Chapter 2: The Other World

Equestria, a world seemingly out of the fever dreams of some little girl who really, really, REALLY liked small horses and seemingly wanted to see them dunked in vats of every hue and neutral color one could conceive. It was a seemingly idyllic place, the world you retreat to when life was giving you way too much shit and you just wanted to not have to deal with it all. You know, the kind of world where gigantic winged lion-like creatures used to eat you for dinner for no other reason than that they found you tasty. Or a world where giant mythological beasts were common enough to be able to be recognized on first blush. Or a world where one of the rulers, while in the throes in what some callous humans would consider a fit of pique, damn near caused a mass extinction event. Or a world where the sentient incarnation of an abstract concept nearly caused the fabric of reality to come apart at the seams. You know, the kind of place you want to retire in. It had been some time though since the aborted Second Age of Discord. Everyone affected were mostly recovered, some wanted to forget but it was impossible to, not that anyone really should have. The world had seemingly gone entirely 'Coocoo for Cocoa Puffs' as those in our first world may have put it some time ago, and as those in our first world can tell you, when the world itself goes mad, it's really, REALLY hard not to just lose your wits yourself.

[ Roughly 2:30 PM Canterlot (CNT) Time ]

Princess Celestia was winding down yet another day of entertaining the aristocracy, dealing with the various requests for funding of various projects from the various city-states that the various denizens of this very varied nation of Equestria housed. One could almost see the exasperation on her face at having to deal with this drudgery, a mare demigod Princess wearing the Queenly Mask indeed. She wondered how long she was going to last at this rate, couldn't she transition to some kind of constitutional monarchy? Then again seeing personally for over a thousand years just how airheaded a lot of the supposed nobility was and still were, it was probably in her best interest to just endure until there were enough Ponies with the horse-sense to delegate authority to. The regal white Winged-Unicorn, the very embodiment of all 3 Races of Ponykind and Avatar of the Sun, stood up from the throne and excused herself after her daily business with the subjects was concluded. She was so very thankful to the 6 Bearers of the Elements, not only had they defeated her Mad God of a sister but purified her to the point where she could be rehabilitated to her former glory.

She checked the ledger to know when exactly to wake up Luna so that she could get herself ready to for the daily ceremony of the Setting Sun And Rising Moon. It was the Vernal Equinox, the time of the year where Day and Night time-wise were more or less equal. So she set off walked through the hallways, her regal mane flowing like a spectral sunrise, teal flowing in to lavender flowing into pink flowing back into teal, like some endless living gradient. Of course she could have teleported directly into her sister's chamber, but being the wry and sentimental sort, she just liked walking through her expansive castle. This Vernal Equinox however was very special, so special that, if events that were to unfold progressed properly, would forever go down in the history of both Equestria and whatever nations were on the other world she and Luna found some months ago. She inwardly prayed to the very cosmos itself, "I hope nobody leaked what is about to happen, it would be extremely difficult to suppress the information otherwise. Not without making myself like some sort of paranoid tyrant, anyway." Both sisters had to adhere to the schedule set well in advance, and be very extremely cautious about their use of magic before now; because what they were about to attempt with the 6 Bearers of the Elements Of Harmony completely flew in the face all known study of Equestrian Magic for the last few millennia.

Meanwhile in Luna's chamber, there were 7 figures standing around her Royal Bed. One, a bright-violet colored Unicorn: the concerned student of the previously mentioned Avatar of the Sun and, until the last few years, de-facto absolute ruler Equestria, a Pony of incredible raw magical power but seemingly of very fragile psyche. Two, a snow white Unicorn: self-described fashionista, generous but a very bright streak of vanity that some would find, off-putting at first. Three, a pumpkin-colored Earth-Pony: strength well beyond her class, second in her town only to her brother, and sense of pride about a big as he is. Four, a cotton-candy pink Earth-Pony: a mare with a 100-track mind all seemingly going in loops around each other yet somehow only rarely piling up. Five, a cotton-candy cyan Pegasus: rainbow-maned and fast as tropical storm's gale, but can root herself in a line of thought a deep as the oldest oak tree. Six, a pastel yellow Pegasus: meek around those of her kind, but a will forged out of solid titanium. The seventh was a violet and emerald fledgling dragon, not too long ago hatched and looking around nervously as he was in the private chambers of one of the co-rulers of their world.

"Ok now when exactly we're we supposed to wake her up, I mean you can't pull something this big first thing out of bed.", Rainbow Dash asked to nopony in particular, hoping that Twilight already knew the procedure.

