"Ugh, what the hay is it now?"
Twilight grumbled to herself as she cast a tired look out her window. The moon was shining high in sky and by her guess it must have been sometime around midnight. For a moment she stared at the beautiful night before the pounding coming from the library's front door reminded her of why she was awake in the first place. As she headed towards the stairs, she passed Spike's sleeping form and could only wonder how he was able to sleep through the incessant knocking. The sound was so irritating that Twilight decided to use her magic to open the door from the top of the staircase, rather than deal with any more of the noise.
"Alright, alright! Calm down already. You better have a good reason for waking me up in the-" Twilight's rant was cut short when Rainbow Dash came flying through the open doorway at high speeds and crashed into one of the bookshelves on the other side of the room. Twilight groaned when she saw the mess that the collision had made. "You're lucky that I already told Spike to do a complete cleaning of the library tomorrow. Now what is so important that it couldn't wait until the morning?"
The impact had left more than just some books in disarray; it seemed that Rainbow Dash was too stunned to answer the irate unicorn's question. Thankfully, there was another pony present who could provide an explanation.
"I'm sorry 'bout all the noise Twi, but this really can't wait till morning. Some ponies have gone missing and there have been weird creatures running around the edge of the Everfree. I haven't been able to find Applebloom anywhere! And she's not the only one. Rarity hasn't seen Sweetie Belle all day and they were supposed to be spending the day together." Applejack was understandably frazzled.
The news was very surprising to Twilight. She hadn't heard anything about missing ponies or mysterious creatures. "Where is Rarity? And how did Rainbow Dash end up accompanying you?"
"RD? She didn't come here with me. She just flew up outta nowhere while I was knockin' on your door." With these words, both of the mares turned to face their dazed friend. Rainbow Dash was just getting back on her hooves when she noticed their questioning stares.
"Well, you know... I thought I'd stop by and ask you something. You know how the newest adventure of Daring Do came out today? I was hoping the library would have a copy!"
Twilight Sparkle was already annoyed by her recent rude awakening, so the rant that followed Rainbow Dash's question was a bit more vicious that her usual lectures. "Are you serious? Did you hear anything Applejack just said? And even if you weren't listening, how could you expect the library to have a book that was released less than an hour ago?! In the middle of the night! Sometimes I really regret showing you the wonders of reading."
"Hey! You're the egghead here, not me. How am I supposed to know how a book release works? And what'd AJ say that was so important anyway?"
"So, what's the plan Twilight? Are we just gonna rush in there and search for my sister and the others ourselves?" Applejack asked as the three mares approached the Everfree Forest. While the earth pony wasn't the type to sit around thinking up a plan, she had known Twilight Sparkle for long enough to know that the studious unicorn would never go without one.
"Of course I have a plan. If these creatures are targeting ponies, then we should be able to lure them out. All we need is some pony to act as bait..." Twilight trailed off with an uncertain tone. "But finding a pony willing to brave such danger could prove quite difficult."
"I'll do it! Danger is my middle name, after all." Rainbow Danger Dash declared.
Applejack considered warning the self assured pegasus about the risk she would be taking, but decided that her attempts would probably just make Rainbow Dash even more excited. Twilight wasn't about to argue either. After all, Rainbow Dash could take care of herself and would be able to fly away from any serious threat. They quickly discussed the remaining details of Twilight's scheme before splitting into two groups.
Rainbow Dash wandered around the outside of the forest while Applejack and Twilight watched from safety of some nearby bushes. Slowly, the cyan pegasus began to meander closer and closer to the Everfree. Twilight was still tired from her interrupted slumber and began to drift off as the minutes passed. The unicorn was barely awake at all when she caught the first glimpse of movement from inside the Everfree. Suddenly alert, she prodded her fellow observer and pointed out the bizarre creatures that were traveling through the forest. Twilight peered through her binoculars at the small group. She had never read about anything like these strange animals and she quickly began to mentally catalogue their appearance and behavior.
