Connectionby totallynotabronyChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 1This is a sequel to Battleships are Magic February, 1993 Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center The wind had blown hard the night before, distributing the fallen snow in uneven piles around the base. The Indiana winters were often unpredictable. This week, it was cold. Located in the southern part of the state, Crane was mostly sheltered from severe weather. The wind was the worst part. East of the Rocky Mountains, there was nothing but flat land to let the weather systems accelerate into the midwest. Admiral John Mittal stepped out of the staff car, bracing against the bitter wind. He had only recently been promoted up from Captain, and had finally been let in to a clandestine development the Navy was working on at the base. It had been a thorn in his side that he’d practically started the project, but been locked out because he wasn’t important enough. About two and a half years previously, Iraq had invaded neighboring Kuwait. In response, the United States had deployed warships, including a few old battleships that had been reconditioned. Officially, USS Wisconsin had encountered mechanical trouble and returned to port early. Mittal had been in command of the ship, and knew the truth was a different story. An event that had been nicknamed the Anomaly had mysteriously transported the ship to a different dimension where the dominant life forms were sentient animals. With the help of magical ponies, the ship had managed to return home. The details of the event were so difficult to believe, that burying it in a high security classification almost seemed unnecessary. Not all of the crew had kept their promised silence, but there were few enough of them that not many people took them seriously. Since then, scientists working for the Navy had been trying to figure out what exactly the Anomaly was and how to control it. Helped by notes given to them by the ponies before the ship was sent back, significant progress had been made. They’d even started to understand some of the details of magic. It appeared to be simply an organic method of delicately controlling energy. Breakthroughs in the nature of the space-time interface and the discovery of magic were groundbreaking developments that the public didn’t need to know about just yet. A secure location from which to conduct the research had been needed, and Crane had been selected. After all, not many people realized that the Navy’s third largest base was landlocked in Indiana. Fewer knew the details of the secret projects carried out there. A place to house the research had been quickly constructed and innocuously designated Building D6. Belowground levels had been considered, but it would require too much blasting and drilling to displace the bedrock that lay close to the surface in much of the area. Anchors to solidify the construction were drilled into the limestone, though. A breakthrough was what had brought Mittal to the project building that morning. Armed guards closely checked him before he was allowed to enter the front door. To access the rest of the building, he had to enter a memorized code and pass another set of guards. The next room was considerably larger. A rectangular steel frame surrounded by wires and instruments stood behind a bank of computers and equipment. Thick cables and power lines snaked across the floor. A couple of people were busy adjusting things before the scheduled test. The project lead engineer was a man named Tim Oswald. He had a doctorate in something Admiral Mittal couldn’t spell. Under Oswald’s guidance, the research was advancing at a rapid pace. “Good morning Admiral,” called Dr. Oswald. “We should have everything ready to go in just a few minutes. Don’t go near the doorway while we calibrate.” The doorway in question was the empty frame behind the scientists. There were many power inputs and instrument outputs radiating from the exterior. Mittal thought it looked like a square spider web. “This is going to work, right?” he said. “It should. The simulation did.” Oswald began activating switches. The cooling system for the electronics came to life, a slight hum filling the air. Lights on the control panel where he worked came on to indicate that every switch he flipped was functioning correctly. He barked orders to the rest of the team and slowly the doorway was made ready. Oswald stepped back, running a checklist to make sure everything had been set correctly. He nodded. “We’re ready.” The power transmission lines came to life and the edge of the doorway began to heat up, glowing a dull orange. Oswald carefully turned a knob to make the transition from useless heat to directed energy. Slowly, a wispy blue light began to reach from the edges of the frame towards the center. There was a sudden shower of sparks from one side of the doorway and Oswald slapped the emergency stop button. “What happened?” asked Mittal. Dr. Oswald didn’t answer as he strode up to the frame, inspecting the power input. He cursed under his breath. After a few minutes of inspection, Oswald went back to the bank of equipment and examined a few readouts. He finally made his diagnoses. “The irregular shape of the doorway is difficult to compensate for. As the energy built up, it distorted slightly and threw our calculations off. I’m starting to think we should have gone with the circular doorway that was originally proposed.” “Can you fix it?” asked Mittal. “Yes. It shouldn’t take too long.” “Good. The President gets here in two days.” “What? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” “I didn’t want to distract you, but now it looks like you need the motivation.” Oswald grumbled. “How did he even find out? He hasn’t been in office that long.” Mittal shrugged. “The point is, it would be a good idea to have this thing actually working when he gets here.” “Fine. Come back tomorrow.” Oswald turned to his team and began firing instructions. Mittal had met the previous President shortly after his ship had returned to Earth. It was the kind of unusual circumstance that required executive consideration. The President, himself a former Navy man, had given the Office of Naval Research the go-ahead to examine the pony notes and come up with a way to make travel between the dimensions convenient. They had been invited back, after all. ONR had been busy ever since. The last election had produced a new President. He had apparently been let in on the secret rather quickly. Mittal had been coordinating with the Secret Service to bring him to Crane. Three fire teams of SEALs had also been brought in to handle security. The twelve men were battle-hardened veterans and more than capable of protection duty. Mittal arrived back at Building D6 in the morning. Dr. Oswald looked like he had spent all night working, and perhaps he had. He told Mittal that they were almost ready to start again. The procedure to open the doorway began. The notes had directed the scientists to program the dimensional link to appear in the nation of Equestria, the ponies’ homeland. The doorway had been built specifically with this destination in mind and to go elsewhere would require significant reconstruction. Oswald dreamed that maybe in the future the link could appear in different places simply with the push of a button. The same premise could potentially be used for fast travel – teleportation – on Earth. The technology did not yet exist, but the implications were staggering. First things first, though. Before they could invent any of that, the scientists had to prove that the doorway worked. The energy feeding into it slowly began to build. The blue membrane began to grow inwards from the frame. When it made contact in the center, there was a sudden burst of light and the doorway was open. Mittal found himself staring at a room. It was supposed to be the headquarters of Equestria’s military leader, Field Marshall Twilight Sparkle. He had met her before, but did not see her through the doorway. One of the scientists approached with an instrument package mounted on a pole. He slowly passed it through the doorway. A cable ran from the sensors back to the computers. “It looks good,” said Oswald. “There’s no energy spike at the divide. I think it’s safe. Careful of the edges, they’re probably hot.” Mittal put his hand forward towards the center of the doorway. Feeling nothing but air, he took a step forward onto the wood floor of the room. It felt like stepping through a regular doorway. The room was a library, with bookshelves all around. All the surfaces were wood and had organic shapes. It seemed like it the room had been carved out of the inside of a tree. A staircase led up to a loft overlooking the floor. There was not a single creature to be seen. “Hello?” Mittal called. He got no response. Walking over to the window, he looked outside. According to the notes, the town was called Ponyville. The street outside was devoid of life. Everything looked well maintained, but strangely deserted. Had something happened? Mittal looked at the library door, considering going outside, but decided to play it safe. He walked back through the doorway to Crane. “Shut it down. Get the SEALs in here right now.” Oswald hit the stop button. “What’s wrong?” “The town looks abandoned. I’ve got a bad feeling.” In only a few minutes, the group of operators arrived. They had already geared up and were ready to go. Mittal told them what he knew about the situation and the world on the other side of the doorway. Lieutenant Daniels was in charge. He had been briefed on the transdimensional experiments when he had arrived at Crane, just in case. The SEALs were all highly trained both physically and mentally, and there was probably no better group in the world to send into an unknown, potentially dangerous situation. Daniels quickly made contingency plans with his men as the doorway was being repowered. They watched in quiet amazement as the blue glow gave way to a view of the library. Mittal wished them luck as they went through. The library’s front door swung open silently. The town was still. It gave Daniels the creeps, but he didn’t show it. The first objective was to check the town and determine if it truly was abandoned. Daniels split his forces into thirds. They all carried radios to communicate if any of them made a discovery. Daniels and the three men with him checked the town south of the library. The architecture was strange, almost fantastic. The library had indeed been built out of a tree, which appeared to still be alive, judging by the green leaves. One of the fire teams reported a building that appeared to be some kind of town hall or meeting place. The front door was slightly ajar. No other discoveries had been made, so Daniels ordered his forces to converge on the building. He passed by a square with a flowing fountain on the way to the place. Other than the fact that there was no life to be found, the town looked very appealing, almost idyllic. The SEALs regrouped. “What makes you so sure this is important?” Daniels asked the man who had reported the building. “Everything else is perfect, sir. Strange as it sounds, this door not being completely closed is the only thing in the entire town that seems out of place.” Daniels nodded. “All right, get ready to go in. Fire Team Two, go around back for security. One and Three, on me.” Some of the men spread out, surrounding the building. The rest stealthily approached the door. One of the men put his hand on the doorknob. Daniels readied his Colt Commando and nodded. The door flew open and the SEALs charged in. “SURPRISE!” shouted a group of multicolored ponies hiding inside. Daniels lowered his weapon, dumbfounded. The room was decorated for a party and there was cake and punch. There were dozens of ponies present. Some had wings, and some had horns. Nearly all had a unique mark on their flanks. Mittal had told him about the ponies, but Daniels hadn’t believed him until that moment. “Hi!” said a pink pony, bouncing up to him. She had a picture of balloons on her hindquarters. “Were you surprised? You look surprised. My Pinkie Sense was tingling and I knew we were going to have visitors so I threw a party! Do you like parties? Of course you do, who doesn’t like parties? I’m Pinkie Pie, nice to meet you!” “Sorry about that,” said a purple pony stepping up beside her. Daniels did a double take. The newcomer was a unicorn. “Pinkie gets a little excited sometimes. I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m Twilight Sparkle.” This was the pony the Admiral was expecting. “Lieutenant Kevin Daniels, United States Navy.” She nodded. “Oh, the Navy. Is Mittal around here somewhere?” “He’s waiting. He wanted to talk to you.” “That’s right, the portal was supposed to open in the library. I’ll walk back with you.” “You can’t leave, the party just started!” said Pinkie. “Sorry, but we really have to,” explained Twilight. “But you have all of the other guests to entertain.” The rest of the ponies seemed to be enjoying themselves. “At least take some cake!” The pink pony shoved several plates and forks at the men. Daniels slung his Commando and took one to be polite. Twilight ushered the SEALs out. “We didn’t mean to scare you,” she said. “I didn’t expect you to bring so many guns.” Daniels shrugged. “It’s better to be prepared.” Twilight made her way back to the library escorted by a dozen SEALs. The doorway was still open, and Mittal stood on the other side. “It was a surprise party,” Daniels explained. Mittal eyed the piece of cake he carried, but didn’t ask. The men filed back through the doorway. Seeing no resistance to their passage, Twilight stepped through. “It’s good to see you again,” she said, addressing Mittal. He nodded. “It’s been a while.” He introduced her to Dr. Oswald and the rest of the people who had worked on the project. Oswald looked overjoyed. While they talked, Daniels dug into the cake. It was delicious. He mentally counted the extra calories he would have to burn in his daily workout and decided that it was worth it. “The President of the United States is going to be here tomorrow,” said Mittal. “Can we set up a meeting with Princess Celestia?” Celestia and her younger sister Luna ran Equestria together. Twilight nodded. “I’m sure she would be happy to meet.” Oswald wanted to turn off the doorway for a while to perform maintenance and make sure everything would be ready for the next day. Mittal told Twilight when the doorway would be reactivated for the President’s visit. There was some issue with the time, as Equestria had neither time zones nor daylight savings. Eventually, he just gave her his watch to use. It was a good thing it wasn’t digital, because a readout in military time would probably confuse the issue even further. The unicorn trotted back through the doorway and said goodbye. Oswald waved and pressed the shutdown button. The link was broken and the doorway was nothing but an empty frame once more. Mittal left to prepare for the event. Air Force One, the President’s airplane, would fly to Indianapolis. From there, Marine One, the President’s helicopter, would carry him to Crane. Secret Service agents were already prowling around and making sure everything was ready to go. The trip to Indiana was disguised as a routine goodwill tour, and the President would be meeting a few local dignitaries, including the governor. The trip to Crane was public knowledge, but once the helicopter landed, communication would go dark. The press was not going to be allowed inside, and access would be tightly controlled. Once the leaders of the two nations had had a chance to talk, it would be decided how to reveal to the public the news of the ponies’ existence. Author note: I know, I know, I said I would take a few days off. Darn workaholism. I’m still not planning to update at the stupid-fast pace of the last story, though. Next chapter: Celestia meets Bill Clinton ;-) Chapter 2Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center The sun was out and the snow began to melt slightly. The wind had calmed. It was perfect flying weather, and Mittal hoped there would be no delays in the President’s arrival. He shouldn’t have worried. Marine One appeared exactly on time. The helicopter was nearly unique, and the model had been in service with the military for many years. Only its rugged reliability kept it flying. That, and a massive influx of money to keep it upgraded with the best equipment available. No expense was spared when it came to presidential transport. The helicopter touched down perfectly on the marks of the landing zone. The door opened and a Marine in immaculate dress uniform stepped down. He stood at the edge of the steps and saluted as the President emerged. The presidential Cadillac waited nearby. It was only a short drive from the helicopter pad to Building D6, but the armored limo went everywhere the President did, so they might as well use it. Mittal waited in a staff car. The driver pulled into line with the Secret Service convoy and proceeded to the project building, which was ringed with more security personnel than usual. He didn’t see the SEALs, which was probably the point. Mittal stepped out and met the President at the door. “Good to meet you Admiral,” he said. The President's hair had prematurely gone grey, but he had an easy smile and persuasive charisma. He wore his signature blue tie. Mittal shook his outstretched hand. “It's an honor, Mr. President.” Mittal led him inside, accompanied by only the two most senior Secret Service agents. Dr. Oswald was there, as were three ponies. Twilight Sparkle had been making preparations all morning and had spent much of it talking with Oswald about the technology. When the Equestrian leader had shown up in Ponyville, she’d been invited through the doorway. Princess Celestia was a tall white pony with a multicolored pastel mane. She had both wings and a horn. Also, Pinkie Pie was there. There was a large cake that had a very impressive depiction of the US flag made with icing. Mittal suspected that it was her work. The President had been fully briefed on the ponies and had been shown some pictures and video taken by the sailors who’d traveled to Equestria. Mittal thought that he handled meeting talking ponies very well. Mittal introduced Oswald, who had run the project and deserved a Presidential attaboy. The pony and the human moved to the comfortable conference area that had been set up near the doorway. The furniture stood out in contrast to the bare concrete floors of the building. Celestia and the President began their discussion. “I’m aware of the values that your country holds dear,” she said. “Admiral Mittal demonstrated them quite clearly when he decided to join us to fight in the Zebrican War. We are still exploring long term solutions in global politics, which is something that I understand the United States has a handle on.” The President nodded. “Your country sounds very peaceful, the odd war aside. There is sadly not enough peace in our world. Perhaps you can advise us to better achieve that.” It looked like they had conversation material to last a while. Mittal stood nearby with Twilight. “Why’s Pinkie here?” he asked quietly. “She insisted that groundbreaking cross-dimensional politics required a celebration. You just don’t say no when she demands a party." "At least it wasn't a surprise party. The security people wouldn't like that." "I talked her out of it." Good