"I can't believe both of them talked us into doing this. Something like this hasn't even been attempted in eons.", Rarity quipped, still incredulous to the whole idea but hey, if the Princesses put her up to it must be for a damn good reason.

"Wow I just hope there is gonna be a REALLY big spread after this, I mean, if we're pulling magic that hasn't been done in how many centuries then we are gonna be really tired so we are gonna need a looooooot of sweets to perk us right back up when we're done right?", said Pinkie Pie, trying to be as quiet as she could manage.

"I just hope what we are doing won't hurt anyone or anything, it would be really awful if the whole world just cracked or something." said Fluttershy, voice perfectly suited for talking while a demigod was slumbering next to her.

"Shoot, I might be a bit of firecracker but I have to agree with Flutter, something this big could crack up the world even more fierce than Discord could have...", Applejack said

"Ok, on that point I don't even think it's possible to do something greater than a full-blown reality warper. But it does seem like we're attempting something someone of his caliber could pull off. And Rainbow Dash, considering it's 2:30 PM, and we have to have this ready to go by 5:30 PM, let's see though..." Twilight Sparkle said as she levitated a scroll out of her saddle bag, "... hrm, it seems here we have to have her awake by 2:45 PM, which is kinda early for her but this is a very unusual case." she concluded.

"Ok so who is gonna do the deed? I mean I don't want her going all Canterlot Voice on me, it's like a megaphone with built in wind machine.", Rainbow Dash asked somewhat sheepishly, feeling the Royal Canterlot Voice in action some months before.

All six of the Ponies looked back at the purple Dragon with built in fax machine, Spike.

"Oh no, ohhh no. You are not asking me to try and wake up the co-ruler and pony that could throw me halfway back to Ponyville half asleep.", Spike said, backing up towards the door, looking for some kind escape route.

Just then the chamber door flew open, not all the way to slam against the back walls, but enough to launch Spike in a nice little arc directly onto the middle of the back of the now formerly sound asleep Night Princess.

"Should we try and bar the windows so we aren't having to follow a purple contrail halfway back to Ponyville?", Applejack asked with all earnestness.

Rarity and Twilight quickly grabbed cushions or anything via telekinesis that could keep Spike from being launched out of the room at near-escape velocity.

"JUST WHAT IN THE BLUE AND BLACK COSMOS IS GOING ON IN HERE AND WHO WOKE ME UP BEFORE MY APPOINTED TIME!", Luna yelled at about half-strength Royal Canterlot Voice. This was enough, though, to blow everypony's mane back and practically straight. Spike, for his troubles, was only launched as far the canopy of Luna's bed, his head easily piercing it.

"Still a bit sour when you are awakened even a bit early, I see. Glad to see some things are still the same." Celestia said, finally reaching the chamber of her sister.

Luna was beginning to regain her calm and regal demeanor, "Hrmph, well if someone could have kept their assistant in check then maybe we wouldn't have been roused 12 minutes early. We do not appreciate being a landing pad for a draconic projectile."

"Speaking of which, can I have some space to get myself down? I really would like to get out of his canopy without hitting you again.", Spike said, trying to be as polite as one can be sticking head first outside of their princess's bed canopy.

"We apologize for the rude remarks, we are a tad bit 'disoriented' and 'grumpy' as it were when first being roused.", Luna remarked apologetically, while levitating Spike down out of her canopy and aside Twilight, still frozen in place, mane still at a 90 degree angle to her neck. In fact all 6 of the 'normal' ponies seemed stunned in to total silence after being at Ground Zero for a Royal Canterlot Burst.

"Woah, that was... woah...", Pinkie Pie barely managed to get out, her voice almost at Fluttershy's normal decibel level.

"I must say, that would come in handy when trying to address a crowd of several thousand at a time...", Rarity remarked, as everyone's mane was more or less starting to poof back into place.

"That'd definitely clear every tree in Sweet Apple Acres. Only take a few minutes to do it too.", Applejack said, trademark hat embedded in one of Luna's indigo walls.

"I've been in downbursts less strong than that, same ones that can blow a hole through most roofs if we don't aim 'em right.", Rainbow Dash quipped trying to hide her absolute awe of the spectacle.

Fluttershy was mostly still and silent, at least her moving mane back into place, wondering how anyone could generate that decibel level without ripping their vocal cords clean out.

"I must say, the Royal Canterlot Voice is something else, heh heh heh.", Twilight Sparkle said, trying desperately to make light of the situation.

Spike was just happy he wasn't head first through fabric or being unceremoniously air-mailed back to the Ponyville Library.