The monsters stood around two ponies tall. To her surprise, they moved rather slugishly. Their awkward motions were nothing like the movements she would expect from the wild predators of the Everfree Forest. She noted how they traveled in a fairly close together group, very different from the spread out formation that hunting packs used to surround their prey. At this point she had no way of knowing whether these creatures were responsible for the disappearances, but the fact that they were headed straight for Rainbow Dash definitely seemed to indicate their guilt.
Twilight passed the binoculars over to Applejack and took some time to transcribe her observations into her notebook.. By the time she had finished writing out her notes, the strange creatures had reached Rainbow Dash. They appeared to be communicating with the cyan pegasus, but it was impossible for Twilight and Applejack to tell what was being said. Eventually they stopped talking and the bold mare followed them as they moved back into the forest..
"Are they helping her find the missing ponies? Or are they leading her into a trap?" Twilight pondered aloud. Applejack had no answer for her and gestured for them to follow the odd group. Tracking them through the Everfree was surprisingly easy and Twilight had to wonder how an animal so poorly adapted to survival was able to subsist in the dangerous forest. They seemed to lack any of the adaptations that would allow them to thrive in the harsh surroundings. "There has to be more going on here than is apparent. Nothing about the Everfree is this simple."
Applejack gave a silent nod of agreement. She was more focused on finding her sister than finding an explanation.
The peculiar monsters eventually stopped at what appeared to be some type of camp. The two ponies shadowing them crept forward slowly, careful to not make any noises. Twilight was very confused by what she had seen so far. These creatures were obviously much more intelligent than any of the other species they had seen in the Everfree. They could speak well enough for Rainbow Dash to understand them, they had constucted their own huts, and they were even wearing clothing. Their sophistication was very worrying to Twilight, especially when she compared it to her original estimation of their capabilities. She couldn't comprehend why an intellectual species such as this had never been mentioned in any of her studies. Or why they would be living in the Everfree if they were smart enough to realize how hazardous the forest was. The confused unicorn was about to ask for her companion's opinion when they heard Rainbow Dash's voice.
The words were indistinguishable from their hiding spot, but it was obvious that the awkward beings were at least as educated as Twilight had suspected. She strained to hear what was said, but she could only make out a few words. Deciding that there was no harm in getting a little closer, the lavender pony began to crawl towards the conversation. She was so focused on moving quietly that she didn't even notice Applejack following along behind her. Just when she reached a distance that would allow her to listen to the mysterious monsters, she heard a twig snap under her hooves. Twilight froze instantly, hoping that the noise would go unnoticed by the creatures. Applejack didn't stop moving quite as instantaneously.
After a few moments of tumbling and rolling, the two mares came to a rest on the forest floor not far from their rainbow maned friend and the things she was talking with. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack quickly scrambled to their hooves, all too aware that there no place for them to hide now.
Rainbow Dash made her way over to the two, grinning broadly at their spectacular entrance. "I'm so glad I have two 'reliable' ponies like you to save me if I'm in danger. If that's your idea of a 'rescue' then it's a good thing these guys know how cool I am. They know better than to attack me."
It was then that Twilight first heard one of the strange beings talk. It was not creepy or oddly accented like she had expected. It just sounded like a normal male voice, if perhaps a bit too gleeful for her liking.
"You're... Twilight Sparkle! This is... SO AWESOME!"
The unicorn was confused and disturbed. How was it possible that these bizarre beings knew who she was? She barely even noticed the squeals of joy that filled the camp following the one creature's exclamation. Twilight just stared blankly until Applejack brought her back into reality.
"I reckon Rainbow Dash knows what's going on, or at least what that was all about."
Before the bemused pegasus could try to relate what she had learned about the situation, another one of the creatures approached.
"I'm very sorry for the confusion. We're all very happy to meet you and it seemed that the moment got the better of Jake here. I bet you don't know the first thing about us, so I'll do my best to explain what I can. We're called humans and we're not from this world." This being sounded just as happy as the other one, but he seemed much calmer.
Twilight scrutinized the human as she considered his words. She had never heard of humans before, but the whole 'not from this world' thing sounded absurd. At least they didn't seem very threatening. Their forms seemed awkward and clumsy and they were an incredibly cheerful group. Only now did she notice that her friends and all of the humans were staring at her, as if everypony was expecting her to say something.