thing, thought Mittal. The agent standing next to him already looked more nervous than a member of the Secret Service had any right to. A party-related shooting would definitely sour the moment. Mittal sniffed the air. There was a faint acrid, burning odor that he noticed. He looked around. There was a small wisp of smoke coming from the doorway. It was the module that was used to compensate for the uneven shape, the same one that had caused problems before. Mittal touched Dr. Oswald on the arm and pointed at the device. Oswald's eyes went wide and he whirled around to the control panel. He was reaching for the emergency stop button when the device suddenly blew out spectacularly, switching the doorway off in a shower of sparks. The Secret Service agents grabbed the President without stopping to ask questions and hauled him out the door at the same time the SEALs started coming in. Lieutenant Daniels took in the deactivated doorway, the rapidly departing President, and the horrified look on Dr. Oswald’s face. “What’s the situation?” “Oh my God,” said Oswald. “It overloaded. The thing is fried.” “The President is fine,” Mittal clarified. He turned to Oswald. “What do you mean fried?” Oswald took a breath. “We’ve been having trouble with that compensator. It must have finally taken too much abuse and failed.” “How long until it’s fixed?” “Those are all custom-made parts. It’ll be at least a week.” “Are we stuck here?” asked Twilight. Oswald nodded, looking guilty. “Don’t feel bad, doctor,” said Celestia diplomatically. “There was no way for you to predict that.” “At least we still have this cake!” said Pinkie Pie. There was a chirp from the Lieutenant’s radio. He listened carefully to it and then spoke to Mittal. “Sir, I’ve been instructed to secure the situation here and ask you to go to the administrative building. There’s a call for you.” Mittal nodded. He went outside to his car and slid into the back seat. “Take me to admin," he said. The driver put the car into gear. "Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, what made the President leave in such a hurry?” “Not at liberty to say. You shouldn't talk about it, either." Upon reaching the administrative building and identifying himself, Mittal was shown to a secure room with an encrypted telephone. He picked up the receiver and pressed the call waiting button. “Admiral Mittal, what is the situation?” There was a slight background noise to the President’s voice. He was probably in the helicopter. “Mr. President, the doorway suffered a failure." "So no attack?" "That's right, Mr. President." Mittal heard a brief conversation before the President came back. "The Secret Service wanted a more secure area to begin with, and after this they're going to get really demanding. When can we reschedule?" "The lead engineer, Dr. Oswald, says it will take at least a week to fix. Until then, the ponies are stuck here.” The President was silent for a moment before speaking. “The Princess and I had reached the decision to reveal the doorway to the public. Since they’re going to be here for a while anyway, why don’t we show them some good old fashioned hospitality? I doubt that Air Force One is equipped for their needs, so I’ll arrange for VIP transport to Washington. We’ll resume our talks there. While we’re at it, we might as well have a proper press conference. Keep the secret until they get here, all right?” “Yes, Mr. President.” Mittal put the phone down and went back to D6. Oswald was rapidly writing orders for parts. Twilight sat, looking despondent. Celestia looked as unfazed and regal as ever. The cake was gone. Daniels apparently had had some, but it looked as if Pinkie had eaten most of it. Mittal explained the President’s plan. Twilight’s interest seemed to perk up at the thought of getting to study the country. Celestia thought it was a fine idea. “Aren’t you concerned that you’ll be missed? Mittal asked. Celestia nodded seriously. “I told my sister where I was going, and I’m sure Twilight told her friends. I hope they don’t worry.” “Can’t you get back on your own?” Mittal figured that since the ponies had managed to transport his ship back to Earth, it wouldn’t be much of a problem. “Perhaps. It would take a while to set up, and even with Twilight and I, I’m not sure we would have enough power. The results of a failed spell like that could be unpleasant.” “Well, I guess we’ll have to make the best of it, then.” Celestia nodded. “I’m interested to see your country. I don’t see what traveling to the capitol city would hurt.” It would probably be better than passing the time in the isolated Building D6. Mittal made arrangements. True to his word, the President sent transport for the ponies. The first leg of the trip would be made in a helicopter. Mittal noted with some amusement that it was a Navy CH-53 Sea Stallion. They waited a few hours, in order for night to fall and to decrease the likelyhood that somone would see the ponies. Mittal commandeered the group of SEALs to go with them and provide security. The helicopter pilots were told that they were making a VIP flight, and that they were not to ask questions. The CH-53 was a large aircraft, and there was no problem fitting thirteen men and three ponies. The Army’s Camp Atterbury was close by, but did not have a runway long enough to land a VIP transport plane. The helicopter instead headed for Godman Army Air Field, adjacent to Fort Knox, Kentucky. A Navy helicopter coming to the base was something out of the ordinary. To keep prying eyes away, the transfer to the airplane was conducted in darkness, out on the tarmac half a mile from the nearest building. The C-9A Nightingale transport plane was nearly stretching regulations to land, even on the longest runway. Once the ponies were aboard, it taxied away from the helicopter and took off. The old plane had been used for Air Force medical flights for many years before being refurbished and configured for comfortable passenger use. It was considerably quieter than the helicopter. Mittal kept the ponies entertained with commentary about the landscape. Clouds were nowhere to be seen and the moon was nearly full, making for excellent visibility even at night. Celestia was the only one with wings of her own, and she seemed impressed when Mittal told her how fast the plane was traveling. Twilight was interested in the physics that allowed heavier-than-air flight. Mittal was no aerospace engineer, but he was able to explain the differences in pressure that produced lift. In only a few hours, the flight terminated at Andrews Air Force Base, located just southeast of Washington D.C. The President used it often, as Air Force One was headquartered there. The SEALs jumped out to transfer to a smaller plane that would shuttle them back to Little Creek Amphibious Base, down in Virginia Beach. The airplane continued on, parking in a hangar. The timing wasn’t perfect, and they would have to wait a little while for ground transport. Getting a vehicle to covertly move a royal pony and two others was no easy task. They would be taken to the White House, where there were a few spare bedrooms that didn’t get much use. It was arguably the most secure place in the world to sleep. A large unmarked van arrived. The rear compartment was separated from the driver’s cabin, armored, and did not have windows. Mittal had not been invited to the White House and didn't want to impose. His own residence was nearby. He said goodbye to the ponies and departed in a different vehicle. The van pulled out of the base and merged into traffic on I-495, the Capitol Beltway. “It’s a shame we can’t see the city,” said Twilight. “I’m sure it’s wonderful.” “We’re going to the White House!” said Pinkie. “That's good, right? It’s where the President lives, so it’s probably good. I wonder if it’s actually white or if that’s a figurative name? I hope the kitchen isn’t white, it would get all kinds of stains.” The van continued west, joining the flow of vehicles on the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge. The traffic lights came on, signaling the draw section of the bridge was opening to allow a large ship through. The driver of the van touched the brake. Another driver in a car behind the van fumbled for a new cassette tape. He took his eyes off the road for just a moment. A moment was all it took. As the van was slowing down, it was hit from behind. The rear tires skidded, the van twisting around more quickly than the driver could compensate. The front of the vehicle slammed into the guardrail, bending it over. The van plunged over the edge into the Potomac River. Chapter 3Arlington, Virginia Mittal had not been asleep very long when the phone rang. It was one of the new cordless models. His wife was a heavy sleeper, but he picked up the phone and walked out of the bedroom with it. On the other end was someone from the President’s staff. The van with the ponies in it had been involved in an incident, he said. “Are they all right?” “We don’t know yet, Admiral. It fell off the Wilson Bridge.” Mittal sucked in a breath. That was bad, very bad. The bridge deck was fairly high above the water, and the river was deep. “How long ago?” “Minutes, sir.” “What’s been done so far?” “The Secret Service is mobilizing.” “Has NIS been contacted?” Mittal realized he had misspoken. The Navy’s investigative service had only recently been renamed NCIS. The man knew what he was talking about. “No, sir.” “Get on that. They’ll respond even more quickly to a call from the President than a call from an Admiral.” He hung up. Mittal stood for a moment, quietly thinking the situation through. They couldn’t afford to assume that this was an accident, although he couldn’t imagine who would want to hurt ponies. He came up with a plan of action, and decided what his first move would be. Going downstairs, he retrieved a phone book and looked up the number for Little Creek Amphibious Base. Potomac River The crash had been violent and disorienting. The van spun, smashed into something and then there was a moment of freefall before a splash brought everything slamming to a halt. The three ponies ended up in a pile on the roof of the upside-down van. Twilight hurt all over. There was blood, but she had no idea whose it was. She looked towards the back doors of the van. A trickle of water was coming in around the edges. Without hesitation, Celestia used her magic to wrench the doors open, letting in a flood. Twilight only just managed to grab a breath before she was inundated. She fought her way out of the van and headed upwards. There seemed to be something wrong with her left hind leg. She surfaced, gasping for air. Pinkie was there, and after a moment Celestia appeared. “What happened?” Twilight managed. She looked up. The mangled guardrail of the bridge was visible. “Is the driver okay?” asked Pinkie. Celestia looked grim. "I checked before coming up." Pinkie didn’t ask again. Twilight took stock of the situation. The three of them were alive, and didn’t appear to be too seriously injured. She realized the terrible problem they still had. The river was cold enough to have pieces of ice floating in it, and the air was below freezing temperature. They had to get out of the water and find someplace warm. The closest riverbank was unlit and appeared to be covered in trees. The three ponies began swimming in that direction. The cold was so intense that Twilight couldn’t feel her leg injury anymore. Norfolk, Virginia The flight from Andrews hadn’t taken long, and Daniels was back to Little Creek in no time. He had been allowed to call his wife from the plane and she was waiting when he arrived. He’d been a SEAL for a while, and she was used to his coming and going at all hours. He felt lucky to be married to someone so understanding. Their six year old daughter was in the car, too. It would normally be far past her bedtime, but exceptions were made when daddy came home. The house was not far from base. Daniels spent a few minutes talking to his girl before tucking her back into bed. He went to have a shower, and was only just stepping out when the phone rang. His wife leaned into the room, handing him the receiver. It was the Little Creek switchboard operator Daniels groaned. I just got back! He listened while the call was transferred. Admiral Mittal came on the line. “On the way to the White House, the van crashed,” he said. “Is everyone all right?” “We don’t know yet. It happened on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. You might hear something about it through your command, but I thought I would give you the heads up as soon as possible. Is there anything you can do?” “Maybe, sir.” “The President and I would take it as a personal favor.” Those were the kinds of people Daniels wanted to owe him favors. “I’ll do whatever I can, sir.” Mittal thanked him and hung up. From the conversation, Daniels’s wife knew he was leaving again. “When are you going?” she asked. “Right now.” She nodded. “I love you, Kevin.” “I love you too, sweetheart.” Daniels went to get ready. He got dressed and packed a little food. Opening his gun safe, he briefly debated which one to take. His options were open, because a winter coat would conceal just about anything. After a moment, he picked up his .45 caliber 1911A1 and threaded the holster onto his belt. He was not expecting trouble. Carrying a weapon was just his habit. He’d have to be careful of the gun laws in D.C. but that was a small concern. Grabbing the keys to his truck, he went outside. It was not going to be a short drive, and every minute that passed could potentially spell disaster for the ponies. Speeding like a madman, he followed the interstate west towards Richmond and then north. It took him a little over two hours to make it to the bridge. The sun was not yet up, and traffic was thankfully light. He walked out onto the span on the sidewalk and stood behind the police tape. Traffic was restricted to one lane. There was a smashed car sitting on the bridge near a bent, flattened guardrail. A police boat was stationed below. As Daniels watched, a search and rescue diver in cold weather gear floated to the surface, gesturing at the men on the boat. Himself a skilled diver, Daniels recognized the man’s hand signals. It told him there was only one body in the wreckage. There was still hope, then. Daniels looked around, speculating where the ponies would have gone. The closest shore had not been built up like the surrounding city. He wondered if they would seek help, or want to maintain a low profile. Since the President hadn’t yet announced the existence of Equestria, Daniels decided that the ponies would probably want to stay hidden, although he figured they would approach people if they got desperate enough. He had to find them as soon as possible. Daniels turned and walked quickly off the bridge, his breath trailing in a cloud behind him. Hypothermia was a serious concern, and unless the ponies found shelter, they were in trouble. They had at least a two-hour lead on him, and it was not going to be easy to track them down. Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center Oswald was working alone. It would take a while to get the parts he needed to fix the doorway, but there was maintenance to be done. He still felt that the failure was his fault. Mittal had called to tell him that there had been an accident. The ponies were missing. Oswald thought it was terrible news, and mentally kicked himself again for creating the situation. It only served to motivate him more. He had already been up all night, and now he vowed that he wouldn’t quit until the doorway was perfect. As he examined some instruments, there was a ripping noise and a flash of light from behind him. He turned, and found himself staring at four multicolored ponies. “Where’s Princess Celestia? What did you do with our friends?” said a rainbow colored pegasus, getting in his face. “They’re gone,” stammered Oswald. “I mean—” “Where did you take them?” demanded a white unicorn. “They took them to Washington.” “You’d better not hurt them,” said the pegasus, poking him in the chest. Oswald held his hands up defensively. “We’re not, but there was an accident.” “You’d better start giving us some answers,” said an orange pony who wore a hat. “He hadn't been given the chance to explain himself,” said a quiet voice that somehow carried through the argument. Everyone stopped and looked at the yellow pegasus who had spoken. They all looked back at the man. “Uh, right,” said Oswald. “Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie came here through the doorway between worlds. While they were here, the doorway failed. It’s going to take about a week to get things fixed so they can go back. In the meantime, they decided to visit the President in Washington, the capitol of the country. I just heard that there was an accident, and now we don’t know where they are.” There was a moment of silence while the ponies absorbed the information. “We can’t just sit here,” said the rainbow pegasus, jumping up. “We have to go rescue them!” “Hang on,” said Oswald. “Washington is over five hundred miles east of here. We also don’t know where in the city they could be.” “We have to do something,” said the orange one. “Let me make a phone call.” Oxon Hill Farm The three wet and shivering ponies pulled themselves from the icy river only to face a mass of trees and no civilization in sight except the highway. With nothing else to do, they pushed inland. After a relatively short distance, the trees abruptly cut off, giving way to a wide field of unblemished snow. With the moon out, it reflected nearly enough light to read by. Twilight noticed a gouge in Princess Celestia’s shoulder. It was a long wound, although not very deep. The cold water had sealed off most of the blood flow. The Princess didn’t look like it would hold her back. Twilight wanted to do something, though she was no nurse pony and didn’t have her medical spell books anyway. Pinkie did not have her usual bouncy gait, although she still appeared to be in reasonably good humor despite the crash. She whistled a little, and Twilight saw a gap in her teeth that hadn’t been there before. There was definitely something wrong with Twilight’s leg, although she could limp on it. Some buildings appeared off in the distance and all three quickened their pace. It didn’t look like they were human houses, but some shelter was better than none. There were a few small windows in the first building, revealing a dim light on inside. Twilight could smell hay and animals. Celestia pushed open the door. It was a stable. Two horses occupied stalls. “Hey,” said Pinkie. The horses looked at them, but did not reply. From conversations with Mittal, Twilight knew that there were only a select few animals on Earth that were considered especially intelligent. Horses and ponies were not among them. “Awkwaaaard,” said Pinkie. “It’s all right,” said Celestia. “I’m sure they won’t mind if we spend the night here.” Regardless of whether the horses minded or not, Twilight wasn’t ready to leave any time soon. It was warm inside the stable, and there was plenty of hay. The Pentagon It was a good thing Mittal was a morning person, because otherwise driving to the office at four a.m. would be unbearable. There was a lot of work ahead of him, and he prepared to be on the phone most of the day. One call he did not expect was from Dr. Oswald. “Admiral, four other ponies showed up.” “I thought you said the