...Where are we?” Lyra asked out loud, looking around, shaking her head, and rubbing her side with her hoof where she had landed on a box of some book. “I thought we were going to some tropical location.”
“They said it was an ‘unknown’ location. Not tropical. We could have even gone somewhere like the Crystal Kingdom.” Bonbon said, grumpily rubbing her head, and shaking herself a bit looking around. “But if I had to guess, we’re in somepony’s basement...Let’s see if we can find some stairs.”
“Right, right,” Lyra said and lit her horn with her magic. They looked around until they found a flight of steps heading nearly straight up to a large door that had light poking out from under it. The two mares looked at one another and started their short climb, when they finally reached the top they turned the knob and found something quite...odd.
The room they walked into seemed like a normal kitchen at first, with the exception that everything was a good bit bigger and taller. The kitchen had a shiny stove with something they had never seen standing in front of it. Whatever the creature was it seemed to sway and move to unheard music. It had no coat the could see and only a small mane of auburn hair resting on the top if it’s head.
The two mares looked at the creature, then at one another. Lyra had a smile and nodded, but Bonbon frowned, shaking her head and slightly pointed to the basement door again. The two had a silent conversation as the creature continued to shuffle a bit, not knowing about the two mares behind it.
As Bonbon gave one more sharp point toward the basement door, Lyra gave in and turned to open the door that gave a long creak. The creature stopped moving and reach toward its head and pull out something from one of its small ears. The two mares started to walk down the steps and close the door behind them quickly before the creature could fully turn around and see them. It looked at the door that was cracked open, walked over and shut it completely and shrug before going back to it’s spot in front of the stove.
“Do you know what that was, Bonbon?” Lyra asked, smiling like a fool as they sat together on top of a large box.
“Oh Lyra don’t tell me that’s one of those Human things you read about.” Bonbon said rubbing her hoof a bit. She was not in the mood for another theory from Lyra about humans, something her friend had always talked about but never had proof.
“It matches everything I've read about them, it must have been humans who had built the ring and it took us to where they Came from!” Lyra said smiling to herself. “We’re in the lands of Humans, this is amazing. Who knows how they’ll react to seeing ponies...”
“Exactly, that’s why we can’t show up in one of their homes. How do we know these things aren't going to try to eat us?” Bonbon asked pointed out carefully. Lyra sighed a bit, she couldn't deny that this human could be like that. No one in Equestria really knew how humans acted, and the only the stories they had were from old books barely mentioning them in faint detail.
“I...well why don’t we talk to it then? We won’t know if we don’t try, and if it is peaceful it should have no problem with us showing up through the portal.” Lyra said, a small smile growing on her face.
“And if not?” Bonbon asked, rather bluntly.
“Then we run back down here, block the door with all the boxes around here until it goes away,” Lyra said smugly and levitated one of the smaller boxes with her magic.
Bonbon was about to point out a few more flaws in Lyra’s plan when they heard the door above them open. The two friends looked at one another and moved away from the stairs. The two mares hid behind the large fake pine tree, barely peeking around it to watch the stairs.
The same human they had seen in the kitchen, but it was now carrying a large brown box in its arms. As it walked down the stairs, Bonbon had to nearly hold Lyra to keep her from stepping from behind the box. Lyra was staring at the human, biting her lower lip in excitement as it moved some things around before putting the box down carefully.
As it turned toward the tree, it reached up and pulled on a cord hanging from the ceiling, turning on another light and looking around a bit. The two mares looked at one another carefully and nearly froze. The human walked closer and closer,so close it looked like it would have been able to reach out and touch the tree. But it stopped and reached down to pick up another seemingly random box, then opened it up to look inside. After that, it began to carry up the random box up the stairs turning off one of the lights as it walked away from the two mares.
The two mares looked at each other and nodded. They would have to talk to the human or be discovered in hiding, and if that happened who knows how it would react. Lyra looked to the basement door and started to walk up the stairs slowly, while Bonbon stood at the bottom of the steps, watching her friend head up the steps and toward the door.
Lyra looked at the door and then toward her friend smiling a bit, then she did something which she would never expected having to do. She knocked on the basement door.
Author's Note
With the addition to the chapter I'm happy to say that I've had great help with this chapter by Alicorn Priest who has helped me proof read the chapter and fix the many MANY errors I missed. So if you notice all the great things that aren't all screwy with this chapter, you may thank Alicorn Priest.