"Well... Pleased to make your acquaintance then. I have never heard of humans before. I would love to learn more about your species and your 'world'. But right now, my friends and I are trying to find some missing ponies. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that issue, would you?" Twilight didn't want to sound suspicious or unfriendly and she certainly didn't want to seem accusing. However, the sudden appearance of these humans that already knew her name was definitely suspect. The human that seemed to have assumed the position of leader froze for a moment, but then starting chuckling.
"I think I know which ponies you are talking about. The CMC and Derpy Hooves, right? You're right, they are here with us. But we didn't harm them and we're not holding them here or anything, we've just been talking-"
"And brushing their manes! I really like their manes!" One of the humans suddenly yelled out causing Twilight to frown at him skeptically. These being were strange and very upfront about their oddities. It seemed that they didn't understand how weird they were. Almost like they really were from another world.
"Well, what are you waiting for then? Why haven't you led us to the other ponies yet? And for the record, my mane is off limits." Rainbow Dash's last comment brought a surprising number of disappointed noises from the humans.
The unofficial representive of group grinned and gestured for the mares to follow him. "Of course, they are right this way. And do not worry, everyone here greatly respects ponies, we would never cause any pony harm. I would also like to apologize for any strange behaviour you might encounter. Some of us are still very entranced by the reality of being here in Equestria and getting to meet everypony."
The three mares looked at each other confused, but quickly followed after the human. Twilight was anxious to get more information about this apparently alien race. Applejack didn't seem as interested in the humans, but it might have been because she was too worried about her sister to care. And Rainbow Dash, well...
"I always knew I was awesome, but I didn't realize that even creatures from other worlds knew how awesome I am." Rainbow Dash seemed to be basking in the attention as one of the nearby humans mentioned something about her being 'Best Pony'. Actually, it seemed that the same title was being applied to both Applejack and Twilight as well.
"Please tell me... I'm sorry, but I don't think I caught your name." Twilight had intended to question the talkative human while he led them, but stumbled when she realized that she had no idea how to address him. The human couldn't help the squeal that escaped him when she asked him to introduce himself. He had done a good job of keeping his excitement in check, but introducing himself to Twilight Sparkle was too overwhelming for him to maintain his composure.
He coughed and managed to regain some semblance of calm before speaking. "My name is Lamarck, Miss Sparkle and I am very honored to meet you."
Twilight nodded at his words, but didn't waste any time on pleasantries. She had many inquiries waiting to be asked and knowledge to uncover.
"So Lamarck, what exactly are you and the other humans doing here? How did you get here? And how come you know so much about us?"
"We don't really have one unified reason or purpose for being here, except perhaps for our love of this world. We got here through some sort of magical portal. All we had to do was walk through it and suddenly we found in Equestria." Lamarck had apparently been expecting her questions and immediately began providing answers. The human took a small pause after he mentioned the portal and grinned. For some reason the idea of finding a portal to Equestria seemed to amuse him. "Anyway, after we realized where the portal led, we gathered together a bunch of bronies and came back to set up a place to stay."
"Bronies?"
Lamarck nodded and gestured at himself and the other humans. "Bronies are a group of humans that share a specific interest. And that interest should answer your other question as well. You wanted to know why we have so much information about you and your friends and Equestria as a whole? Well, the truth is, and I know this is going to sound quite freaky and unbelievable, but your world is the setting of a cartoon show where we come from."
"What is a cartoon show?" Twilight stared at him blankly with just a hint of annoyance. The words meant nothing to her and she was getting tired of receiving answers in the form of alien terms.
Lamarck blinked and then slapped his forehead.
"I'm sorry, I should have realized that television shows don't exist in Equestria. A show is sort of like a book. Essentially, shows are a means of telling a story by acting it out, like in a play. Except shows usually tell a longer story through small increments called episodes. In the cause of a cartoon show, the actors only provide voices and the visuals are made out of artwork. Kind of like a child's storybook." The human let that information sink in for a moment before finishing his explanation. "And Bronies are people that enjoy watching the show that I mentioned earlier, which is set in Equestria. A show that features you and your friends as the main characters."