doorway wouldn’t be fixed for a while.” “It’s not. They got here without it.” “How did that happen?” There was the sound of a short conversation from the other end of the line. Oswald came back. “Princess Luna worked out a spell and sent them after the other three.” This was what Mittal had been afraid of, some kind of panicked response from Equestria. At least they only sent four ponies. “There haven’t been any updates on the situation, I’m sorry.” “They want to help look for them.” “We could use the help, but getting them here and searching without the public getting wise would be next to impossible.” “My team and I are the only ones on base right now with clearance for this. We won’t be able to do very much, and the ponies can’t stay here.” “I’ll see what I can do. No promises.” Mittal made a few calls and asked if the Air Force would be willing to lend another transport flight for unspecified VIPs. Without another intervention from the President, it didn't look like it was going to happen. Some time passed, and Mittal was considering calling the White House, when his phone rang again. Oswald’s call had gone straight through because he’d been on a secure phone. For this call, the Pentagon operator asked if Mittal would speak to someone named Lieutenant Kevin Daniels. Mittal accepted the call. “Daniels, where are you?” “I’m at a pay phone in Oxon Hill.” That was not too far away, Mittal knew, just east of the bridge. “What do you have for me?” “The precious cargo was not found at the scene of the accident.” Daniels knew that the odds of a random pay phone that he stopped at being bugged were slim, but stuck to security procedures. “What does that tell you?” “The precious cargo is somewhere else and still potentially in good condition. I’m looking into it right now.” “Thanks for the update.” “You’re welcome, sir.” Mittal put down the phone. “Good luck,” he muttered. “You’re going to need it.” Oxon Hill, Maryland Daniels stepped out of the phone booth and got back in his truck. He didn't know the details of the place he was in very well, but was aware of the general area and how to find his way around. The Wilson Bridge crossed the river at a spot where Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia came together. There was a lot of industry and housing spread out around, except for one place. The National Park Service ran a small historical park on the banks of the Potomac. There were animals there, and it was isolated. No visitors would be there that early in the morning. Deciding he had no other leads, Daniels started his truck and moved out. The sun was begining to turn the horizon pink. Oxon Hill Farm “I don’t remember the last time I ate hay directly from the bale,” said Princess Celestia. “It’s…nostalgic.” “I don’t remember the last time I ate hay,” said Pinkie, taking another bite. “It’s not very sweet.” The hay, while not bad, had probably been sitting for a while. Still, after fighting for her life through the crash and the swim to shore, Twilight was ready to eat anything. “I wonder why there’s a farm right in the middle of the city?” she asked between bites. “Perhaps it’s some kind of park,” suggested Celestia. Twilight nodded. “Maybe. It just seems a little unusual in a high-tech place like this.” High-tech was a phrase Dr. Oswald had taught her. Celestia's injury had stopped bleeding, leaving crusty dried blood on her coat. Twilight thought that they should get it bandaged as quickly as possible, but there were no materials at hoof. Seeing her look, Celestia smiled. "I'll be all right." There suddenly came the sound of bipedal footsteps walking up to the door. Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center Oswald hadn't called his team. It seemed a shame to get them out of bed. They could meet the ponies in the morning. He yawned. Bed sounded good. He sat down in a chair in front of the doorway console. He'd triple checked everything, and there was not much left he could do without the new parts. The new ponies had been quiet for a while. They occupied the furniture left over from the President's visit. For a while, they had made a fuss, but Oswald had eventually convninced them to stay put for the moment. After a few minutes of boredom, his head began to drift down. He jerked awake a few times, but eventually couldn't fight sleep any longer. In a few short minutes, his breathing was regular and slow. Behind him, four ponies quietly left the building. Chapter 4Oxon Hill Farm Daniels rolled up to the barn and shut off the ignition. There was an animal control vehicle parked outside. He made a slow circle around the building, noting several sets of hoofprints. Opening the door, he was greeted with two men in uniform. One from the National Park Service, one from animal control. The inside of the barn was lit with a bare lightbulb. Two horses stood in their stalls. There was an ample supply of hay stacked against the wall. “Who are you?” asked the Parks Service man. “Tom Walker, NPS,” Daniels quickly improvised. “Where’s your uniform?” “I got a call from my idiot boss in the middle of the frigging night telling me to come down here and look for some technicolor ponies. My morning is already off to a bad start without some flakey giving me crap about being out of uniform.” Without giving the man time to retort, Daniels turned to the animal control officer. “What’s the situation?” “Mr. Avery here came in early this morning to open the park for the public and happened upon three —” the man appeared to suppress a laugh “— unusually colored animals.” “I don’t know, maybe they escaped from the circus or something,” said the man named Avery. “That would explain the wings and horns.” “What do you mean?” asked Daniels. “The big white one had wings and a horn stuck to her. The purple one had just the horn.” “I thought there were three.” “The last one was pink.” Daniels gave him a skeptical look. “I’m serious! Here, look at this.” He gestured to the pile of hay. Some of the bales had been nibbled and a couple looked like they had been slept on. The man pointed to a few curly pink hairs. Daniels sighed. “All right, where did they go?” “North.” Crime in Washington D.C. had steadily risen through the 1980s. In fact, some had called the city the murder capitol of the United States. Daniels had heard that much of the illegal activity was centered in the southeast of the district, particularly around the neighborhood of Anacostia…which lay directly north of Oxon Hill. “Anything else you can think of?” he asked. “The white one was a little bloody, and the purple one had a limp.” It was too much to hope for that the ponies would be completely fine. “All right, I’m going to go take a look for myself.” Daniels turned, but stopped. “How long ago did this happen?” “About half an hour.” Daniels nodded and walked out. Interstate 70, Ohio The little girl sat in the rear of the minivan while her parents talked in the front. She'd only recently graduated to big-girl seatbelts, and the shoulder strap was digging into her neck. She shifted uncomfortably. Her parents had told her that it was for safety. The van pulled into the left lane and slowly began to pass a semi truck. The sides of the trailer were made of some thin fabric, rather than metal. It was not in very good condition and the truck’s speed certainly did not help things. There was a long vertical rip that revealed the inside of the trailer. Deciding to risk her parent’s scolding, the girl pulled the shoulder strap away and tucked it behind her back. As she turned, she caught sight of something moving inside the trailer. Pressing her nose to the window, her eyes widened in amazement. There was an orange pony with a cutie mark of apples. “Applejack,” she whispered. She knew the pony on sight, and even had a small toy of her. Although she’d never seen Applejack wear a hat before, there was no doubt who it was. There was something else there. Were there other ponies with her? She turned, trying to get a better look, but the van pulled back into the right lane after passing the truck. The Pentagon The transport vehicle had been pulled from the water and the body of the unfortunate driver had been recovered. The latch on the rear doors was found to have been broken open. The NCIS scene report was dry and sparse on details. Mittal read through it slowly, looking for any small fact that he did not already know. Later, a more detailed report would be issued, but he doubted that it would reveal anything new. He picked up the phone and dialed Crane. The transport for the other ponies should be nearly there by now. He asked for Dr. Oswald. It took several minutes to track the man down and get him to the phone. He sounded panicked. “The ponies are gone.” “Did they go back?” “I don’t think so. Somebody found tracks in some mud in the south part of the base. They must have slipped out early this morning.” “Past the security and everything? “There is no security at the moment. The base personnel command assumed that they were all here at Building D6 for the President’s visit, and after he left they were all pulled. I’ve been working to get some approved to come back.” Mittal swore. “So we’ve got ponies wandering around the countryside?” “We’re looking for them.” “What do you mean?” “I…I had to tell them. Everybody at Crane knows about the ponies.” “Why didn’t you ask me first!?" “I had to do it. This was an emergency, and they could be in danger.” Mittal sighed. The situation was rapidly going downhill, perhaps even faster than he had originally thought. “All right, do your best to keep the situation contained. I’m going to try to convince the President to move the press conference up and go ahead without Celestia. It won’t be as dramatic, but we’ll have the whole country looking for them.” Mittal put down the phone a little more roughly than necessary. There were a number of reasons he didn’t like civilians working on military projects, and a breakdown in the command structure was one of them. Oswald shouldn’t have circumvented his authority. Still, what was done was done. They had to look to the future and figure out what needed to happen next. The President would not be pleased with this new development. Mittal reluctantly picked up the phone again and dialed the White House. Huntington, West Virginia A man stood near the railroad tracks in the afternoon sun. It was a good day for pictures, and he had been photographing freight trains for hours. He had long ago discovered a spot to his liking, and his friends could often find him there. He was part of a group known to the general public as a trainspotters, although the man happened to prefer the term railfan. He enjoyed learning about trains and comparing notes with others in the hobby. Another freight came along, rolling past where his camera stood on a tripod. The lead engine was a brand new Electro-Motive SD70. He smiled at the thought that he was perhaps the first one to take a picture of it. As the train continued on, the man noticed a boxcar with its door open. That was relatively rare, as a properly loaded cargo would never be left exposed to the elements. An empty boxcar was also unusual, because the railroad didn’t want to haul anything they weren’t making money on. The man readied his camera as it rolled past. As the car went by, he thought he saw something even more unusual inside. He pondered for a moment, trying to decide if he had really seen what he thought. He made the decision to leave his spot early. Photography was a special interest to the man. Trains certainly provided him with enough to take pictures of. He’d set up a darkroom in his garage and through trial and error had learned how to develop his own photos. It was faster than taking them to a processing center. He went to work mixing the dye couplers and getting the equipment ready. The liquids had to be at exactly the right temperature. After the negatives were processed, he hunted through them to find the frame he was looking for. With a careful eye on his watch, he began timing the steps that would result in an image. Eventually, the finished picture came out. Even in the dim red light of the darkroom, it was fairly obvious he was looking at some kind of small horse or pony. He remembered that it had been strangely colored. The man hung the picture up to dry and debated what to do. He had the railroad’s phone number, and occasionally gave them friendly calls to tell about a problem he’d spotted with one of their trains. The boxcar’s identification numbers were visible in the picture, so he could tell them exactly where to start looking. He decided that they needed to know about the animal. The poor thing could be in trouble. When the picture had finished drying, he took it down and brought it out into the light to look at it more carefully. It was a light yellow pony with a pink colored mane looking around the edge of the boxcar door. The expression on the pony's face looked almost worried. Animals were obviously not naturally that color, so maybe it had been a show pony or something. Someone was probably looking for it. He had a friend who worked at the local TV news station that might be able to help get to word out. Southeastern District of Columbia Daniels drove slowly, considering his options. He’d seen the tracks leading away from the barn, and knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up with running ponies. He had to anticipate where they were headed and try to get there first. He glanced at a page in an old Washington visitor’s guide that was in his truck. Bolling Air Force Base and the Naval Research Laboratory were both located on the east bank of the Potomac. Directly east of those was I-295. On the other side of the road, there was a narrow swath of natural land known as Shepherd Parkway. It extended for a few miles to the north, and acted as a buffer between the highway and residential housing. He figured the ponies would probably stick to the trees. The sun was fully up now, reminding Daniels that he hadn’t eaten since the night before. He grabbed a paper bag from the seat next to him and pulled out a sandwich. Finding a place to park, he got out of the truck and made a sweep through Shepherd Parkway, soon arriving at the other side near the highway. Carefully backtracking, he spotted what he had missed the first time: hoof tracks. It was an encouraging find, but the only thing it told him was that he was still headed in the right direction. He stopped a few more times and always managed to find tracks. It was slow going, though, and there was a lot of ground to cover. College Park, Maryland Two young men sat on a balcony overlooking a quiet street. Their appartment had strict rules about smoking indoors. What they were smoking was illegal. If asked, they would probably defend their habit, but nobody had ever caught them. Some of their friends suspected what they did on slow evenings, but let it go. They had been on the balcony for about forty minutes. "You hungry?" asked one. "Yeah, sure." The first turned to open the door, but his friend held him back. "Look at that!" He pointed. Further up the block, they watched a large white and purple animal cross an alley between two buildings. "Dude, was that a unicorn?" They looked at each other. After a moment, both laughed. The White House Mittal was passed through security and made his way to where the cameras were setting up. The President’s address was due to start in a little over an hour. He had been invited for the event, although he got the impression it wasn’t because they liked him. He was due to meet the President for a briefing afterwards, and got the feeling that making him sweat through the address was punishment for everything that had gone wrong with the ponies. Mittal thought back to the things that had gone wrong. None of them had been caused by him, although it was possible that with a little more action on his part they might have been prevented. He didn’t feel that he was at fault. Nevertheless, he was the senior man, and therefore responsible. He felt like his neck was on the chopping block. There were a few people he recognized in the crowd. Some were military, some were politicians. As far as Mittal knew, the secret of Equestria had not been shared with Congress. There was too much chance that some Senator or Representative would reveal the information to make themselves look good. It had happened before. Likewise, it was not known to the military besides senior Navy people. The sailors who had discovered the ponies had been censored as effectively as possible. There were a lot of people, then, that were going to be surprised when the President revealed the ponies. Mittal hoped that his next statement wouldn’t be, “And then Admiral John Mittal of the United States Navy lost them.” Andrews Air Force Base A pair of F-15 Eagles leaped into the sky. Early warning radar indicated something was on a course to overfly D.C. That was always a major violation of airspace, but especially when the White House was crowded with people. The Major piloting the lead airplane was experienced in interdiction. Idiots straying into protected air was a regular occurance. Malicious violations were more rare, but had happened. He wondered what he was dealing with this time. The sun was rapidly setting, and it was difficult to pick out the target against the nearing dusk. Ground control told him on the radio that the Eagles were just about to make the intercept. Something small blurred over the top of his airplane. He twisted his head to track it, and began to manuver to catch up. Against the setting sun he saw...feathered wings? The object changed course more rapidly than he thought possible and flashed past once more. He caught a blur of rainbow colors and then it was gone. A few minutes of frantic searching failed to pick it up again. Ground control confirmed that the object had dropped off radar. Shepherd Parkway Running from the barn when the man came in had been instinctive, and now Twilight wished they hadn’t. The sun was setting, and they were without shelter. There was no way to know if the man would have been hostile. True, it probably would have taken some convincing, but he might have helped them. Now they were on their own again. There had to be someone from the government looking for them. Twilight knew that the best way to be found was to stay in one place, but there was no way that was possible. Throughout the day, there had been a few close calls when they’d nearly been spotted. They’d managed to stick to the trees, but eventually their luck would run out. Twilight looked at the other two. Pinkie’s mane had gone nearly limp. Even Princess Celestia looked gloomy. All of them were covered in dirt and muck. Their pace was slow, and that helped Twilight’s leg. It was beginning to go stiff, although it had stopped hurting so much. It seemed that there wasn’t any permanent damage, and for that she was grateful. Pinkie stopped suddenly, and Twilight, who was daydreaming about a hot bath, ran into her. “Did you hear that?” said Pinkie. “Hear what?” “I think something is following us!” There came the sound of footsteps. The noise was muffled by the snow. “Should we stay and see what it is?” asked Twilight. It might turn out to be nothing, or it might be hostile. She thought she might be getting close to her breaking point, where she could not go on. If there was a chance of help, she wanted it. Celestia debated. It was clear that she was getting desperate as well. “Stay.” The three ponies faced the source of the noise and waited. Through the shadows of the trees came a silhouette, following their tracks in the snow. It slowly resolved into a human shape. A ray of moonlight fell across its face. Pinkie Pie threw herself forward. “I’m gonna bake you ALL the cakes!” she said. She fell into the arms of Lieutenant Daniels. He looked down in surprise. “I’m just glad I found you three.” He patted Pinkie’s shoulder as she cried happy tears on him. Twilight’s tired face broke into a smile of relief. “We knew someone would find us eventually.” Daniels shrugged. “A little skill, a little luck. Come on, we have to get you back to civilization.” Pinkie reluctantly let go of him and the four walked together back to the parking lot where Daniels had left his truck. He pulled a large first aid kit out and tended to Celestia’s shoulder. She bore the pain without complaint, even the dousing of liquid from a bottle marked hydrogen peroxide. There was not much Daniels could do for Twilight. He wrapped the spot on her leg that was most sore with a compression bandage, which helped a little. They began to get ready to leave. "Wait!" cried a voice. Four ponies appeared. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. "You guys! What are you doing here?" asked Twilight. "It's a long story, sugarcube," said Applejack. "Why don't we get everyone to a safe place and talk about it later? suggested Daniels. He produced a tarp and regretfully explained that the cab of the truck was too small for all the ponies. Celestia, as the largest, gracefully volunteered to ride in the back. “Oooh! I want to!” said Pinkie. It’ll be like a tent and we can imagine we’re camping.” "I'll do it," said Applejack. "What!" exclaimed Rarity. "I believe we already picked the absolute dirtiest way to get across the country." "Twilight's hurt," said Applejack firmly. "You get in the back. Come on, Fluttershy." "O-okay." It was a very tight squeeze, but the ponies managed to fit. Daniels covered them with a blanket from his cold weather kit and then the tarp. They looked reasonably well hidden. He helped Twilight into the cab. Her leg was still causing problems. Once she was situated on the floor, he draped his coat over her. “Where are we going?” she asked. “The White House.” Author note: Aw yeah, G1 pony reference. For those of you who missed it, I briefly posted a chapter asking for help with plot troubles. I'd like to thank thewookie1 and spikeyblur12 for coming to my rescue. Also, I'd like to introduce my new prereader, Scully! Chapter 5Anacostia, Maryland The gun rested on the floor of the truck. It happened to be right in front of Twilight’s nose as she lay hidden. Daniels had set it there as they began driving. “Are you expecting trouble?” she asked. “Not really. It’s just a bad part of town.” “What’s wrong with it? Daniels didn’t know if they had drugs and prostitution in Equestria. He said, “Illegal substances and services. Violence. Crime.” “Why do people do that?” He shrugged. “My job is dealing with bad people. I’ve never figured out why they do what they do.” “Maybe once we get to the White House and talk with the President, we can start working on that.” “I have to admit, the idea of world peace does sound attractive, although I have my doubts that it will ever happen.” “That’s a rather pessimistic way of looking at things.” “I’ve done things and seen things that you can’t imagine. I think I’m entitled to my opinion.” Twilight studied the handgun in front of her, noticing the “Rampant Colt” logo. “Why don’t you give up your weapons and convince everyone to be nice?” “I would give up my weapons, but only if I could get the enemy to agree to give up his. That’s not very likely to happen. Your world developed a little differently than ours, though. Maybe with some input from you, we can begin to change. I doubt that we can ever be totally peaceful, but there could definitely be improvements made.” It might be a long slow process to get the humans to disarm and live in harmony, but Twilight vowed to do what she could. For her, weapons were not the answer. Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center Half the parts had come in. Dr. Oswald hurriedly went back to work on the doorway. It would still be a while before he got everything, but it was a start. He thought about the doorway and its implications. It was going to open up new sectors of everything, vacations, international trade, politics. With a careful eye, a man could make quite a bit of money. The prospect didn’t bother him too much ethically. After all, he had been the lead engineer of the doorway. He knew some people who would be interested. A sailor walked in. Since the entire base was now aware of the doorway, security at Building D6 had dropped to nil. “Doctor? The President is just about to make a nationwide address. Maybe it’s about the ponies.” Oswald nodded, and followed the man out. Convincing the people at Crane had been surprisingly easy. He’d shown them a copy of a picture that a memeber of his team had taken of Princess Celestia talking with the President. They’d also taped a short interview with Twilight Sparkle. When a security man reviewing perimeter video cameras had happened upon the four newly arrived ponies sneaking out, that had sealed the deal. A building nearby was used for paperwork related to surface warfare or something. Oswald had never been interested in weapons. He went inside with the sailor and joined a group sitting around a TV. The news anchor was talking, speculating what the unscheduled address could possibly be about. A clock ticked down the time until the President would go on. The White House – Arrival Area Daniels had hidden the gun again when they’d approached the center of downtown Washington. He carefully maneuvered the truck up to a gate that lead into the White House compound. A Secret Service guard asked him what he thought he was doing. “I really need to speak to someone above your pay grade.” Daniels did his best not to sound haughty about it, but that was the way the agent took it. “Get out of the truck.” Daniels slowly put both hands out the window and used the outside latch to open the door. He didn’t want to do anything to make the guard nervous. “ID.” Daniels carefully reached for his wallet and pulled out his military identification. The agent took it and gave it a brief glance. “What’s in the back?” He indicated the bed of the truck. “Ponies.” “Are you kidding me?” “Please, just call your boss.” The man gave him an even more suspicious look than before. “Turn around.” Daniels did. He wasn’t expecting to get slammed against the truck and frisked. The agent found his gun. The man kicked him in the back of the legs and pulled the gun away. Daniels went down, and let it happen. Struggling would only make the situation worse. The agent kneeled on top of him and slapped a set of handcuffs on. On the bright side, Daniels thought as his face was ground into the concrete, at least someone more senior would get called now. The White House – Briefing Room There was a low murmur in the crowd as the President appeared. Most of the guests were journalists who were regulars at press conferences, and had seen the man up close before. The President stepped to the podium and stood for a moment, letting the camera operators calibrate their equipment. There was a screen beside him, and a test pattern was displayed briefly to test the projector. Everything was ready. A young female aide walked quickly over to the podium and spoke in the President’s ear. His face showed surprise. The woman gestured the speech notes lying on the podium and said something. The President waved her off. In the crowd, Mittal watched with interest. Something had clearly happened. He was startled by a tap on the shoulder. It was a Secret Service agent. “Admiral, sorry to bother you. Do you know a Lieutenant Daniels?” “Yes, I do.” “I need you to come with me, sir.” Mittal got up. He regretted that he wouldn’t be able to hear the address. The agent led him to a different part of the White House where he had never been. It wasn’t open to the public, or anyone else for that matter. After opening a heavy soundproof door, Mittal was brought into what appeared to be a command center. There were Daniels and seven ponies. “You found them.” Daniels shrugged, absently rubbing a sore spot on his wrist from the cuffs. “Some of them, anyway. The rest found me. It was lucky that Ralph was on duty, or I might be on my way to federal prison right now.” He indicated a Secret Service agent that Mittal remembered from the President’s visit to Crane. The man spoke. “The President has been informed of the situation. I’m sure he’ll modify his speech accordingly.” Mittal nodded and turned to the ponies. “How did the rest of you get to Earth? For that matter, how did you get here?” “Princess Luna was aghast at the possibility that the doorway might be closed for good,” said a unicorn. Mittal recalled her name was Rarity. “She gathered the royal magic scholars and cast a spell to send us here and bring Princess Celestia, Twilight, and Pinkie back.” “Only we didn’t expect ‘em to be on th' other side of the country,” said Applejack. “Dr. Oswald told us where to look.” “When we got here, I flew over the area to have a look,” said Rainbow Dash. I saw a lot of signs that said ‘Washington’ so I figured this must be the place. While I was flying, there were some stupid airplanes chasing me and I almost crashed.” Mittal was surprised she wasn’t almost shot. The Air Force took security over Washington seriously. “We were really very lucky,” said Fluttershy quietly. “I don’t know how we managed to get here so quickly.” “All that matters is that we’re together again,” said Twilight. She paused for a moment. “Wait, if Princess Celestia is here, then who is handling the sun in Equestria?” There was an uncomfortable silence. “I’m sure Luna was able to,” said Celestia. “It’s not that difficult once you know how.” The ponies began to talk among themselves, trading information and trying to find out what had happened in the past few days. Mittal left them. There was somewhere he needed to be. Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center The picture on the TV switched to the President at last. The excitement in the room built. The President was smiling and appeared to be in a good mood. “My fellow Americans, I come before you tonight with information that will change the world. I’m afraid that I don’t really know how to break this news. Nothing like it has ever happened before, so I’ll be frank. We recently managed to make a connection to a different dimension.” He paused to let that sink in. There was a collective gasp from the journalists present. Some of them looked wildly at the camera to confirm that it was indeed recording. “There are many intelligent species in this other world. The first we encountered call themselves ponies.” He gestured, and the projection screen lit up with an image. Watching the TV at Crane, Oswald recognized it as the same picture of the Princess and the President that he’d passed around. “As you can see, they bear some similarity to ponies on Earth. What you see in this picture is a meeting between myself and Princess Celestia, the leader of Equestria, the pony nation. She couldn’t make it here tonight, but I expect that the media will get to meet her soon.” The President looked around. “Ladies and gentlemen, the ponies are not hostile, and in fact are interested in making friends with the United States. This is an incredibly unique event, and we are about to begin a new chapter in history. More details about the other dimension will be released soon. I thank you for your attention tonight.” The camera cut off. The news anchor reappeared on the TV, looking shocked. He shuffled his notes a little and tried to come up with something to say about the address. He only succeeded in looking even more stunned by the news. Oswald felt emotion like none he had never experienced before. He was more well-informed about the situation than nearly any other person, yet he was at least as excited as anyone he could see in the room. Somehow, having the President say it made it seem more real. He remembered the plans he’d been making. The dollars were about to start rolling in. The White House Another Secret Service man guided Mittal past the briefing room, which had become a madhouse after the President’s announcement. They ended up in a small conference room. The attitude seemed remarkably informal. “Admiral, have a seat.” “Yes, Mr. President.” “That was a great job you did in finding those missing ponies.” “Someone else handled the legwork.” The President shrugged. “So introduce him to me sometime.” “Mr. President, if you don’t mind me asking, what happens next?” “The UN and NATO are going to be unhappy that we held out on them. I’m sending you to talk them down.” A political representative was a big career move. It beat running secret projects. “Yes, Mr. President. I’ll do my best.” "You'll be leaving soon. I've already made arrangements." "Yes Mr. President. Thank you." The White House – Second Floor The unexpected arrival of the extra ponies required improvisation, but the White House staff managed. Princess Celestia was given the use of the Queens’ Bedroom, so named for the royalty that had stayed there in the past. She found the pale pink walls and canopied bed to be to her liking. A very large rug covered most of the floor, with glossy wood around the edges. The rest of the ponies were put up in the larger Lincoln Bedroom, which had been decorated in its own style. The carpet was an interesting pattern of blues, greys and oranges, which set off the white trim and pale yellow walls. The bed was enormous in every dimension and the frame was made of carved dark wood. All of the ponies required some degree of cleaning to be presentable. Some more than others. “That terrible dirt!” shrieked Rarity. “I’ll eat bugs before I have to travel that way again!” “We did what we had t’ do,” said Applejack. “There’s nothin’ wrong with a little dirt as long as it comes off.” Fortunately for Rarity, the White House staff was able to come up with all the types of cleaning products that she requested, if not the specific brands. Pinkie found her way to the kitchen and insisted on helping with baking. She’d learned to whistle through the gap in her teeth, and was soon happily composing a little tune while making cupcakes of her own recipe. All the bakers who tried samples were delighted. Daniels had left shortly after being debriefed by the President himself. It would be a long trip, he said, but at least he’d gotten a worthwhile story to tell. Pinkie made sure that he got some cupcakes to take with him. After a night of rest, Celestia began working with the TV production staff to calibrate their equipment. They were used to only filming humans, so the lighting would need to be adjusted. Her injury had been treated properly and bandaged in white. With careful rearranging of her mane, the dressing was hidden. When everything was ready, her speech was taped. It gave the producers a chance to edit, and to film another take if that’s what it took. The tape would be aired that evening. The United Nations Ambassador stopped by and met with Celestia. The UN facilitated cooperation between member nations, with the overall goal of peace. It was much the same as her world’s United Lands. The UN had more experience, though, and she listened closely to what the man had to say. All the ponies were invited to dinner that evening with the President’s family. The meal was strictly vegetarian in deference to the guests. The White House chefs were known to be among the best in the world, and made everything taste exceptional. A multitude of flavors were employed, even inventing a couple new ones along the way. Desert was even more extravagant. “Dang,” the President. “Those are good cupcakes.” A tall white pony with a horn and wings prepared for her first television appearance. The presidential podium had been repurposed for her use. She spoke slowly and clearly into the microphone. “Citizens of the United States and people of Earth, I come to you with greetings of peace and hope. I am Princess Celestia, the leader of Equestria. As I’m sure you are aware, I come from a different place than your planet. “This is all a very big change for me, as much as it is for you. Nothing like this has ever happened before in our universe, and that leaves us a blank slate to start from. We get to set the standard. We get to do what has never been done before. “With love and tolerance, many things can be accomplished. Your world and mine may have some different problems, but they share a lot of the same ones. Cooperation between nations can go further than ever before to help others realize a better standard of life. “Kindness, loyalty, honesty, generosity, laughter, and the magic of friendship are all things that are in limited supply. They don’t have to be. We have this blank slate. We can do anything with it. I hope all will choose to make our respective worlds better. I hope my nation, your nation, all nations, will someday live in peace and prosperity.” The television broadcast switched back to more regular fare. Princess Celestia, the President, and six ponies sat in front of the TV. “I hope my message was well received,” said Celestia. “It sounded good to me, Princess!” said Twilight, beaming. “I thought it was a great speech,” said the President. “Will a lot of people see this?” asked Celestia. “There’s a television in most American homes. Around the world, there are many more. Don’t forget that the audio will go out to radios around the world. I would say more than a billion people will hear your voice by tomorrow.” “Your mass-communication technology is astounding.” The President nodded. “It’s getting better all the time. In fact, the Vice President has been working on a new network that he invented to connect more people than ever before. He’s calling it the ‘information superhighway’.” “Not a very catchy name.” "We're working on it." Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center The doorway had been fixed and the ponies were flown to the base. The President was there to personally see them off. Dr. Oswald seemed to have disappeared, and that worried everyone, but there was not much that could be done. The rest of his team was able to run the doorway without him, so the project went on. It was surprisingly not a long, tear-jerking goodbye. Since the doorway had been thoroughly overhauled, it seemed to be more reliable. The ponies could visit again anytime they wished through the connection the two worlds shared. Twilight knew that she would be back. There were a lot of things she was planning to accomplish. Many miles away, two men sat together, watching a third man struggle against the duct tape that held him in place. They’d met to discuss business. The man on the floor had apparently been unclear on what that meant. The two talked, disregarding the pleading voice of the third. “Do you think he’s told us everything?” asked one. “Does it matter? He had all these detailed blueprints.” The second gestured at a mound of paper. “He even thought we were going to pay him.” The first shrugged. “Put a bullet in him and let’s go build our own doorway.” Author note: Thanks to my prereader Scully. Hopefully this story set the tone for things to come. I’ve got a whole series of pony-human teamups that I want to write about. See you there.