--- [3:15 PM CNT Time] ---

After the eventful rousing of Luna and making sure Fluttershy was still capable of speaking in complete sentences (both of which were successfully confirmed), all nine of them walked through the many, many hallways and catacombs of Canterlot Castle. All of six of the Bearers were taking mental notes as best they could, trying to figure out when would be the best time to get a full tour from top to bottom. Spike was just wondering if there was going to be a post-whatever dinner. Canterlot Castle was built after the Nightmare Moon incident, when the castle at what is now the Everfree Forest was basically leveled to the ground. So many rooms had been built by Celestia, trying to take the place of her Sister as head magical scholar and teacher; but she could not keep up the strain of running a nation and a university at the same time. So many of those same rooms fell into disrepair, acting as monuments to the 1000 years of solitary rule by Celestia, and an incredibly depressing and lonely monument at that.

Luna then spoke up to everyone present, "As we have explained to you all before today, several months ago, we noticed a severe anomaly in the mana flow of this world. When we investigated further, we came into contact with an entire cosmos that is both like and unlike ours. We then realized that there are four specific days of that it would be the easiest to probe this world for information and observe things. These line up with our Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes, and our Summer and Winter Solstices."

Fluttershy, finally able to actually talk after a good half hour, asked "So, even though we've only found the planet a few months ago, why are rushing to try and make contact with it, wouldn't it be better to wait until we can formulate something more... sound?"

Luna answered with all honesty but trying to retain tact, "To be perfectly honest Bearer of Kindness, we do not know how much time we have until their kind reaches the Point of No Return. We cannot even be sure they haven't already passed it."

Rainbow Dash then spoke up, "Okay so let's get this straight. We just found a planet, that is in a whole other universe, but close enough to ours to reach, and we don't even know if the things we'd be trying to reach will be there to be reached?"

Celestia took that question, "Rainbow Dash, this may come as a shock to you and the rest of the Element Bearers... but the artifacts that have given you the power to fight Nightmare Moon and Discord are the very proof that this was at one point very much possible."

The Six Element Bearers and Dragon stopped dead in their tracks. None of them, not even Twilight Sparkle, the most studious pony any of them knew, had absolutely zero clue that the Elements of Harmony had that magnitude of power.

Rarity being the clever girl she was, started to put two and two together. "Wait... you said before that all 8 of us were needed yes?"

Celestia affirmed her statement.

"Then this has something to do with the Elements themselves, do they not?" Rarity then continued the questioning, everyone having resumed walking before.

Luna affirmed her statement.

Rarity, trying to put the pieces together, suddenly begin a train of insight "Oh my... I think I have the answer. What if the Six Elements were part of some greater entity..."

Fluttershy, starting to catch on to this train of thought continued "Well, it seems like when we use them, they all get funneled into a great burst..."

Rainbow Dash continued "Ok I get ya, I know when we use them, I feel  like we're are performing 1000 Sonic Rainbooms at once, at least..."

Applejack then picked up "Yeah, even though we're at the middle of the flash, I can still see the rainbow colors around the edges and..."

Pinkie Pie quipped up "Ohh Ohh it's like a REALLY REALLY Big and Pure Light, like the most purest pure light that you could ever get and..."

Twilight Sparkle finished the statement, "Princess Celestia? Princess Luna? I believe what we are trying to say is, that, well... we think that the Elements of Harmony were part of some ancient thing of incalculable power and force."

Luna, realizing that Twilight and her friends have stumbled onto the ancient secret through mere deduction, decided to start the true briefing on the plan a little early, or she would had Celestia not already teleported them to the chamber they were walking to.

"Sister, I thought we were not to use any Magic at all until the operation started..." Luna tersely said to her sister.

Celestia simply answered, "I'm fairly sure moving us 200 lengths down the hall wont deplete my mana reserve terribly."

"Wait, why would use a teleport just to move us... what in the world?", Twilight said before being simply dumbstruck by the sight before her and the others.

They all stood before a truly massive door, a door with what looked like a very faded rainbow connecting two orbs together etched into and then and painted onto it.

"Fillies and Gentledragon, what you are about to see has not been seen by any mortal eye in nearly the entire history of Equestria as a nation." Celestia said as she motioned Luna other side of the door.

The two Winged-Unicorns began to charge their magic through a pair of locks on the sides of the door. Soon the entire door began to glow, and was slowly being pulled apart, gears on the inside making it like a giant split sliding door.

What the seven others saw inside truly inspired a sense of awe beyond description.