Twilight considered Lamarck's words carefully. While the answers were certainly awkward and difficult to comprehend, they did explain why these humans knew so much about them. Apparently these 'Bronies' were fans of their 'show', in the same way that some ponies got obsessed with certain book series. Speaking of which...
"You mean that on your world I have my own series of adventures that any pony can go watch? I bet it's called the Rainbow Dash Show! And now I'm just like Daring Do, That's so amazing!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly. Meanwhile Twilight rolled her eyes. It seemed that the obsessed pegasus didn't even realize how creepy it was that these beings watched them and were so invested in their adventures that they had formed their own group and even given themselves a title.
As if to drive that point home, she suddenly heard one of the humans scream, "Rainbow Dash, marry me!"
Twilight stared at the human in shock as he was dragged away from the ponies by his companions. She glanced at Rainbow Dash to see her reaction, but the cyan pony was too caught up in her imagination and hadn't even noticed. She turned back to Lamarck who was blushing quite visibly.
"I guess that would explain why you all respect us so much, but now that you're here in Equestria, what's your plan?" Applejack spoke up for the first time since they had met these humans. Finding out that she was a star in another world's entertainment was enough to distract even the orange mare from their original purpose.
Lamarck fiddled with his fingers nervously and the strange motions drew Twilight's attention to the creepy looking appendages. They resembled a dragon's claws, but there were more of them and they didn't seem sharp at all. She couldn't help but ponder what use such odd protuberances could possibly serve. It wasn't like you actually had to wrap your hoof around something to hold it, things just stick to them. And a dragon's claws at least functioned as weapons. The human's claws seemed silly and pointless. She was almost curious enough to ask about it when Lamarck finally answered Applejack's question.
"Well, we just wanted to meet the ponies that we care so much about... I know that probably sounds weird to you, but imagine if you had never met Celestia and then suddenly you were given the chance to spend a day with her?"
The lavender pony was caught off guard by the comparison. It was true that she would be ecstatic in the scenario the human had presented, but she was still irritated by the downright disconcerting amount these Bronies knew about her life.
"I... Well, I would jump at such an opportunity. So I think that I can understand your behavior a little better now, but-"
"Who are you calling a filly fooler?! And what is Appledash supposed to mean? That better not be what I think it is!" Rainbow Dash glared at one of the humans and seemed about ready to attack the poor guy when Twilight pulled the angry pegasus back to Applejack and her with her telekinesis.
"Calm down Rainbow! What's gotten into you all of sudden?"
"These freaky aliens are making up weird stories about me! And I think that one just said something about me and AJ. Bunch of creeps." Rainbow Dash was obviously annoyed and embarrassed by the human's accusations. Twilight blushed slightly, but couldn't hold back a giggle and had to quickly disguise it as a cough to avoid the irritated pony's wrath. The thought that Rainbow Dash had finally realized how creepy having her own obsessive fans could be struck Twilight as amusing for some reason. Especially with how enthusiastic her initial reaction had been.
"I'm very sorry about that Miss Dash. I told everyone to keep calm and leave their... Ahem weirder thoughts at home, but I guess there is always going to be someone who just can't control themself. I will remind them that you are all living beings with feelings and private lives. For now, I believe you wanted to see the 'missing' ponies, yes?" Lamarck finished his sentence by gesturing in the direction of a campfire that had three fillies and a mare sitting around it. All of them looked rather happy and calm despite being surrounded by a small group of humans. Twilight also noticed that the mare known as Derpy had a large platter of muffins in front her. Before Twilight could question how the humans had made muffins in the middle of the Everfree, The gray pegasus noticed them and waved them over to the campfire, while the nearby humans made pleased noises when they saw her bi-directional gaze.
"Hey Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash! These humans have such great taste in food. You should come try one of these muffins."
Twilight had to admit that the humans seemed to know a lot about the ponies of Ponyville. Or at least, they knew a lot about the clumsy mailmare.