Chapter 1This is a sequel to Battleships are Magic February, 1993 Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center The wind had blown hard the night before, distributing the fallen snow in uneven piles around the base. The Indiana winters were often unpredictable. This week, it was cold. Located in the southern part of the state, Crane was mostly sheltered from severe weather. The wind was the worst part. East of the Rocky Mountains, there was nothing but flat land to let the weather systems accelerate into the midwest. Admiral John Mittal stepped out of the staff car, bracing against the bitter wind. He had only recently been promoted up from Captain, and had finally been let in to a clandestine development the Navy was working on at the base. It had been a thorn in his side that he’d practically started the project, but been locked out because he wasn’t important enough. About two and a half years previously, Iraq had invaded neighboring Kuwait. In response, the United States had deployed warships, including a few old battleships that had been reconditioned. Officially, USS Wisconsin had encountered mechanical trouble and returned to port early. Mittal had been in command of the ship, and knew the truth was a different story. An event that had been nicknamed the Anomaly had mysteriously transported the ship to a different dimension where the dominant life forms were sentient animals. With the help of magical ponies, the ship had managed to return home. The details of the event were so difficult to believe, that burying it in a high security classification almost seemed unnecessary. Not all of the crew had kept their promised silence, but there were few enough of them that not many people took them seriously. Since then, scientists working for the Navy had been trying to figure out what exactly the Anomaly was and how to control it. Helped by notes given to them by the ponies before the ship was sent back, significant progress had been made. They’d even started to understand some of the details of magic. It appeared to be simply an organic method of delicately controlling energy. Breakthroughs in the nature of the space-time interface and the discovery of magic were groundbreaking developments that the public didn’t need to know about just yet. A secure location from which to conduct the research had been needed, and Crane had been selected. After all, not many people realized that the Navy’s third largest base was landlocked in Indiana. Fewer knew the details of the secret projects carried out there. A place to house the research had been quickly constructed and innocuously designated Building D6. Belowground levels had been considered, but it would require too much blasting and drilling to displace the bedrock that lay close to the surface in much of the area. Anchors to solidify the construction were drilled into the limestone, though. A breakthrough was what had brought Mittal to the project building that morning. Armed guards closely checked him before he was allowed to enter the front door. To access the rest of the building, he had to enter a memorized code and pass another set of guards. The next room was considerably larger. A rectangular steel frame surrounded by wires and instruments stood behind a bank of computers and equipment. Thick cables and power lines snaked across the floor. A couple of people were busy adjusting things before the scheduled test. The project lead engineer was a man named Tim Oswald. He had a doctorate in something Admiral Mittal couldn’t spell. Under Oswald’s guidance, the research was advancing at a rapid pace. “Good morning Admiral,” called Dr. Oswald. “We should have everything ready to go in just a few minutes. Don’t go near the doorway while we calibrate.” The doorway in question was the empty frame behind the scientists. There were many power inputs and instrument outputs radiating from the exterior. Mittal thought it looked like a square spider web. “This is going to work, right?” he said. “It should. The simulation did.” Oswald began activating switches. The cooling system for the electronics came to life, a slight hum filling the air. Lights on the control panel where he worked came on to indicate that every switch he flipped was functioning correctly. He barked orders to the rest of the team and slowly the doorway was made ready. Oswald stepped back, running a checklist to make sure everything had been set correctly. He nodded. “We’re ready.” The power transmission lines came to life and the edge of the doorway began to heat up, glowing a dull orange. Oswald carefully turned a knob to make the transition from useless heat to directed energy. Slowly, a wispy blue light began to reach from the edges of the frame towards the center. There was a sudden shower of sparks from one side of the doorway and Oswald slapped the emergency stop button. “What happened?” asked Mittal. Dr. Oswald didn’t answer as he strode up to the frame, inspecting the power input. He cursed under his breath. After a few minutes of inspection, Oswald went back to the bank of equipment and examined a few readouts. He finally made his diagnoses. “The irregular shape of the doorway is difficult to compensate for. As the energy built up, it distorted slightly and threw our calculations off. I’m starting to think we should have gone with the circular doorway that was originally proposed.” “Can you fix it?” asked Mittal. “Yes. It shouldn’t take too long.” “Good. The President gets here in two days.” “What? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” “I didn’t want to distract you, but now it looks like you need the motivation.” Oswald grumbled. “How did he even find out? He hasn’t been in office that long.” Mittal shrugged. “The point is, it would be a good idea to have this thing actually working when he gets here.” “Fine. Come back tomorrow.” Oswald turned to his team and began firing instructions. Mittal had met the previous President shortly after his ship had returned to Earth. It was the kind of unusual circumstance that required executive consideration. The President, himself a former Navy man, had given the Office of Naval Research the go-ahead to examine the pony notes and come up with a way to make travel between the dimensions convenient. They had been invited back, after all. ONR had been busy ever since. The last election had produced a new President. He had apparently been let in on the secret rather quickly. Mittal had been coordinating with the Secret Service to bring him to Crane. Three fire teams of SEALs had also been brought in to handle security. The twelve men were battle-hardened veterans and more than capable of protection duty. Mittal arrived back at Building D6 in the morning. Dr. Oswald looked like he had spent all night working, and perhaps he had. He told Mittal that they were almost ready to start again. The procedure to open the doorway began. The notes had directed the scientists to program the dimensional link to appear in the nation of Equestria, the ponies’ homeland. The doorway had been built specifically with this destination in mind and to go elsewhere would require significant reconstruction. Oswald dreamed that maybe in the future the link could appear in different places simply with the push of a button. The same premise could potentially be used for fast travel – teleportation – on Earth. The technology did not yet exist, but the implications were staggering. First things first, though. Before they could invent any of that, the scientists had to prove that the doorway worked. The energy feeding into it slowly began to build. The blue membrane began to grow inwards from the frame. When it made contact in the center, there was a sudden burst of light and the doorway was open. Mittal found himself staring at a room. It was supposed to be the headquarters of Equestria’s military leader, Field Marshall Twilight Sparkle. He had met her before, but did not see her through the doorway. One of the scientists approached with an instrument package mounted on a pole. He slowly passed it through the doorway. A cable ran from the sensors back to the computers. “It looks good,” said Oswald. “There’s no energy spike at the divide. I think it’s safe. Careful of the edges, they’re probably hot.” Mittal put his hand forward towards the center of the doorway. Feeling nothing but air, he took a step forward onto the wood floor of the room. It felt like stepping through a regular doorway. The room was a library, with bookshelves all around. All the surfaces were wood and had organic shapes. It seemed like it the room had been carved out of the inside of a tree. A staircase led up to a loft overlooking the floor. There was not a single creature to be seen. “Hello?” Mittal called. He got no response. Walking over to the window, he looked outside. According to the notes, the town was called Ponyville. The street outside was devoid of life. Everything looked well maintained, but strangely deserted. Had something happened? Mittal looked at the library door, considering going outside, but decided to play it safe. He walked back through the doorway to Crane. “Shut it down. Get the SEALs in here right now.” Oswald hit the stop button. “What’s wrong?” “The town looks abandoned. I’ve got a bad feeling.” In only a few minutes, the group of operators arrived. They had already geared up and were ready to go. Mittal told them what he knew about the situation and the world on the other side of the doorway. Lieutenant Daniels was in charge. He had been briefed on the transdimensional experiments when he had arrived at Crane, just in case. The SEALs were all highly trained both physically and mentally, and there was probably no better group in the world to send into an unknown, potentially dangerous situation. Daniels quickly made contingency plans with his men as the doorway was being repowered. They watched in quiet amazement as the blue glow gave way to a view of the library. Mittal wished them luck as they went through. The library’s front door swung open silently. The town was still. It gave Daniels the creeps, but he didn’t show it. The first objective was to check the town and determine if it truly was abandoned. Daniels split his forces into thirds. They all carried radios to communicate if any of them made a discovery. Daniels and the three men with him checked the town south of the library. The architecture was strange, almost fantastic. The library had indeed been built out of a tree, which appeared to still be alive, judging by the green leaves. One of the fire teams reported a building that appeared to be some kind of town hall or meeting place. The front door was slightly ajar. No other discoveries had been made, so Daniels ordered his forces to converge on the building. He passed by a square with a flowing fountain on the way to the place. Other than the fact that there was no life to be found, the town looked very appealing, almost idyllic. The SEALs regrouped. “What makes you so sure this is important?” Daniels asked the man who had reported the building. “Everything else is perfect, sir. Strange as it sounds, this door not being completely closed is the only thing in the entire town that seems out of place.” Daniels nodded. “All right, get ready to go in. Fire Team Two, go around back for security. One and Three, on me.” Some of the men spread out, surrounding the building. The rest stealthily approached the door. One of the men put his hand on the doorknob. Daniels readied his Colt Commando and nodded. The door flew open and the SEALs charged in. “SURPRISE!” shouted a group of multicolored ponies hiding inside. Daniels lowered his weapon, dumbfounded. The room was decorated for a party and there was cake and punch. There were dozens of ponies present. Some had wings, and some had horns. Nearly all had a unique mark on their flanks. Mittal had told him about the ponies, but Daniels hadn’t believed him until that moment. “Hi!” said a pink pony, bouncing up to him. She had a picture of balloons on her hindquarters. “Were you surprised? You look surprised. My Pinkie Sense was tingling and I knew we were going to have visitors so I threw a party! Do you like parties? Of course you do, who doesn’t like parties? I’m Pinkie Pie, nice to meet you!” “Sorry about that,” said a purple pony stepping up beside her. Daniels did a double take. The newcomer was a unicorn. “Pinkie gets a little excited sometimes. I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m Twilight Sparkle.” This was the pony the Admiral was expecting. “Lieutenant Kevin Daniels, United States Navy.” She nodded. “Oh, the Navy. Is Mittal around here somewhere?” “He’s waiting. He wanted to talk to you.” “That’s right, the portal was supposed to open in the library. I’ll walk back with you.” “You can’t leave, the party just started!” said Pinkie. “Sorry, but we really have to,” explained Twilight. “But you have all of the other guests to entertain.” The rest of the ponies seemed to be enjoying themselves. “At least take some cake!” The pink pony shoved several plates and forks at the men. Daniels slung his Commando and took one to be polite. Twilight ushered the SEALs out. “We didn’t mean to scare you,” she said. “I didn’t expect you to bring so many guns.” Daniels shrugged. “It’s better to be prepared.” Twilight made her way back to the library escorted by a dozen SEALs. The doorway was still open, and Mittal stood on the other side. “It was a surprise party,” Daniels explained. Mittal eyed the piece of cake he carried, but didn’t ask. The men filed back through the doorway. Seeing no resistance to their passage, Twilight stepped through. “It’s good to see you again,” she said, addressing Mittal. He nodded. “It’s been a while.” He introduced her to Dr. Oswald and the rest of the people who had worked on the project. Oswald looked overjoyed. While they talked, Daniels dug into the cake. It was delicious. He mentally counted the extra calories he would have to burn in his daily workout and decided that it was worth it. “The President of the United States is going to be here tomorrow,” said Mittal. “Can we set up a meeting with Princess Celestia?” Celestia and her younger sister Luna ran Equestria together. Twilight nodded. “I’m sure she would be happy to meet.” Oswald wanted to turn off the doorway for a while to perform maintenance and make sure everything would be ready for the next day. Mittal told Twilight when the doorway would be reactivated for the President’s visit. There was some issue with the time, as Equestria had neither time zones nor daylight savings. Eventually, he just gave her his watch to use. It was a good thing it wasn’t digital, because a readout in military time would probably confuse the issue even further. The unicorn trotted back through the doorway and said goodbye. Oswald waved and pressed the shutdown button. The link was broken and the doorway was nothing but an empty frame once more. Mittal left to prepare for the event. Air Force One, the President’s airplane, would fly to Indianapolis. From there, Marine One, the President’s helicopter, would carry him to Crane. Secret Service agents were already prowling around and making sure everything was ready to go. The trip to Indiana was disguised as a routine goodwill tour, and the President would be meeting a few local dignitaries, including the governor. The trip to Crane was public knowledge, but once the helicopter landed, communication would go dark. The press was not going to be allowed inside, and access would be tightly controlled. Once the leaders of the two nations had had a chance to talk, it would be decided how to reveal to the public the news of the ponies’ existence. Author note: I know, I know, I said I would take a few days off. Darn workaholism. I’m still not planning to update at the stupid-fast pace of the last story, though. Next chapter: Celestia meets Bill Clinton ;-)
Chapter 2Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center The sun was out and the snow began to melt slightly. The wind had calmed. It was perfect flying weather, and Mittal hoped there would be no delays in the President’s arrival. He shouldn’t have worried. Marine One appeared exactly on time. The helicopter was nearly unique, and the model had been in service with the military for many years. Only its rugged reliability kept it flying. That, and a massive influx of money to keep it upgraded with the best equipment available. No expense was spared when it came to presidential transport. The helicopter touched down perfectly on the marks of the landing zone. The door opened and a Marine in immaculate dress uniform stepped down. He stood at the edge of the steps and saluted as the President emerged. The presidential Cadillac waited nearby. It was only a short drive from the helicopter pad to Building D6, but the armored limo went everywhere the President did, so they might as well use it. Mittal waited in a staff car. The driver pulled into line with the Secret Service convoy and proceeded to the project building, which was ringed with more security personnel than usual. He didn’t see the SEALs, which was probably the point. Mittal stepped out and met the President at the door. “Good to meet you Admiral,” he said. The President's hair had prematurely gone grey, but he had an easy smile and persuasive charisma. He wore his signature blue tie. Mittal shook his outstretched hand. “It's an honor, Mr. President.” Mittal led him inside, accompanied by only the two most senior Secret Service agents. Dr. Oswald was there, as were three ponies. Twilight Sparkle had been making preparations all morning and had spent much of it talking with Oswald about the technology. When the Equestrian leader had shown up in Ponyville, she’d been invited through the doorway. Princess Celestia was a tall white pony with a multicolored pastel mane. She had both wings and a horn. Also, Pinkie Pie was there. There was a large cake that had a very impressive depiction of the US flag made with icing. Mittal suspected that it was her work. The President had been fully briefed on the ponies and had been shown some pictures and video taken by the sailors who’d traveled to Equestria. Mittal thought that he handled meeting talking ponies very well. Mittal introduced Oswald, who had run the project and deserved a Presidential attaboy. The pony and the human moved to the comfortable conference area that had been set up near the doorway. The furniture stood out in contrast to the bare concrete floors of the building. Celestia and the President began their discussion. “I’m aware of the values that your country holds dear,” she said. “Admiral Mittal demonstrated them quite clearly when he decided to join us to fight in the Zebrican War. We are still exploring long term solutions in global politics, which is something that I understand the United States has a handle on.” The President nodded. “Your country sounds very peaceful, the odd war aside. There is sadly not enough peace in our world. Perhaps you can advise us to better achieve that.” It looked like they had conversation material to last a while. Mittal stood nearby with Twilight. “Why’s Pinkie here?” he asked quietly. “She insisted that groundbreaking cross-dimensional politics required a celebration. You just don’t say no when she demands a party." "At least it wasn't a surprise party. The security people wouldn't like that." "I talked her out of it." Good thing, thought Mittal. The agent standing next to him already looked more nervous than a member of the Secret Service had any right to. A party-related shooting would definitely sour the moment. Mittal sniffed the air. There was a faint acrid, burning odor that he noticed. He looked around. There was a small wisp of smoke coming from the doorway. It was the module that was used to compensate for the uneven shape, the same one that had caused problems before. Mittal touched Dr. Oswald on the arm and pointed at the device. Oswald's eyes went wide and he whirled around to the control panel. He was reaching for the emergency stop button when the device suddenly blew out spectacularly, switching the doorway off in a shower of sparks. The Secret Service agents grabbed the President without stopping to ask questions and hauled him out the door at the same time the SEALs started coming in. Lieutenant Daniels took in the deactivated doorway, the rapidly departing President, and the horrified look on Dr. Oswald’s face. “What’s the situation?” “Oh my God,” said Oswald. “It overloaded. The thing is fried.” “The President is fine,” Mittal clarified. He turned to Oswald. “What do you mean fried?” Oswald took a breath. “We’ve been having trouble with that compensator. It must have finally taken too much abuse and failed.” “How long until it’s fixed?” “Those are all custom-made parts. It’ll be at least a week.” “Are we stuck here?” asked Twilight. Oswald nodded, looking guilty. “Don’t feel bad, doctor,” said Celestia diplomatically. “There was no way for you to predict that.” “At least we still have this cake!” said Pinkie Pie. There was a chirp from the Lieutenant’s radio. He listened carefully to it and then spoke to Mittal. “Sir, I’ve been instructed to secure the situation here and ask you to go to the administrative building. There’s a call for you.” Mittal nodded. He went outside to his car and slid into the back seat. “Take me to admin," he said. The driver put the car into gear. "Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, what made the President leave in such a hurry?” “Not at liberty to say. You shouldn't talk about it, either." Upon reaching the administrative building and identifying himself, Mittal was shown to a secure room with an encrypted telephone. He picked up the receiver and pressed the call waiting button. “Admiral Mittal, what is the situation?” There was a slight background noise to the President’s voice. He was probably in the helicopter. “Mr. President, the doorway suffered a failure." "So no attack?" "That's right, Mr. President." Mittal heard a brief conversation before the President came back. "The Secret Service wanted a more secure area to begin with, and after this they're going to get really demanding. When can we reschedule?" "The lead engineer, Dr. Oswald, says it will take at least a week to fix. Until then, the ponies are stuck here.” The President was silent for a moment before speaking. “The Princess and I had reached the decision to reveal the doorway to the public. Since they’re going to be here for a while anyway, why don’t we show them some good old fashioned hospitality? I doubt that Air Force One is equipped for their needs, so I’ll arrange for VIP transport to Washington. We’ll resume our talks there. While we’re at it, we might as well have a proper press conference. Keep the secret until they get here, all right?” “Yes, Mr. President.” Mittal put the phone down and went back to D6. Oswald was rapidly writing orders for parts. Twilight sat, looking despondent. Celestia looked as unfazed and regal as ever. The cake was gone. Daniels apparently had had some, but it looked as if Pinkie had eaten most of it. Mittal explained the President’s plan. Twilight’s interest seemed to perk up at the thought of getting to study the country. Celestia thought it was a fine idea. “Aren’t you concerned that you’ll be missed? Mittal asked. Celestia nodded seriously. “I told my sister where I was going, and I’m sure Twilight told her friends. I hope they don’t worry.” “Can’t you get back on your own?” Mittal figured that since the ponies had managed to transport his ship back to Earth, it wouldn’t be much of a problem. “Perhaps. It would take a while to set up, and even with Twilight and I, I’m not sure we would have enough power. The results of a failed spell like that could be unpleasant.” “Well, I guess we’ll have to make the best of it, then.” Celestia nodded. “I’m interested to see your country. I don’t see what traveling to the capitol city would hurt.” It would probably be better than passing the time in the isolated Building D6. Mittal made arrangements. True to his word, the President sent transport for the ponies. The first leg of the trip would be made in a helicopter. Mittal noted with some amusement that it was a Navy CH-53 Sea Stallion. They waited a few hours, in order for night to fall and to decrease the likelyhood that somone would see the ponies. Mittal commandeered the group of SEALs to go with them and provide security. The helicopter pilots were told that they were making a VIP flight, and that they were not to ask questions. The CH-53 was a large aircraft, and there was no problem fitting thirteen men and three ponies. The Army’s Camp Atterbury was close by, but did not have a runway long enough to land a VIP transport plane. The helicopter instead headed for Godman Army Air Field, adjacent to Fort Knox, Kentucky. A Navy helicopter coming to the base was something out of the ordinary. To keep prying eyes away, the transfer to the airplane was conducted in darkness, out on the tarmac half a mile from the nearest building. The C-9A Nightingale transport plane was nearly stretching regulations to land, even on the longest runway. Once the ponies were aboard, it taxied away from the helicopter and took off. The old plane had been used for Air Force medical flights for many years before being refurbished and configured for comfortable passenger use. It was considerably quieter than the helicopter. Mittal kept the ponies entertained with commentary about the landscape. Clouds were nowhere to be seen and the moon was nearly full, making for excellent visibility even at night. Celestia was the only one with wings of her own, and she seemed impressed when Mittal told her how fast the plane was traveling. Twilight was interested in the physics that allowed heavier-than-air flight. Mittal was no aerospace engineer, but he was able to explain the differences in pressure that produced lift. In only a few hours, the flight terminated at Andrews Air Force Base, located just southeast of Washington D.C. The President used it often, as Air Force One was headquartered there. The SEALs jumped out to transfer to a smaller plane that would shuttle them back to Little Creek Amphibious Base, down in Virginia Beach. The airplane continued on, parking in a hangar. The timing wasn’t perfect, and they would have to wait a little while for ground transport. Getting a vehicle to covertly move a royal pony and two others was no easy task. They would be taken to the White House, where there were a few spare bedrooms that didn’t get much use. It was arguably the most secure place in the world to sleep. A large unmarked van arrived. The rear compartment was separated from the driver’s cabin, armored, and did not have windows. Mittal had not been invited to the White House and didn't want to impose. His own residence was nearby. He said goodbye to the ponies and departed in a different vehicle. The van pulled out of the base and merged into traffic on I-495, the Capitol Beltway. “It’s a shame we can’t see the city,” said Twilight. “I’m sure it’s wonderful.” “We’re going to the White House!” said Pinkie. “That's good, right? It’s where the President lives, so it’s probably good. I wonder if it’s actually white or if that’s a figurative name? I hope the kitchen isn’t white, it would get all kinds of stains.” The van continued west, joining the flow of vehicles on the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge. The traffic lights came on, signaling the draw section of the bridge was opening to allow a large ship through. The driver of the van touched the brake. Another driver in a car behind the van fumbled for a new cassette tape. He took his eyes off the road for just a moment. A moment was all it took. As the van was slowing down, it was hit from behind. The rear tires skidded, the van twisting around more quickly than the driver could compensate. The front of the vehicle slammed into the guardrail, bending it over. The van plunged over the edge into the Potomac River.
Chapter 3Arlington, Virginia Mittal had not been asleep very long when the phone rang. It was one of the new cordless models. His wife was a heavy sleeper, but he picked up the phone and walked out of the bedroom with it. On the other end was someone from the President’s staff. The van with the ponies in it had been involved in an incident, he said. “Are they all right?” “We don’t know yet, Admiral. It fell off the Wilson Bridge.” Mittal sucked in a breath. That was bad, very bad. The bridge deck was fairly high above the water, and the river was deep. “How long ago?” “Minutes, sir.” “What’s been done so far?” “The Secret Service is mobilizing.” “Has NIS been contacted?” Mittal realized he had misspoken. The Navy’s investigative service had only recently been renamed NCIS. The man knew what he was talking about. “No, sir.” “Get on that. They’ll respond even more quickly to a call from the President than a call from an Admiral.” He hung up. Mittal stood for a moment, quietly thinking the situation through. They couldn’t afford to assume that this was an accident, although he couldn’t imagine who would want to hurt ponies. He came up with a plan of action, and decided what his first move would be. Going downstairs, he retrieved a phone book and looked up the number for Little Creek Amphibious Base. Potomac River The crash had been violent and disorienting. The van spun, smashed into something and then there was a moment of freefall before a splash brought everything slamming to a halt. The three ponies ended up in a pile on the roof of the upside-down van. Twilight hurt all over. There was blood, but she had no idea whose it was. She looked towards the back doors of the van. A trickle of water was coming in around the edges. Without hesitation, Celestia used her magic to wrench the doors open, letting in a flood. Twilight only just managed to grab a breath before she was inundated. She fought her way out of the van and headed upwards. There seemed to be something wrong with her left hind leg. She surfaced, gasping for air. Pinkie was there, and after a moment Celestia appeared. “What happened?” Twilight managed. She looked up. The mangled guardrail of the bridge was visible. “Is the driver okay?” asked Pinkie. Celestia looked grim. "I checked before coming up." Pinkie didn’t ask again. Twilight took stock of the situation. The three of them were alive, and didn’t appear to be too seriously injured. She realized the terrible problem they still had. The river was cold enough to have pieces of ice floating in it, and the air was below freezing temperature. They had to get out of the water and find someplace warm. The closest riverbank was unlit and appeared to be covered in trees. The three ponies began swimming in that direction. The cold was so intense that Twilight couldn’t feel her leg injury anymore. Norfolk, Virginia The flight from Andrews hadn’t taken long, and Daniels was back to Little Creek in no time. He had been allowed to call his wife from the plane and she was waiting when he arrived. He’d been a SEAL for a while, and she was used to his coming and going at all hours. He felt lucky to be married to someone so understanding. Their six year old daughter was in the car, too. It would normally be far past her bedtime, but exceptions were made when daddy came home. The house was not far from base. Daniels spent a few minutes talking to his girl before tucking her back into bed. He went to have a shower, and was only just stepping out when the phone rang. His wife leaned into the room, handing him the receiver. It was the Little Creek switchboard operator Daniels groaned. I just got back! He listened while the call was transferred. Admiral Mittal came on the line. “On the way to the White House, the van crashed,” he said. “Is everyone all right?” “We don’t know yet. It happened on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. You might hear something about it through your command, but I thought I would give you the heads up as soon as possible. Is there anything you can do?” “Maybe, sir.” “The President and I would take it as a personal favor.” Those were the kinds of people Daniels wanted to owe him favors. “I’ll do whatever I can, sir.” Mittal thanked him and hung up. From the conversation, Daniels’s wife knew he was leaving again. “When are you going?” she asked. “Right now.” She nodded. “I love you, Kevin.” “I love you too, sweetheart.” Daniels went to get ready. He got dressed and packed a little food. Opening his gun safe, he briefly debated which one to take. His options were open, because a winter coat would conceal just about anything. After a moment, he picked up his .45 caliber 1911A1 and threaded the holster onto his belt. He was not expecting trouble. Carrying a weapon was just his habit. He’d have to be careful of the gun laws in D.C. but that was a small concern. Grabbing the keys to his truck, he went outside. It was not going to be a short drive, and every minute that passed could potentially spell disaster for the ponies. Speeding like a madman, he followed the interstate west towards Richmond and then north. It took him a little over two hours to make it to the bridge. The sun was not yet up, and traffic was thankfully light. He walked out onto the span on the sidewalk and stood behind the police tape. Traffic was restricted to one lane. There was a smashed car sitting on the bridge near a bent, flattened guardrail. A police boat was stationed below. As Daniels watched, a search and rescue diver in cold weather gear floated to the surface, gesturing at the men on the boat. Himself a skilled diver, Daniels recognized the man’s hand signals. It told him there was only one body in the wreckage. There was still hope, then. Daniels looked around, speculating where the ponies would have gone. The closest shore had not been built up like the surrounding city. He wondered if they would seek help, or want to maintain a low profile. Since the President hadn’t yet announced the existence of Equestria, Daniels decided that the ponies would probably want to stay hidden, although he figured they would approach people if they got desperate enough. He had to find them as soon as possible. Daniels turned and walked quickly off the bridge, his breath trailing in a cloud behind him. Hypothermia was a serious concern, and unless the ponies found shelter, they were in trouble. They had at least a two-hour lead on him, and it was not going to be easy to track them down. Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center Oswald was working alone. It would take a while to get the parts he needed to fix the doorway, but there was maintenance to be done. He still felt that the failure was his fault. Mittal had called to tell him that there had been an accident. The ponies were missing. Oswald thought it was terrible news, and mentally kicked himself again for creating the situation. It only served to motivate him more. He had already been up all night, and now he vowed that he wouldn’t quit until the doorway was perfect. As he examined some instruments, there was a ripping noise and a flash of light from behind him. He turned, and found himself staring at four multicolored ponies. “Where’s Princess Celestia? What did you do with our friends?” said a rainbow colored pegasus, getting in his face. “They’re gone,” stammered Oswald. “I mean—” “Where did you take them?” demanded a white unicorn. “They took them to Washington.” “You’d better not hurt them,” said the pegasus, poking him in the chest. Oswald held his hands up defensively. “We’re not, but there was an accident.” “You’d better start giving us some answers,” said an orange pony who wore a hat. “He hadn't been given the chance to explain himself,” said a quiet voice that somehow carried through the argument. Everyone stopped and looked at the yellow pegasus who had spoken. They all looked back at the man. “Uh, right,” said Oswald. “Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie came here through the doorway between worlds. While they were here, the doorway failed. It’s going to take about a week to get things fixed so they can go back. In the meantime, they decided to visit the President in Washington, the capitol of the country. I just heard that there was an accident, and now we don’t know where they are.” There was a moment of silence while the ponies absorbed the information. “We can’t just sit here,” said the rainbow pegasus, jumping up. “We have to go rescue them!” “Hang on,” said Oswald. “Washington is over five hundred miles east of here. We also don’t know where in the city they could be.” “We have to do something,” said the orange one. “Let me make a phone call.” Oxon Hill Farm The three wet and shivering ponies pulled themselves from the icy river only to face a mass of trees and no civilization in sight except the highway. With nothing else to do, they pushed inland. After a relatively short distance, the trees abruptly cut off, giving way to a wide field of unblemished snow. With the moon out, it reflected nearly enough light to read by. Twilight noticed a gouge in Princess Celestia’s shoulder. It was a long wound, although not very deep. The cold water had sealed off most of the blood flow. The Princess didn’t look like it would hold her back. Twilight wanted to do something, though she was no nurse pony and didn’t have her medical spell books anyway. Pinkie did not have her usual bouncy gait, although she still appeared to be in reasonably good humor despite the crash. She whistled a little, and Twilight saw a gap in her teeth that hadn’t been there before. There was definitely something wrong with Twilight’s leg, although she could limp on it. Some buildings appeared off in the distance and all three quickened their pace. It didn’t look like they were human houses, but some shelter was better than none. There were a few small windows in the first building, revealing a dim light on inside. Twilight could smell hay and animals. Celestia pushed open the door. It was a stable. Two horses occupied stalls. “Hey,” said Pinkie. The horses looked at them, but did not reply. From conversations with Mittal, Twilight knew that there were only a select few animals on Earth that were considered especially intelligent. Horses and ponies were not among them. “Awkwaaaard,” said Pinkie. “It’s all right,” said Celestia. “I’m sure they won’t mind if we spend the night here.” Regardless of whether the horses minded or not, Twilight wasn’t ready to leave any time soon. It was warm inside the stable, and there was plenty of hay. The Pentagon It was a good thing Mittal was a morning person, because otherwise driving to the office at four a.m. would be unbearable. There was a lot of work ahead of him, and he prepared to be on the phone most of the day. One call he did not expect was from Dr. Oswald. “Admiral, four other ponies showed up.” “I thought you said the doorway wouldn’t be fixed for a while.” “It’s not. They got here without it.” “How did that happen?” There was the sound of a short conversation from the other end of the line. Oswald came back. “Princess Luna worked out a spell and sent them after the other three.” This was what Mittal had been afraid of, some kind of panicked response from Equestria. At least they only sent four ponies. “There haven’t been any updates on the situation, I’m sorry.” “They want to help look for them.” “We could use the help, but getting them here and searching without the public getting wise would be next to impossible.” “My team and I are the only ones on base right now with clearance for this. We won’t be able to do very much, and the ponies can’t stay here.” “I’ll see what I can do. No promises.” Mittal made a few calls and asked if the Air Force would be willing to lend another transport flight for unspecified VIPs. Without another intervention from the President, it didn't look like it was going to happen. Some time passed, and Mittal was considering calling the White House, when his phone rang again. Oswald’s call had gone straight through because he’d been on a secure phone. For this call, the Pentagon operator asked if Mittal would speak to someone named Lieutenant Kevin Daniels. Mittal accepted the call. “Daniels, where are you?” “I’m at a pay phone in Oxon Hill.” That was not too far away, Mittal knew, just east of the bridge. “What do you have for me?” “The precious cargo was not found at the scene of the accident.” Daniels knew that the odds of a random pay phone that he stopped at being bugged were slim, but stuck to security procedures. “What does that tell you?” “The precious cargo is somewhere else and still potentially in good condition. I’m looking into it right now.” “Thanks for the update.” “You’re welcome, sir.” Mittal put down the phone. “Good luck,” he muttered. “You’re going to need it.” Oxon Hill, Maryland Daniels stepped out of the phone booth and got back in his truck. He didn't know the details of the place he was in very well, but was aware of the general area and how to find his way around. The Wilson Bridge crossed the river at a spot where Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia came together. There was a lot of industry and housing spread out around, except for one place. The National Park Service ran a small historical park on the banks of the Potomac. There were animals there, and it was isolated. No visitors would be there that early in the morning. Deciding he had no other leads, Daniels started his truck and moved out. The sun was begining to turn the horizon pink. Oxon Hill Farm “I don’t remember the last time I ate hay directly from the bale,” said Princess Celestia. “It’s…nostalgic.” “I don’t remember the last time I ate hay,” said Pinkie, taking another bite. “It’s not very sweet.” The hay, while not bad, had probably been sitting for a while. Still, after fighting for her life through the crash and the swim to shore, Twilight was ready to eat anything. “I wonder why there’s a farm right in the middle of the city?” she asked between bites. “Perhaps it’s some kind of park,” suggested Celestia. Twilight nodded. “Maybe. It just seems a little unusual in a high-tech place like this.” High-tech was a phrase Dr. Oswald had taught her. Celestia's injury had stopped bleeding, leaving crusty dried blood on her coat. Twilight thought that they should get it bandaged as quickly as possible, but there were no materials at hoof. Seeing her look, Celestia smiled. "I'll be all right." There suddenly came the sound of bipedal footsteps walking up to the door. Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center Oswald hadn't called his team. It seemed a shame to get them out of bed. They could meet the ponies in the morning. He yawned. Bed sounded good. He sat down in a chair in front of the doorway console. He'd triple checked everything, and there was not much left he could do without the new parts. The new ponies had been quiet for a while. They occupied the furniture left over from the President's visit. For a while, they had made a fuss, but Oswald had eventually convninced them to stay put for the moment. After a few minutes of boredom, his head began to drift down. He jerked awake a few times, but eventually couldn't fight sleep any longer. In a few short minutes, his breathing was regular and slow. Behind him, four ponies quietly left the building.
Chapter 4Oxon Hill Farm Daniels rolled up to the barn and shut off the ignition. There was an animal control vehicle parked outside. He made a slow circle around the building, noting several sets of hoofprints. Opening the door, he was greeted with two men in uniform. One from the National Park Service, one from animal control. The inside of the barn was lit with a bare lightbulb. Two horses stood in their stalls. There was an ample supply of hay stacked against the wall. “Who are you?” asked the Parks Service man. “Tom Walker, NPS,” Daniels quickly improvised. “Where’s your uniform?” “I got a call from my idiot boss in the middle of the frigging night telling me to come down here and look for some technicolor ponies. My morning is already off to a bad start without some flakey giving me crap about being out of uniform.” Without giving the man time to retort, Daniels turned to the animal control officer. “What’s the situation?” “Mr. Avery here came in early this morning to open the park for the public and happened upon three —” the man appeared to suppress a laugh “— unusually colored animals.” “I don’t know, maybe they escaped from the circus or something,” said the man named Avery. “That would explain the wings and horns.” “What do you mean?” asked Daniels. “The big white one had wings and a horn stuck to her. The purple one had just the horn.” “I thought there were three.” “The last one was pink.” Daniels gave him a skeptical look. “I’m serious! Here, look at this.” He gestured to the pile of hay. Some of the bales had been nibbled and a couple looked like they had been slept on. The man pointed to a few curly pink hairs. Daniels sighed. “All right, where did they go?” “North.” Crime in Washington D.C. had steadily risen through the 1980s. In fact, some had called the city the murder capitol of the United States. Daniels had heard that much of the illegal activity was centered in the southeast of the district, particularly around the neighborhood of Anacostia…which lay directly north of Oxon Hill. “Anything else you can think of?” he asked. “The white one was a little bloody, and the purple one had a limp.” It was too much to hope for that the ponies would be completely fine. “All right, I’m going to go take a look for myself.” Daniels turned, but stopped. “How long ago did this happen?” “About half an hour.” Daniels nodded and walked out. Interstate 70, Ohio The little girl sat in the rear of the minivan while her parents talked in the front. She'd only recently graduated to big-girl seatbelts, and the shoulder strap was digging into her neck. She shifted uncomfortably. Her parents had told her that it was for safety. The van pulled into the left lane and slowly began to pass a semi truck. The sides of the trailer were made of some thin fabric, rather than metal. It was not in very good condition and the truck’s speed certainly did not help things. There was a long vertical rip that revealed the inside of the trailer. Deciding to risk her parent’s scolding, the girl pulled the shoulder strap away and tucked it behind her back. As she turned, she caught sight of something moving inside the trailer. Pressing her nose to the window, her eyes widened in amazement. There was an orange pony with a cutie mark of apples. “Applejack,” she whispered. She knew the pony on sight, and even had a small toy of her. Although she’d never seen Applejack wear a hat before, there was no doubt who it was. There was something else there. Were there other ponies with her? She turned, trying to get a better look, but the van pulled back into the right lane after passing the truck. The Pentagon The transport vehicle had been pulled from the water and the body of the unfortunate driver had been recovered. The latch on the rear doors was found to have been broken open. The NCIS scene report was dry and sparse on details. Mittal read through it slowly, looking for any small fact that he did not already know. Later, a more detailed report would be issued, but he doubted that it would reveal anything new. He picked up the phone and dialed Crane. The transport for the other ponies should be nearly there by now. He asked for Dr. Oswald. It took several minutes to track the man down and get him to the phone. He sounded panicked. “The ponies are gone.” “Did they go back?” “I don’t think so. Somebody found tracks in some mud in the south part of the base. They must have slipped out early this morning.” “Past the security and everything? “There is no security at the moment. The base personnel command assumed that they were all here at Building D6 for the President’s visit, and after he left they were all pulled. I’ve been working to get some approved to come back.” Mittal swore. “So we’ve got ponies wandering around the countryside?” “We’re looking for them.” “What do you mean?” “I…I had to tell them. Everybody at Crane knows about the ponies.” “Why didn’t you ask me first!?" “I had to do it. This was an emergency, and they could be in danger.” Mittal sighed. The situation was rapidly going downhill, perhaps even faster than he had originally thought. “All right, do your best to keep the situation contained. I’m going to try to convince the President to move the press conference up and go ahead without Celestia. It won’t be as dramatic, but we’ll have the whole country looking for them.” Mittal put down the phone a little more roughly than necessary. There were a number of reasons he didn’t like civilians working on military projects, and a breakdown in the command structure was one of them. Oswald shouldn’t have circumvented his authority. Still, what was done was done. They had to look to the future and figure out what needed to happen next. The President would not be pleased with this new development. Mittal reluctantly picked up the phone again and dialed the White House. Huntington, West Virginia A man stood near the railroad tracks in the afternoon sun. It was a good day for pictures, and he had been photographing freight trains for hours. He had long ago discovered a spot to his liking, and his friends could often find him there. He was part of a group known to the general public as a trainspotters, although the man happened to prefer the term railfan. He enjoyed learning about trains and comparing notes with others in the hobby. Another freight came along, rolling past where his camera stood on a tripod. The lead engine was a brand new Electro-Motive SD70. He smiled at the thought that he was perhaps the first one to take a picture of it. As the train continued on, the man noticed a boxcar with its door open. That was relatively rare, as a properly loaded cargo would never be left exposed to the elements. An empty boxcar was also unusual, because the railroad didn’t want to haul anything they weren’t making money on. The man readied his camera as it rolled past. As the car went by, he thought he saw something even more unusual inside. He pondered for a moment, trying to decide if he had really seen what he thought. He made the decision to leave his spot early. Photography was a special interest to the man. Trains certainly provided him with enough to take pictures of. He’d set up a darkroom in his garage and through trial and error had learned how to develop his own photos. It was faster than taking them to a processing center. He went to work mixing the dye couplers and getting the equipment ready. The liquids had to be at exactly the right temperature. After the negatives were processed, he hunted through them to find the frame he was looking for. With a careful eye on his watch, he began timing the steps that would result in an image. Eventually, the finished picture came out. Even in the dim red light of the darkroom, it was fairly obvious he was looking at some kind of small horse or pony. He remembered that it had been strangely colored. The man hung the picture up to dry and debated what to do. He had the railroad’s phone number, and occasionally gave them friendly calls to tell about a problem he’d spotted with one of their trains. The boxcar’s identification numbers were visible in the picture, so he could tell them exactly where to start looking. He decided that they needed to know about the animal. The poor thing could be in trouble. When the picture had finished drying, he took it down and brought it out into the light to look at it more carefully. It was a light yellow pony with a pink colored mane looking around the edge of the boxcar door. The expression on the pony's face looked almost worried. Animals were obviously not naturally that color, so maybe it had been a show pony or something. Someone was probably looking for it. He had a friend who worked at the local TV news station that might be able to help get to word out. Southeastern District of Columbia Daniels drove slowly, considering his options. He’d seen the tracks leading away from the barn, and knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up with running ponies. He had to anticipate where they were headed and try to get there first. He glanced at a page in an old Washington visitor’s guide that was in his truck. Bolling Air Force Base and the Naval Research Laboratory were both located on the east bank of the Potomac. Directly east of those was I-295. On the other side of the road, there was a narrow swath of natural land known as Shepherd Parkway. It extended for a few miles to the north, and acted as a buffer between the highway and residential housing. He figured the ponies would probably stick to the trees. The sun was fully up now, reminding Daniels that he hadn’t eaten since the night before. He grabbed a paper bag from the seat next to him and pulled out a sandwich. Finding a place to park, he got out of the truck and made a sweep through Shepherd Parkway, soon arriving at the other side near the highway. Carefully backtracking, he spotted what he had missed the first time: hoof tracks. It was an encouraging find, but the only thing it told him was that he was still headed in the right direction. He stopped a few more times and always managed to find tracks. It was slow going, though, and there was a lot of ground to cover. College Park, Maryland Two young men sat on a balcony overlooking a quiet street. Their appartment had strict rules about smoking indoors. What they were smoking was illegal. If asked, they would probably defend their habit, but nobody had ever caught them. Some of their friends suspected what they did on slow evenings, but let it go. They had been on the balcony for about forty minutes. "You hungry?" asked one. "Yeah, sure." The first turned to open the door, but his friend held him back. "Look at that!" He pointed. Further up the block, they watched a large white and purple animal cross an alley between two buildings. "Dude, was that a unicorn?" They looked at each other. After a moment, both laughed. The White House Mittal was passed through security and made his way to where the cameras were setting up. The President’s address was due to start in a little over an hour. He had been invited for the event, although he got the impression it wasn’t because they liked him. He was due to meet the President for a briefing afterwards, and got the feeling that making him sweat through the address was punishment for everything that had gone wrong with the ponies. Mittal thought back to the things that had gone wrong. None of them had been caused by him, although it was possible that with a little more action on his part they might have been prevented. He didn’t feel that he was at fault. Nevertheless, he was the senior man, and therefore responsible. He felt like his neck was on the chopping block. There were a few people he recognized in the crowd. Some were military, some were politicians. As far as Mittal knew, the secret of Equestria had not been shared with Congress. There was too much chance that some Senator or Representative would reveal the information to make themselves look good. It had happened before. Likewise, it was not known to the military besides senior Navy people. The sailors who had discovered the ponies had been censored as effectively as possible. There were a lot of people, then, that were going to be surprised when the President revealed the ponies. Mittal hoped that his next statement wouldn’t be, “And then Admiral John Mittal of the United States Navy lost them.” Andrews Air Force Base A pair of F-15 Eagles leaped into the sky. Early warning radar indicated something was on a course to overfly D.C. That was always a major violation of airspace, but especially when the White House was crowded with people. The Major piloting the lead airplane was experienced in interdiction. Idiots straying into protected air was a regular occurance. Malicious violations were more rare, but had happened. He wondered what he was dealing with this time. The sun was rapidly setting, and it was difficult to pick out the target against the nearing dusk. Ground control told him on the radio that the Eagles were just about to make the intercept. Something small blurred over the top of his airplane. He twisted his head to track it, and began to manuver to catch up. Against the setting sun he saw...feathered wings? The object changed course more rapidly than he thought possible and flashed past once more. He caught a blur of rainbow colors and then it was gone. A few minutes of frantic searching failed to pick it up again. Ground control confirmed that the object had dropped off radar. Shepherd Parkway Running from the barn when the man came in had been instinctive, and now Twilight wished they hadn’t. The sun was setting, and they were without shelter. There was no way to know if the man would have been hostile. True, it probably would have taken some convincing, but he might have helped them. Now they were on their own again. There had to be someone from the government looking for them. Twilight knew that the best way to be found was to stay in one place, but there was no way that was possible. Throughout the day, there had been a few close calls when they’d nearly been spotted. They’d managed to stick to the trees, but eventually their luck would run out. Twilight looked at the other two. Pinkie’s mane had gone nearly limp. Even Princess Celestia looked gloomy. All of them were covered in dirt and muck. Their pace was slow, and that helped Twilight’s leg. It was beginning to go stiff, although it had stopped hurting so much. It seemed that there wasn’t any permanent damage, and for that she was grateful. Pinkie stopped suddenly, and Twilight, who was daydreaming about a hot bath, ran into her. “Did you hear that?” said Pinkie. “Hear what?” “I think something is following us!” There came the sound of footsteps. The noise was muffled by the snow. “Should we stay and see what it is?” asked Twilight. It might turn out to be nothing, or it might be hostile. She thought she might be getting close to her breaking point, where she could not go on. If there was a chance of help, she wanted it. Celestia debated. It was clear that she was getting desperate as well. “Stay.” The three ponies faced the source of the noise and waited. Through the shadows of the trees came a silhouette, following their tracks in the snow. It slowly resolved into a human shape. A ray of moonlight fell across its face. Pinkie Pie threw herself forward. “I’m gonna bake you ALL the cakes!” she said. She fell into the arms of Lieutenant Daniels. He looked down in surprise. “I’m just glad I found you three.” He patted Pinkie’s shoulder as she cried happy tears on him. Twilight’s tired face broke into a smile of relief. “We knew someone would find us eventually.” Daniels shrugged. “A little skill, a little luck. Come on, we have to get you back to civilization.” Pinkie reluctantly let go of him and the four walked together back to the parking lot where Daniels had left his truck. He pulled a large first aid kit out and tended to Celestia’s shoulder. She bore the pain without complaint, even the dousing of liquid from a bottle marked hydrogen peroxide. There was not much Daniels could do for Twilight. He wrapped the spot on her leg that was most sore with a compression bandage, which helped a little. They began to get ready to leave. "Wait!" cried a voice. Four ponies appeared. Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. "You guys! What are you doing here?" asked Twilight. "It's a long story, sugarcube," said Applejack. "Why don't we get everyone to a safe place and talk about it later? suggested Daniels. He produced a tarp and regretfully explained that the cab of the truck was too small for all the ponies. Celestia, as the largest, gracefully volunteered to ride in the back. “Oooh! I want to!” said Pinkie. It’ll be like a tent and we can imagine we’re camping.” "I'll do it," said Applejack. "What!" exclaimed Rarity. "I believe we already picked the absolute dirtiest way to get across the country." "Twilight's hurt," said Applejack firmly. "You get in the back. Come on, Fluttershy." "O-okay." It was a very tight squeeze, but the ponies managed to fit. Daniels covered them with a blanket from his cold weather kit and then the tarp. They looked reasonably well hidden. He helped Twilight into the cab. Her leg was still causing problems. Once she was situated on the floor, he draped his coat over her. “Where are we going?” she asked. “The White House.” Author note: Aw yeah, G1 pony reference. For those of you who missed it, I briefly posted a chapter asking for help with plot troubles. I'd like to thank thewookie1 and spikeyblur12 for coming to my rescue. Also, I'd like to introduce my new prereader, Scully!
Chapter 5Anacostia, Maryland The gun rested on the floor of the truck. It happened to be right in front of Twilight’s nose as she lay hidden. Daniels had set it there as they began driving. “Are you expecting trouble?” she asked. “Not really. It’s just a bad part of town.” “What’s wrong with it? Daniels didn’t know if they had drugs and prostitution in Equestria. He said, “Illegal substances and services. Violence. Crime.” “Why do people do that?” He shrugged. “My job is dealing with bad people. I’ve never figured out why they do what they do.” “Maybe once we get to the White House and talk with the President, we can start working on that.” “I have to admit, the idea of world peace does sound attractive, although I have my doubts that it will ever happen.” “That’s a rather pessimistic way of looking at things.” “I’ve done things and seen things that you can’t imagine. I think I’m entitled to my opinion.” Twilight studied the handgun in front of her, noticing the “Rampant Colt” logo. “Why don’t you give up your weapons and convince everyone to be nice?” “I would give up my weapons, but only if I could get the enemy to agree to give up his. That’s not very likely to happen. Your world developed a little differently than ours, though. Maybe with some input from you, we can begin to change. I doubt that we can ever be totally peaceful, but there could definitely be improvements made.” It might be a long slow process to get the humans to disarm and live in harmony, but Twilight vowed to do what she could. For her, weapons were not the answer. Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center Half the parts had come in. Dr. Oswald hurriedly went back to work on the doorway. It would still be a while before he got everything, but it was a start. He thought about the doorway and its implications. It was going to open up new sectors of everything, vacations, international trade, politics. With a careful eye, a man could make quite a bit of money. The prospect didn’t bother him too much ethically. After all, he had been the lead engineer of the doorway. He knew some people who would be interested. A sailor walked in. Since the entire base was now aware of the doorway, security at Building D6 had dropped to nil. “Doctor? The President is just about to make a nationwide address. Maybe it’s about the ponies.” Oswald nodded, and followed the man out. Convincing the people at Crane had been surprisingly easy. He’d shown them a copy of a picture that a memeber of his team had taken of Princess Celestia talking with the President. They’d also taped a short interview with Twilight Sparkle. When a security man reviewing perimeter video cameras had happened upon the four newly arrived ponies sneaking out, that had sealed the deal. A building nearby was used for paperwork related to surface warfare or something. Oswald had never been interested in weapons. He went inside with the sailor and joined a group sitting around a TV. The news anchor was talking, speculating what the unscheduled address could possibly be about. A clock ticked down the time until the President would go on. The White House – Arrival Area Daniels had hidden the gun again when they’d approached the center of downtown Washington. He carefully maneuvered the truck up to a gate that lead into the White House compound. A Secret Service guard asked him what he thought he was doing. “I really need to speak to someone above your pay grade.” Daniels did his best not to sound haughty about it, but that was the way the agent took it. “Get out of the truck.” Daniels slowly put both hands out the window and used the outside latch to open the door. He didn’t want to do anything to make the guard nervous. “ID.” Daniels carefully reached for his wallet and pulled out his military identification. The agent took it and gave it a brief glance. “What’s in the back?” He indicated the bed of the truck. “Ponies.” “Are you kidding me?” “Please, just call your boss.” The man gave him an even more suspicious look than before. “Turn around.” Daniels did. He wasn’t expecting to get slammed against the truck and frisked. The agent found his gun. The man kicked him in the back of the legs and pulled the gun away. Daniels went down, and let it happen. Struggling would only make the situation worse. The agent kneeled on top of him and slapped a set of handcuffs on. On the bright side, Daniels thought as his face was ground into the concrete, at least someone more senior would get called now. The White House – Briefing Room There was a low murmur in the crowd as the President appeared. Most of the guests were journalists who were regulars at press conferences, and had seen the man up close before. The President stepped to the podium and stood for a moment, letting the camera operators calibrate their equipment. There was a screen beside him, and a test pattern was displayed briefly to test the projector. Everything was ready. A young female aide walked quickly over to the podium and spoke in the President’s ear. His face showed surprise. The woman gestured the speech notes lying on the podium and said something. The President waved her off. In the crowd, Mittal watched with interest. Something had clearly happened. He was startled by a tap on the shoulder. It was a Secret Service agent. “Admiral, sorry to bother you. Do you know a Lieutenant Daniels?” “Yes, I do.” “I need you to come with me, sir.” Mittal got up. He regretted that he wouldn’t be able to hear the address. The agent led him to a different part of the White House where he had never been. It wasn’t open to the public, or anyone else for that matter. After opening a heavy soundproof door, Mittal was brought into what appeared to be a command center. There were Daniels and seven ponies. “You found them.” Daniels shrugged, absently rubbing a sore spot on his wrist from the cuffs. “Some of them, anyway. The rest found me. It was lucky that Ralph was on duty, or I might be on my way to federal prison right now.” He indicated a Secret Service agent that Mittal remembered from the President’s visit to Crane. The man spoke. “The President has been informed of the situation. I’m sure he’ll modify his speech accordingly.” Mittal nodded and turned to the ponies. “How did the rest of you get to Earth? For that matter, how did you get here?” “Princess Luna was aghast at the possibility that the doorway might be closed for good,” said a unicorn. Mittal recalled her name was Rarity. “She gathered the royal magic scholars and cast a spell to send us here and bring Princess Celestia, Twilight, and Pinkie back.” “Only we didn’t expect ‘em to be on th' other side of the country,” said Applejack. “Dr. Oswald told us where to look.” “When we got here, I flew over the area to have a look,” said Rainbow Dash. I saw a lot of signs that said ‘Washington’ so I figured this must be the place. While I was flying, there were some stupid airplanes chasing me and I almost crashed.” Mittal was surprised she wasn’t almost shot. The Air Force took security over Washington seriously. “We were really very lucky,” said Fluttershy quietly. “I don’t know how we managed to get here so quickly.” “All that matters is that we’re together again,” said Twilight. She paused for a moment. “Wait, if Princess Celestia is here, then who is handling the sun in Equestria?” There was an uncomfortable silence. “I’m sure Luna was able to,” said Celestia. “It’s not that difficult once you know how.” The ponies began to talk among themselves, trading information and trying to find out what had happened in the past few days. Mittal left them. There was somewhere he needed to be. Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center The picture on the TV switched to the President at last. The excitement in the room built. The President was smiling and appeared to be in a good mood. “My fellow Americans, I come before you tonight with information that will change the world. I’m afraid that I don’t really know how to break this news. Nothing like it has ever happened before, so I’ll be frank. We recently managed to make a connection to a different dimension.” He paused to let that sink in. There was a collective gasp from the journalists present. Some of them looked wildly at the camera to confirm that it was indeed recording. “There are many intelligent species in this other world. The first we encountered call themselves ponies.” He gestured, and the projection screen lit up with an image. Watching the TV at Crane, Oswald recognized it as the same picture of the Princess and the President that he’d passed around. “As you can see, they bear some similarity to ponies on Earth. What you see in this picture is a meeting between myself and Princess Celestia, the leader of Equestria, the pony nation. She couldn’t make it here tonight, but I expect that the media will get to meet her soon.” The President looked around. “Ladies and gentlemen, the ponies are not hostile, and in fact are interested in making friends with the United States. This is an incredibly unique event, and we are about to begin a new chapter in history. More details about the other dimension will be released soon. I thank you for your attention tonight.” The camera cut off. The news anchor reappeared on the TV, looking shocked. He shuffled his notes a little and tried to come up with something to say about the address. He only succeeded in looking even more stunned by the news. Oswald felt emotion like none he had never experienced before. He was more well-informed about the situation than nearly any other person, yet he was at least as excited as anyone he could see in the room. Somehow, having the President say it made it seem more real. He remembered the plans he’d been making. The dollars were about to start rolling in. The White House Another Secret Service man guided Mittal past the briefing room, which had become a madhouse after the President’s announcement. They ended up in a small conference room. The attitude seemed remarkably informal. “Admiral, have a seat.” “Yes, Mr. President.” “That was a great job you did in finding those missing ponies.” “Someone else handled the legwork.” The President shrugged. “So introduce him to me sometime.” “Mr. President, if you don’t mind me asking, what happens next?” “The UN and NATO are going to be unhappy that we held out on them. I’m sending you to talk them down.” A political representative was a big career move. It beat running secret projects. “Yes, Mr. President. I’ll do my best.” "You'll be leaving soon. I've already made arrangements." "Yes Mr. President. Thank you." The White House – Second Floor The unexpected arrival of the extra ponies required improvisation, but the White House staff managed. Princess Celestia was given the use of the Queens’ Bedroom, so named for the royalty that had stayed there in the past. She found the pale pink walls and canopied bed to be to her liking. A very large rug covered most of the floor, with glossy wood around the edges. The rest of the ponies were put up in the larger Lincoln Bedroom, which had been decorated in its own style. The carpet was an interesting pattern of blues, greys and oranges, which set off the white trim and pale yellow walls. The bed was enormous in every dimension and the frame was made of carved dark wood. All of the ponies required some degree of cleaning to be presentable. Some more than others. “That terrible dirt!” shrieked Rarity. “I’ll eat bugs before I have to travel that way again!” “We did what we had t’ do,” said Applejack. “There’s nothin’ wrong with a little dirt as long as it comes off.” Fortunately for Rarity, the White House staff was able to come up with all the types of cleaning products that she requested, if not the specific brands. Pinkie found her way to the kitchen and insisted on helping with baking. She’d learned to whistle through the gap in her teeth, and was soon happily composing a little tune while making cupcakes of her own recipe. All the bakers who tried samples were delighted. Daniels had left shortly after being debriefed by the President himself. It would be a long trip, he said, but at least he’d gotten a worthwhile story to tell. Pinkie made sure that he got some cupcakes to take with him. After a night of rest, Celestia began working with the TV production staff to calibrate their equipment. They were used to only filming humans, so the lighting would need to be adjusted. Her injury had been treated properly and bandaged in white. With careful rearranging of her mane, the dressing was hidden. When everything was ready, her speech was taped. It gave the producers a chance to edit, and to film another take if that’s what it took. The tape would be aired that evening. The United Nations Ambassador stopped by and met with Celestia. The UN facilitated cooperation between member nations, with the overall goal of peace. It was much the same as her world’s United Lands. The UN had more experience, though, and she listened closely to what the man had to say. All the ponies were invited to dinner that evening with the President’s family. The meal was strictly vegetarian in deference to the guests. The White House chefs were known to be among the best in the world, and made everything taste exceptional. A multitude of flavors were employed, even inventing a couple new ones along the way. Desert was even more extravagant. “Dang,” the President. “Those are good cupcakes.” A tall white pony with a horn and wings prepared for her first television appearance. The presidential podium had been repurposed for her use. She spoke slowly and clearly into the microphone. “Citizens of the United States and people of Earth, I come to you with greetings of peace and hope. I am Princess Celestia, the leader of Equestria. As I’m sure you are aware, I come from a different place than your planet. “This is all a very big change for me, as much as it is for you. Nothing like this has ever happened before in our universe, and that leaves us a blank slate to start from. We get to set the standard. We get to do what has never been done before. “With love and tolerance, many things can be accomplished. Your world and mine may have some different problems, but they share a lot of the same ones. Cooperation between nations can go further than ever before to help others realize a better standard of life. “Kindness, loyalty, honesty, generosity, laughter, and the magic of friendship are all things that are in limited supply. They don’t have to be. We have this blank slate. We can do anything with it. I hope all will choose to make our respective worlds better. I hope my nation, your nation, all nations, will someday live in peace and prosperity.” The television broadcast switched back to more regular fare. Princess Celestia, the President, and six ponies sat in front of the TV. “I hope my message was well received,” said Celestia. “It sounded good to me, Princess!” said Twilight, beaming. “I thought it was a great speech,” said the President. “Will a lot of people see this?” asked Celestia. “There’s a television in most American homes. Around the world, there are many more. Don’t forget that the audio will go out to radios around the world. I would say more than a billion people will hear your voice by tomorrow.” “Your mass-communication technology is astounding.” The President nodded. “It’s getting better all the time. In fact, the Vice President has been working on a new network that he invented to connect more people than ever before. He’s calling it the ‘information superhighway’.” “Not a very catchy name.” "We're working on it." Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center The doorway had been fixed and the ponies were flown to the base. The President was there to personally see them off. Dr. Oswald seemed to have disappeared, and that worried everyone, but there was not much that could be done. The rest of his team was able to run the doorway without him, so the project went on. It was surprisingly not a long, tear-jerking goodbye. Since the doorway had been thoroughly overhauled, it seemed to be more reliable. The ponies could visit again anytime they wished through the connection the two worlds shared. Twilight knew that she would be back. There were a lot of things she was planning to accomplish. Many miles away, two men sat together, watching a third man struggle against the duct tape that held him in place. They’d met to discuss business. The man on the floor had apparently been unclear on what that meant. The two talked, disregarding the pleading voice of the third. “Do you think he’s told us everything?” asked one. “Does it matter? He had all these detailed blueprints.” The second gestured at a mound of paper. “He even thought we were going to pay him.” The first shrugged. “Put a bullet in him and let’s go build our own doorway.” Author note: Thanks to my prereader Scully. Hopefully this story set the tone for things to come. I’ve got a whole series of pony-human teamups that I want to write about. See you there.