"Derpy here is very respected by us Bronies. I'm sure there's not a single Brony out here who wouldn't love to bake some muffins for her. Once we realized that she really did like them we made as many as we possibly could." Lamarck quickly explained, answering the curious unicorn's unasked questions. The fillies were excited to see the three mares, especially Applebloom who rushed over and embraced her sister.
"Applebloom! I'm so glad you're alright. Why haven't you been back to farm yet? What were you thinkin' staying out this late without telling anypony? We were worried sick about you!"
"I'm sorry Applejack. I didn't mean to stay so long, but I kinda sorta fell asleep and by the time I woke up it was already nightime and-" Any further attempts to explain herself were cut short when she noticed the tears in the corners of Applejack's eyes.
"Hey Rainbow Dash! You can have my seat if you want, it's the best spot." Scootaloo also seemed quite happy to see her idol. Dash was slightly suspicious of the attention, but managed to shake off the similarity between Scootaloo's tone and the tones of the humans. She took a seat beside the excitable filly.
"Thanks kiddo, but I'll be fine right here. Now tell me the truth, did these weirdos foalnap you?"
The orange pegasus shook her head and smiled brightly. "No worries Rainbow Dash. These humans are cool enough. They know all about how awesome you are too! And there's no way I'd let any pony kidnap me or my friends."
The orange pegasus was obviously trying to act tough in front of her hero, but Rainbow Dash was still impressed by her bold attitude. She let the sleepy looking filly lean against her side, but almost immediately regretted it when several of the humans made exaggerated "awwww" sounds.
Once Applejack and Applebloom had finished their reunion, the humans began bombarding the assembled ponies with an assortment of questions. Twilight responded with her own queries, creating a seemingly endless exchange of information.
Realizing that the fillies had fallen asleep at some point and that her friends seem ready to follow suit, Twilight finally broke the cycle. "Lamarck, I still have more I'd like to learn, but first you'd better show me the portal that brought you all here. Don't take this the wrong way, but an interdimensional portal doesn't exactly sound like the kind of thing that bodes well for the stability of our world."
Every human in the circle seemed to understand her worries and quickly quieted down. Lamarck acquiesced easily. "Of course, that's no problem. We can show everyone that wants to see it right now."
It was quickly decided that Twilight would go with Lamarck and some of the other humans to examine the portal while everypony else took the opportunity to get some rest. Other than the occasional question, the trip passed quietly. At this point Twilight was so used to the sometimes intrusive nature of the humans' curiosities, that she was hardly bothered by the questions at all. The walk went past quickly and soon they were standing in a simple clearing with a violet colored oval of light hanging in the air. Staring at the flickering portal, Twilight was able to catch glimpses of a gray enviroment that seemed to lack the vibrancy and life that she was accustomed to from her surroundings.
"Here we are Miss Sparkle, the interdimensional portal that has no real reason to be here. What kinds of instabilities are you worried about?"
The assembled humans waited patiently for her response. They obviously expected Twilight to be an expert on everything magical. Considering everything she knew about dimensional theory and magical interdimensional transportation, she had to admit that they were completely wrong. She didn't have the first clue about how such a portal could exist or what problems might arise involving it. She did however note the strange lack of books regarding such subjects in Equestria and decided that she would have to do something about that once she returned to Ponyville.
"Honestly, I don't know. But I would like to take a quick trip into your world. Just to see how it differs from ours, and if there is anything I can learn about the portal by traveling through it. Plus, I'd like to see what dangerous things might use this portal to enter Equestria."
The bronies flinched at her words, apparently sharing her concerns about their world. Lamarck took a deep breath and stepped forward. "As far as we know, the portal is safe to enter. You can study it as much as you like. But I should warn you now that our world is very different from your own. I will gladly act as a guide, just to make sure that nothing bad happens while you are on Earth. I personally think that your concerns might be well-founded."
Twilight Sparkle nodded in acceptance of his offer, before bracing herself to travel through the portal. She rushed through the vortex without a second thought, even as the strange sensations of traveling beyond the dimensional divide washed acrossed her body.
Twilight stared into the Everfree Forest with shock and horror written plainly on her face. The only sound in the silent clearing was the gentle, but constantly fluctuating hum of the portal behind her. Her trip to the human world called Earth was certainly unpleasant. She had witnessed many grim sights during her relatively brief foray. There were some people starving on streets, others being shot because of petty, unimportant arguments, and absolutely none of them were spontaneously breaking into song and dance.
"So, Miss Sparkle... what do you think? Is this portal dangerous?" Lamarck interrupted her thoughts with his nervous question. It seemed that all of the Bronies and the few ponies were gathered around the clearing, waiting with bated breath to hear Twilight's verdict.
"I fear that it is. Your world holds many dark things which could bring all sorts of trouble into Equestria. And even the brighter sides of Earth seem to be afflicted with a bizarre material obsession. I fear what might happen if that greed were to spill into our world. Even if the contents of your world weren't a concern, it seems that this portal is growing more and more unstable. I'm sorry to say that it will have to be sealed up. And that also means that you will all have to return to your own world. We have no way of knowing what might happen if we tried to seal a hole in the fabric of our universes while beings from one side of the rift stayed on the other side. I'm very sorry, but I hope you can understand."
The Bronies and Derpy gave a collective groan, but Lamarck stepped forward and delivered a stirring speech about how lucky they were to have had their short time in Equestria. The mood began to lift as the humans realized what a blessing they had received. They thanked the ponies one after another for spending time with them and answering their questions. In the end it was quite an effort to get all the Bronies back into the portal, it seemed that they had an endless amount of gratitude to lavish the ponies with. But eventually everyone was gone and the clearing was empty aside from the seven ponies. Twilight couldn't help the satisfied sigh that escaped her once the last human finally left.
"Twilight? You sound almost happy to have those humans gone... I understand the possible risks regarding the portal, but those guys seemed nice enough." Derpy's statement was surprisingly observant and logical, but the lavender unicorn simply ignored her and began working on a spell to close the dimensional rift. The closest approximation of a 'Close Interdimensional Portal' spell that she could think of was an ordinary spell intended to close and lock a wide variety of doors, gates, and windows. Conveniently enough, the spell seemed to handle the task easily and the portal vanished into thin air.
With that problem out of the way, Twilight turned her attention on Derpy's earlier words. "I did not mean to sound happy about the departure of those Bronies. Actually, I am quite sad about forcing them to leave, especially when there was so much we could have learned from them. But the stability of our world is more important. I had to place my dedication to Equestria and to Princess Celestia first and foremost. And now that the portal is sealed, it won't do any of us any good to dwell on the events of last two days. It would be best if we tried to forget about this and carry on with our lives."
The trip back to Ponyville was uneventful, but their arrival was met with quite a stir. A distressed and disgruntled Rarity spent the better part of an hour lecturing them about leaving a friend behind and not even bothering to send word that they were alright or that they had found her sister safe and sound. She seemed particularly upset that Applejack had left her behind when she had apparently told the apple farmer that she would only need a few minutees to get ready for the expedition. Seeing that the fashionista seemed to be focusing her wrath on Applejack, Twilight quickly apologized and took the opportunity to escape. She had a very important letter to write.
Dear Princes Celestia,
Today I learned that there are other wonderous and intriguing dimensions out there. Places that we would never dream of in a million years. However, I have a much more important piece of news to share with you. Today I met several intelligent beings called humans from one of those other dimensions and even had the opportunity to visit their world. It was during my trip to their dimension that I learned about something very distressing. A form of goverment that they call Democracy. And even more unnerving, it seems that throughout there history there have been countless uprisings against kings and queens. Obviously such dangerous revolutionaries could pose a threat to the stability and peace of Equestria, so I took it upon myself to seal away their connection to our world. Still, I would advise you to keep a vigilant eye on your more innovative subjects. The existance of such ideas in another dimension might bear grim tidings for our possible future.
Also, Derpy Hooves, the Ponyville mailmare, seems to have taken quite a liking to those revolutionary monsters. It's impossible to know how much she learned from them or what she might do with that knowledge. I would like to request permission to keep personal surveillance over her for the time being.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle