Chapter 19: Floodgate

=== The Conversion Bureau: A New Age, A New Life====== Chapter 19: Floodgate ===

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[ Equestria, March 10, ??? + 1 ]

        It was early morning moving day for the Conduits of Terra and the Bearers of Harmony again. Everyone was busy making arrangements and saying their goodbyes as they prepared to return to Earth.

"Man, it must be hard for Applejack and Rarity. They have siblings and family that they really can't be here for all the time," Midori Hana thought out loud as she was helping Golden Storm sort everything out for 'cold' storage.

"Yeah, but I think Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are getting used to the idea. They know their sisters are Bearers of Harmony, so they have as much to do with helping the Earth sort out what we're about to do as the Princesses," Blue Vague responded. He and Blaze were checking all of the magical implements to make sure none of them had any residual magic that could build up and cause problems for the maintenance Ponies that'd keep the Greystone Conductor in good condition however long they might be gone.

        An hour or so later, the four Conduits were walking to the Ponyville Newfoal Reception Center with a cart full of their belongings. They eventually found Applejack and the others doing the same, and marveled a bit at how the orange mare had plenty of strength to spare pulling the Bearer's cart.

"Well... judging by that cart full of personal affects, I guess we're all ready to head back Earthside," Blue Vague said, as he hailed the six Elements of Harmony.

"Yeah, thankfully Rarity doesn't have to bring her machines with her this time. Dr. Jun said there should be some equipment for her when we all got settled back into the dorms on Earth," Applejack remarked, assuring the Conduits the burden was nowhere near enough to give her trouble.

All of the Elements of Harmony packed lighter than they did when they left for Earth the first time. The Princesses had helped Twilight to format her important books into a format she could access with help her Explicit Magic, and the others really not needing to bring much besides a few belongings.

Red Blaze looked curiously at the orange and white mares. "So, Rarity and Applejack, how are your families taking you leaving back for Earth again?"

Rarity answered with a bit of a sigh before she started. "Well, of course both Sweetie Belle and all of Applejack's family were sad to hear the news. But, truth be told, they were quite understanding."

"Yeah, the Princesses helped quite a bit with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. I just hope that we can help with Earth enough to where we can bring them with us from time to time," Applejack added.

Blue Vague thought a bit of his conversation with Big Macintosh during the Hearth's Warming Eve party when he talked about the same thing.  Yeah, I hope so too Applejack...

A few minutes later, they were all at the Ponyville Newfoal Reception Center.

        Pinkie Pie was somewhat bemused by how 'empty' the place looked, despite all the Converts and Natives that had to have been through there just this day. "Wow, you can tell this place was busier earlier, but I guess when the Princesses say 'Clear out', well, you better clear out."

Everyone just nodded in sage agreement.

Shortly afterward, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna manifested in the Transportation hall where the ten Ponies and Spike were waiting.

"So, it looks like everyone is ready to go then?" Celestia asked, everyone a bit taken aback by her brevity.

Twilight Sparkle looked around for anyone to object, and found nothing. "Um... yeah, it looks like we all are."

"The Isegawas are ready on their end as well, they report we can depart at any time," Luna reported to her sister, a bit eager herself to start focusing on the larger issues of Earth again, and report her preliminary findings regarding Terran Magic to the HEA and their government allies.

All of that said, the carts were lined up before the Gate, and sent ahead of the thirteen of them. A few moments later, said thirteen beings followed the Conduits and Bearers belongings as they all crossed back over to the Conduit's home-world.

I can feel the Conduits of my Power returning to my space. They must hurry and execute the unsealing, the dam shall soon break and flood the world with uncontrollable magic... The Robed Figured thought out loud, as she sat looking at the once-ornate seal, now degraded to the point where it appeared ready to completely disintegrate at any moment.

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[ Earth, March 10, 2081 ]

        A few moments later, they stepped off the platform of the Gate in the Isegawa Lab's Transport Room, the feeling of the tile on their hooves surprisingly not lost to the four Conduits of Terra. The Gate closed quickly behind the 13 travelers and their carts, and the thaumatic sinks absorbed the background radiation.

"Wow, we've been gone for four months, and things still feel close to how they did when we left. Probably not the same top-side, but at least there is this bit of familiarity," Vague said has he set foot on Earth for the first time since November.

"Yeah, for one thing I can feel how much the air has to be purified. Obviously having well developed Equestrian Magic gives you a sense for your environment," Golden Storm added, fluttering around looking for machines he didn't notice or couldn't see.

Red Blaze quickly noticed her stallion-friend's overwrought curiosity. "You know I don't think the Isegawa's would appreciate you looking for hidden cameras or what have you. But still, it feels good to be back here. I wish it were under better circumstances, but home is home, you know?"

Midori Hana just looked nervously at a panel under the observation area to the Transport Room. As soon as she saw the green light go off, she bolted towards its door. Everyone was initially surprised at this sudden action, but quickly figured out the source of the sudden action.

"Tou-chan... Kaa-chan... it's been so long. Even though it was only four months it was still a long time..." Midori Hana said as she engaged her parents a warm embrace; both Doctors Isegawa kneeling on the floor to account for the size difference. Even the Princesses were moved by the sight, always appreciating an open display of parental affection.

        A short while later, everyone was in the common area of the dormitories behind the Isegawa Labs. The Conduits were re-familiarizing themselves with the technology they left behind those four months ago, while Dr. Jun explained the new sewing machines that she had commissioned for Rarity's use while on Earth.

"We had some of the Unicorn volunteers at the various centers help with the machine construction, making sure the electronics didn't falter under the influence of a Unicorn's magic. For the most part, we were able to get around it by keeping the design simple and the circuitry to a minimum," Dr. Jun explained as she took out an instruction booklet.

Rarity took the instruction booklet, words printed in both English and Equestrian, and began to glance through it. "Yes, I can get a sense of this machine from what you have printed here. It should be more than adequate for my purposes, although I wonder just how much time I will have to work on my designs given the state of things here."

Dr. Jun sighed at the notion. "Yes, I understand. The situation here on Earth is growing more tense by the moment. For the most part, the Ponies are uninvolved in our 'internal' debates to this point, but I fear the future."

Rarity looked at Dr. Jun's eyes with grave concern. She knew that look from Midori Hana, when she began running the scenarios in her head trying to divine insight. Dr. Jun, however, had the advantage of being twice as old as her daughter (at least).

        Eventually everyone made their way into the recreational room, but there was no recreation to be had at this time. The ten Bearers and Conduits sat on the carpeted floor; as did Spike, figuring that Dr. Hayato wouldn't have forgotten his presence. The Princesses and the Doctors Isegawa sat across from the eleven younger beings. None of the said eleven noticed a rather unremarkable silver van pull up on side of the Dormitory; however, the Princesses knew exactly what was about to happen.

Celestia stood up to begin speaking. "I wanted to start this meeting by explaining to the Bearers and Conduits why I did not make any extended remarks before we returned here to Earth. The situation here on Earth is nearing, as far as we can tell, a boiling-over point. Though, I feel that our guest for this afternoon will be able to speak to that point with greater clarity than can I."

The doors to the Dormitory then opened, and a middle aged man with partially gray hair strolled through, flanked by a female secretary that was 15 years his junior. He took a good look around the dormitories, and especially at the ten rooms all adorned with placards of some kind of symbol. "It never ceases to amaze me just how fast Equestrians can adjust to what are typically setups made only for humans."

"Good Afternoon Mr. Edwards, punctual as always I see." Luna said, speaking loud enough for Richard and his secretary Candice to hear.

Richard turned around walked to the recreational room, motioning for Candice to do the same. "Ah yes, Dear Princess Luna. It's been quite some time since we've spoken, but I can sense this isn't the time for idle chatter."

Blue Vague noticed from his mannerisms and dress that he was not an Outsider, although he didn't seem to be as disjointed outsides of the Domes as a typical resident of them.

"Alright then. Now if I remember correctly, this was to be a bit of a preview of a larger discussion the fifteen or sixteen of us were supposed to have with some other important people in roughly a week's time, yes?" Richard began by asking of the Princesses.

"Yes Mr. Edwards, we need to get the ten of them caught up on what has been going on Earth in the last four months since the re-election of President Aguillar and the drastic weakening of the ruling parties in the American legislature," Celestia answered, taking special note of the concern Blue Vague had in his face.

Spike faked a cough to bring attention to himself, which Celestia quickly responded to. "I'm sorry, the eleven of them..."

Despite the brief interruption, Richard Edwards then went into his explanation. "Well, let's start with a brief introduction of who I am. My name is Richard Edwards, Onwer and CEO of Edwards Robotic and Nanotech Fabrications, where our motto is 'We build it bigger, better, and cheaper than anyone out there'. This lovely lady here is my personal secretary Candice. As well as being the owner of one of the largest businesses on Earth, I am also on the committee of the central and founding chapter of the Human-Equestrian Alliance."

The four Conduits of Terra, Blue Vague especially, looked at each other in confusion.

Richard continued. "Now I can see by the look of the four more richly colored, no offense, Ponies in our small audience, that you four are confused as to why I'd concern myself with the Equestrian Princesses at all. Truth be told, I've wondered that myself as well. But then I began to see the literal magic they all worked, but it wasn't just the reactions of those I watched undergoing Ponification. You see, much like the Doctors Isegawa here, especially Dr. Hayato, I'm deeply interested in what the full extent of Equestrian Magic is. Now you might be thinking, 'Well he is obviously just looking for another product to push.'; well, frankly you'd be wrong in that regard.

"I want you to think of just how much in terms of capital and property I own, being the owner and CEO of one of the largest nanotech firms on Earth. Quite frankly, especially given how I was raised, I have more money than I honestly know what to do with. To wit, I'm interested in Equestrian Magic, and as the Princesses have so delightfully informed me, the potential of Terran Magic, in far more basic terms. I don't believe I need to tell you all this, but this world is heading down a path it, in all likelihood, cannot retreat from. I want to know just to what extent Equestrian and Terran magic can be used to chart a new way forward.

"While I generally make some time to speak to the Converts in the New York City Bureau, I am more interested in the actual mechanics and ambiance of that place. To go there, especially after it has been running for nearly half a year now, is to just be in a place that feels more open and alive. I then compare that to the Manhattan Domes that is my primary residence. The atmosphere there is stifling, almost as if the people there live in a pressure cooker. I've watched my wonderful city, New York City, be slowly hollowed out and degenerate. It has fallen from a place of cultural dynamism and integration during in the 20th and early 21st century, to this... cesspool of the idle rich.

"There is nothing but stagnation of the mind in that place; too many people just stuck where they are, busy flitting about to this or that or whatever the hell. The lower-tier managers and few skilled workers that can afford to live there might eat and drink well; but their minds are paralyzed by this constant fealty to the upper echelons, and the tandem fear of eviction should said members of that echelon feel they are no longer worthy to live in their presence."

Richard could feel Vague's eyes locked on his every movement and word, and decided to briefly address it before moving on to the current day. "I can see in the eyes of the blue Unicorn there, that he has a lot of questions he'd want to ask of me; but I'm afraid that will have to wait a while." Vague merely sighed, not wanting to cause any kind of scene, but still wanting to ask quite a number of questions of this philanthropist.

Richard then moved on from his auto-biography and philosophy to the current day's events. "So yeah, before I go completely off the rails here, I should speak about the current day. Well simply put, it feels as if everyone is sitting on top of a powder keg that is ready to explode at any given moment. The various 'trade' organizations in the Domes are completely incensed at the various reforms that Pres. Aguillar managed to pass through Congress with her slim majorities in both houses. I don't know if the reforms in and of themselves are enough to alter the political power structure, but at least she is making as much noise as she can before things really start to turn."

All eleven members of the audience were concerned with what that last phrase meant.

"Yes I can see your concern about what I mean by 'things really start to turn'. To elaborate, there have been lots of rumbling that the effectiveness of manipulating the political system as is will cease being so effective. As it stands now, the lower classes are effectively at the mercy of the Domed citizens due to their ownership of resources. What the various reform movements represent... what the still nascent Conversion movement represents... what Terran Magic, just in the examples you four have provided us so far, could represent... is the permanent shattering of the current order of things."

All eleven members of the audience were greatly surprised by that last statement, with the four Conduits, having grown up in that system, expressing utter shock.

"Ok, I realize that being a Pony means a lot of things, but I wouldn't think being a revolutionary would be one of them," Blue Vague said once his faculties came back to him.

"Honestly, you shouldn't be so surprised," Richard started. "Many humans attempt to preserve or improve their status in life. The actions of those in the Domes, my compatriots if you will, is simply the logical end of that desire. When something comes along that'd disrupt their pursuits or even cause them to move backwards, they will make every attempt within their power to eliminate that thing. That is where we are at, the Elite, as they want to call themselves, stand ready to openly resist the duly elected governments of the world, because they dare put little speed bumps in their path to whatever it is they want."

Blue Vague saw the anger in Richard Edwards's eyes, an anger borne out of frustration. To Vague, it seemed like Richard truly wanted what was best for everyone; and at this point, he didn't seem to care by what means that had to be accomplished.

He knows the system is broken and everything is coming to a head. I just hope the terms aren't as dire as he is painting them... Vague thought to himself as Richard and Candice excused themselves to return to the St. Louis Domes.

Princess Luna then rose to conclude that day's talks. "As you can see, Bearers of Harmony and Conduits of Terra, the situation on Earth, as far as we can tell, is reaching a fever pitch. I believe we will get more detailed explanations, once we talk to our allied world leaders. But for now, I want you all to contemplate the scope of the problem. We are not only fighting against a rapidly degrading environment overall; but also a political and social situation that none of us have any ability to predict. We must continue to move forward, but do so with the utmost care."

Celestia and Luna then vanished, returning back to Canterlot over the New Light Bridge.

Golden Storm sighed as he began to soak everything in. "I figured the HEA had some backing the Elite in the Domes. I just didn't think one of the most wealthy CEOs living would be on the board. Must make you feel strange Vague."

"Why would that make him feel strange necessarily?" Twilight asked, obviously ignorant of how Vague tended to feel in general.

Blue Vague let out a sigh. "I'll answer that myself. I still, to this day, have a lot of animosity towards the so-called Elite. Just in the few news stories I was able to pick up before this talk, and from Mr. Edwards's talk itself, I can tell most of them haven't changed a bit. Don't get me wrong, I think Edwards is legit when he helped us before, and when he says he wants to help going foward; but I don't know just how deep that commitment goes."

Twilight decided not to pursue the issue further, as Blue Vague looked out of a window at the far more dull grayish-blue sky of midday St. Louis in near-Spring.

Normally, I'd think this scene to be incredibly depressing. But I have a job to do now -- fix it. Do everything I can to fix this world and make it a place worth living... Blue Vague thought, as he looked out at the hazy sky.

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[ Earth, March 16, 2081 ]

        The clock ticked closer to high Noon St. Louis time, and the ten Bearers and Conduits were reasonably tense. All of them except Red Blaze, Midori Hana, and Blue Vague have had face time with the President before, but none of them had any kind of in-depth discussion of the issues, nor did any one of them have any of them mention just who exactly they were to the President. The Princesses and the Doctors Isegawa on the other hand, did not share the same level of outright tension, yet were still plenty concerned. They had no idea how the America, European Union, and Japanese leaders would all react to magic being loosed in their world. Spike, for his part, resolved to listen in on the conversation, but stay out of the limelight as best a violet-colored Dragon whelp could. With little more they could do to prepare, all fifteen of them walked into the meeting room where the Doctors Isegawa and Richard Edwards were already sitting.

        Everyone sat at the multi-tiered platforms in the meeting room. The strange arrangement was due to it being a teleconference and everyone had to be viewable. On the video wall they could see that there were three other groups participating in this meeting - the American President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and Secretary of the Interior as well as the relative counterparts for the European Union and Japan.

Princess Celestia called the meeting to order, "Ladies and gentlemen, I call this meeting to order. I would like to first formally introduce everyone to the attendees meeting from our side of this gathering. My sister Princess Luna, Co-Ruler of Equestria and Avatar of the Moon. The Doctors Hayato and Jun Isegawa, both premier scientists in the fields of genetics and nanotechnology, the proprietors of this facility. As well as Richard Edwards, Owner and CEO of Edwards Robotic and Nanotech Fabrications and head of the central committee of the Human-Equestrian Alliance. Along the lower tier of seats, the ten Ponies below you are our direct subordinates. I will allow them to introduce themselves to you all."

Everyone choked up a bit having to introduce themselves before these extraordinarily important people, but then they quickly realized these were extra ordinary circumstances.

"Ahem, my name is Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia's student and Bearer of the Element of Harmony."

"Rarity, Bearer of the Element of Generosity."

"Rainbow Dash, Bearer of the Element of Loyalty."

"Fluttershy, Bearer of the Element of Kindness."

"Applejack, Bearer of the Element of Honesty."

"Pinkamena Diane 'Pinkie' Pie, Bearer of the Element of Laughter."

"Golden Storm, a.k.a Ethan Hartford, Conduit of the Terran Element of Wind."

"Red Blaze, a.k.a. Natasha Ivankia, Conduit of the Terran Element of Fire."

"Midori Hana, a.k.a. Kyoko Isegawa, Conduit of the Terran Element of Earth."

"Blue Vague, a.k.a. Andre Bowman, Conduit of the Terran Element of Water."

The last four names got every human there except the Doctors Isegawa to chattering.

So four of them were Converts obviously, and judging by their titles, they are going to be absolutely essential to plans going forward... Richard thought to himself as he mulled over the revelations.

The dignitaries and political officials all introduced themselves as well, and the meeting was underway in earnest.

Luna then began to speak, "We come before you all because we have encountered a grave problem regarding the flow of magic emanating from your world."

EU Council President Koenig was concerned about this from the few Ponies he had already talked to regarding the matter in the weeks leading up to this meeting. "Excuse me, Princess Luna. You speak of this world having a magical flow. From our understanding, this world is devoid of magic, save for the magic your Ponies contain, is it not?"

Luna responded, "Yes. In fact, that is exactly the nature of the problem. It was our belief was well that this world was more or less devoid of magic. But our researchers scanned the signatures and assured us this flow is not of Equestrian origin. Events from the last several weeks in Equestria involving four Ponies you see to your far right, I believe from your camera view, has more or less cemented this idea."

Japanese Prime Minister Hayashi then asked, "I believe I understand what you all are hinting at. The titles those four have been given I believe relates to the problem President Koenig describes."

Luna then responded, "Indeed. Our theories, as of right now, posit that this world once had its own particular brand of Magic, which we have dubbed Terran Magic for the time being. Yet, due to some unknown event in this planet's history, that magic was sealed."

President Aguillar then began to speak. "Yet, judging by the reports of random incidences and appearances of monsters and unexplainable events, you figure whatever that 'seal' was no longer as effective as it once was?"

"In short, yes. To use a metaphor, it as if an ancient dam was erected to block the flow of mana, and therefore cutoff humanity from the usage of mana. There have been leaks here and there, which produce many of your persistent mythologies. However, like anything else, Time eventually claims all things, and this dam is no different. The fact there is a flow of Terran Magic outside of when the four Conduits before you explicitly use said magic, implies the dam is starting to fail."

The leaders all discussed that implication for a few moments before discussions continued.

Celestia continued on with Luna's metaphor. "In any case. Right now, the dam blocking magic is growing weaker and weaker by the hour. Due to the shielded nature of the upper-class's communication infrastructure, this will prevent breaks in most secure lines of communication; although we fear the networks for the more impoverished of your citizens will be left quite vulnerable. This will prove to be quite a problem if the dam were to break, as we fear it would cause a massive flood of mana and magic. Although Terran Mana's radiation, which our thaumatologists have termed thaumatic-τ(tau) in order to differentiate it from our magic, which we've termed thaumatic-ε(epsilon), would be perfectly safe for humans; the effects produced would in all likelihood be entirely random and uncontrolled. Combined with the lack of communication between the common citizenry, it could lead to widespread chaos and operational breakdowns. It would be as if every possible conceivable natural and supernatural disaster, short of large meteorite crashing into earth, were to strike... at the same time."

        No one there needed to be told twice of the immeasurable costs in terms of lives and damage that would cause to the Earth. The loss of communication would strain a society already on the brink. Demons fresh out the fevered imagination could rise, wild storms could rage, volcanoes could erupt; not to mention the earthquakes, tidal waves, floods, and strange poisonous plants growing everywhere. The survivors who realized what the Bureaus held would then flood them, posing a threat to small but significant Pony population in the immediate. Then the aftermath - people would then blame the Ponies most likely, since stuff like this wasn't happening before they got here, even though it might have started anyway. There would be riots against them, and then against each other. It the disasters didn't kill much of the human population, the resulting total breakdown of society would. By the time everything was said and done, there might not be an Earth or a human population to save.

EU Council President Koenig then spoke. "It would truly be a final cataclysm as predicted by many religions both current and past. I could only think that it would result in no less than the absolute collapse of society and possibly the human race itself. However I do not believe you would tell just us this if this was the only fate facing us." Koenig could see, even though the screen, the wheels were turning in the Princesses heads. They knew this problem was coming down the pike, and wanted to head it off ASAP.

President Aguillar then spoke, "If the problem is of this nature, then I would believe the best solution would be to open or construct, if you would, a magical floodgate that could release the mana in a way that would at least be controlled. I have no idea where it would be directed, since we talking something we most likely could not see until the effects were already underway."

The Princesses marveled at the human ingenuity. Even when faced with something they did not understand, they wanted to understand and control it, or at least restrain it enough for them to continue living.

If only they had more time... we wouldn't have to be doing what we are... the Princesses thought to themselves in Unison.

Prime Minister Hayashi then spoke, "Yes it does seem that our only option on such short notice maybe to let the mana flow into the world, but in such a way we can absorb the effects. This is something we have too little knowledge of, to say redirect it somewhere else entirely. I have my thoughts as to what this could mean going forward though."

        Twilight's interest was piqued by this statement, she had her own theories, and hoped that both this man she never really met and the Princesses were thinking along the same lines. "If I may speak, I've been contemplating this situation ever since I was notified of it. It is my theory that this world was supposed to have magic like ours, but something happened in the now distant past that barred it. Your science was developed in response to this; a yearning to reclaim what was taken from you, despite not knowing what that magic was or why it was even barred to begin with."

        The world leaders and especially Richard were impressed by this statement. Twilight was beginning to understand the obsessive drive of humanity to continually develop new and better. All the wonders of modern technology had been produced because someone out there had the imagination to conceive it, the will to want it. The problem the world faced though, was that will alone was not enough to make lives better, it required power as well. It required resources, and those resources were usually in the hands of those who didn't like sharing the fruits of labor with others. All that technology and development, especially now, was being wasted on a bunch of idiots who didn't know any better implementation of it than make their personal lives easier.

        Blue Vague's own thoughts came to the fore as well, "As a human turned Pony, I don't mean to simply blindly agree with what the native Ponies and Princesses have been saying. Yet my time in Equestria has only begun to confirm my suspicions once I Converted. There seems to be a gap in the most people's thought processes. As if life in this age forced one to close off certain areas of the mind, like there were many rooms in a house but certain ones were boarded up to prevent usage. Only a relative few can even recognize this and un-board the rooms, while most just had it painted over and pretended that door was a solid wall. I've talked with others besides my three friends who've Converted not long after myself. They all tell me the same thing, the combination of becoming a Pony and the time spent in Equestria seemed to un-board and unlock those doors. I'm sorry to have waxed philosophical all of a sudden, but I thought I should speak my peace."

        The Princesses were surprised by the sudden flash of insight. They could tell that the Humans turned Ponies did seem to become more open of mind. Old prejudices just became small and useless to them, old hatred became utterly pointless. They were realizing the fragments of their Will embedded into the conversion serum was having more of an effect than just red-flagging those who could potentially turn into problem Ponies. It was as if the process was allowing the humans that converted, to come to some kind of catharsis; a releasing of old negativity so they could walk into their new life unburdened.

        Richard decided to speak. "It sounds to me like this magic that has been dammed up is supposed to flow naturally through our world; and who knows, maybe through yours as well. I think the best course of action is to let it out slowly, and then let the chips fall where they may." He figured that anything wide-scale that'd need to be done to the Earth would need to be done, in part, using Earth-based Magic. The Princesses agreed, they knew that the current situation could not be solved by simply reinforcing the seal on Terran Magic.

President Aguillar still had her concerns though. "If the magic is released and becomes ambient in our world; while we might not have to fear mass radiation poisoning, eventually people will begin to tap into that power. We cannot know who would or when they'd do it. Eventually, if undesirable elements do, I am afraid that we might not be able to effectively combat them."

Princess Luna responded, "Unfortunately, We cannot offer any clear assurance that things will not get out of control. We can use the data we've gathered from our observations of the Conduits of Terra, combined with our Unicorn Corps direct assistance to find the best path forward. But, I'm afraid we will have to play this entire situation as it comes along."

Celestia made to conclude the meeting, feeling there was little left to discuss at the moment. "All we can assure you of, is that we will do all we can to ease this transition. Terran Magic was meant to be a part of this world, but not under these circumstances. We can tell this is something that can try the very fabric of your civilization due to its still unknown nature. However, we believe it must be done, for the alternative is far too dreadful to accept."

Everyone, Pony and Human alike were in concurrence. No one wanted to have to release this kind of power into the  hands of those that'd easily abuse it, but it was far better than letting it run wild, given the circumstances. It was with that sentiment that the meeting was adjourned.

As the video feed to the White House where the American, EU, and Japanese leaders were housed was cut, and the Bearers and the Conduits made their way back to the Dormitories to decompress,  Richard, the Doctors, and the Princesses decided to discuss some other matters amongst the five of them.

"Mr. Edwards, I would have expected one of my students to offer the suggestion first to let the magic flow controlled back into the Earth, not a human who had little previous knowledge of this matter," Luna said, intrigued by why this human would think to offer a solution that could easily result his total loss if things went badly.

Richard searched about in his mind for a response, he like a lot of people who just didn't blow off the Ponies as angels or demons, was intrigued by their magic. The thought that humans were sitting on top of their own magic generator was too much to ignore. "Quite frankly Princess Luna, it's just natural human curiosity. Also, I know firsthand the state of the world. It will take a power of this world to fix it. I do not pretend to know the exact means, but just call it intuition, more or less."

Luna thought about things for a few moments, and could not figure a counter-argument. "Indeed, Mr. Edwards. We may also need your engineers help in various matters. I have something I'd like to discuss with you and Dr. Jun as a joint project once this business is taken care of. How does a Magic-powered computer-like device strike you."

Richard Edwards was a man of great business sense, but he can tell this was more than someone just coming up with a flash-in-the-pan idea for a new product to sell. He could sense that a combination of Magic and modern human technology-based computer would be absolutely essential once Magic began flowing into Earth. "Princess Luna, you are truly a scholar and an inventive soul. I would be honored to work on this joint project."

Dr. Jun also recognized the same potential. "I too would be honored. I figure that in order to properly study and catalogue both types of Magic now, we will need a fairly robust analysis tool."

Luna smirked, she loved the inventiveness of humanity. They were scholars as much as they were warriors, and she loved to learn new methodologies as much as she loved to teach the ones she already knew. "Well then. Richard Edwards, Dr. Jun Isegawa, I believe this will be the start of yet another grand partnership."

The businessman-turned-philanthropist, Princess-turned-inventor, and Nanotechnician-still-nanotechnican went on for a while, bouncing some early forms of ideas off each other. Celestia and Dr. Hayato listened in, knowing full well that what Luna was planning was absolutely critical to ushering in the coming New Age for all involved.

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[ Earth, March 19, 2081 ]

        It was the day of the March Equinox, Vernal for those in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumnal for whoever was left living in the Southern. Despite what the calendar said, the weather seemed not to care for the most part. If the calendar didn't say 'winter', then it was hot.  The four Conduits were pacing around the 'backyard' to the Isegawa's Laboratories, while Twilight constructed a Magical Array to help them try and communicate with the Robed Figure. They knew the Power they were about to potentially loose upon the world was one the world was not ready for, and probably would never be truly ready for. Yet, if they did not complete this task, that force was going to let itself loose, and not in a way pleasant for anyone.

        The base idea of the Array was simple: contact the Voice, get to wherever the seal was, undo the steal however they were told to do it, and come back. The six Elements of Harmony were to go with them to provide moral support at the very least, figuring what they were about to do could be very taxing on the mind. Twilight also had a very personal reason to go. She wanted to know why she has been constantly nagged by the thought that Equestrian Magic was somehow incomplete. Everything she read to that point, everything she was taught by the usual professors at the School for Gifted Unicorns all said the same thing - Equestrian Magic, especially Unicorn Explicit Magic, perfectly exemplified the concept of Will. The idea that if something was to be done, you had to direct things in that manner.

         The Earth Ponies willed the earth to produce the necessary plants and minerals for their society to thrive. The Pegasi willed the skies to produce the desired weather. The Unicorns willed the flow of Equestrian Mana in order to produce whatever desired other effect they could manage. Equestrian Magic, as a whole, seemed like it did everything they could want it to do; yet, it felt incomplete nonetheless. When she watched the performance that earned her four new friends their Cutie Marks, even though they were still learning in both realms of magic, it just seemed complete. She could remember the final display still - those four great beasts each manifested from nothing except a concentration of raw magical energy; leaving behind the magical skywriting in both Equestrian and English script when said beasts disappeared.

        The setup was now complete, and the 10 Bearers and Conduits stood in the Magical Array. The theory of contact was simple, the four Conduits were to simply activate their elements and try and call out to the Voice to ask them where they were to go to unseal the Magic and then if they could bring the Six Equestrian Bearers with them. The appointed hour came, all Six of the Equestrian Bearers charge the magical array, and the Four Terran Ponies began to hum and glow as they activated their Elements.

Blue Vague called out, "Mysterious Voice, we have heeded your calls and warnings. We believe ourselves to be prepared to carry out your request to unseal the Magic of this planet. However, we do not know the location of the Seal. We ask of you to show us the path to the Seal, and allow our new friends and the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony to accompany us in this task."

Things were silent for a few moments, then a voice responded to the ten Ponies arranged there. Conduits of the Elements of Terra. Bearers of the Elements of Harmony from the Other World. I have heard the request of the Conduit of Water. His request is granted and full, and you shall soon see the portal to the Realm of the Seal before you.

Soon all ten saw the Portal open up in the center of the array. All ten of them could feel the magic now supporting the array, finding it strange that it wasn't just the Unicorns that could sense it. They all had some trepidation before entering, not knowing what the Robed Figure had in store for them once they crossed over. Eventually, Pinkie Pie, figuring they went through all this trouble already, simply got up and walked through the Portal. Soon Midori Hana followed her, and then Blue Vague, and then everyone else one by one. The Princesses knew of the plan but were not present, yet still wished them all good tidings. They knew that should the Conduits of Terra be successful, both worlds would be changed forever.

        After travelling seemingly an infinity in an instant, all ten Ponies arrived at the destined place. It was a subspace not unlike the room that held the once endpoint of the Rainbow of Light in Equestria. However, while that room was a relative paradise, this everything but. It was a cave stretching into infinity; the floor was clean but rough looking, as if it was once polished stone left to grow rough and unkempt. As they walked and along the path the cave formed, until they came to a truly massive space. They saw five shrines, four relatively 'normal' sized for a human, none more than 8 ft tall; and one relatively huge, perfectly square-based step pyramid, each side 100 ft long, and the pyramid itself another 50 ft. tall. As they trotted around the pyramid, they noticed how the stone was just as old and unkempt looking, like sandstone worn down by millennia of weather. each side of the square-pyramid had steps, and all of them terminated near the base of the four ground-level shrines.

        The ten of them then walked around the shrine to each of the Terran Elements, with the Conduit of said element almost compulsively drawn to each of them. The stone face of each shrine was apparently once painted in their respective colors, but that paint was all chipped away or faded. There were also slots for gemstones, but most were empty, the gems having broken away long ago. The Shrine of Water had a fountain, but spray was pathetically weak, and the pool formed by said fountain had water that was fetid and entirely undrinkable.

This is just sad... it's like no one has cleaned this thing in forever...

The Shrine of Earth had a crumbling stone, with greenish-brown vines all over. The stone looked like it could crumble to sand at any minute, and the mostly brown vines were apparently nearly dead, if not dead already.

Why has this never been changed... these vines are pretty much dead, and this stone is the rock-equivalent of near-death as well...

The Shrine of Wind looked more like someone had sprung a leak in a gas mane, they could even see the discoloration in the weakly whirling ball of air.

*cough* This is just brutal, even the Shrine of Wind itself looks like a gas mane with a hole in it...

The Shrine of Fire burned, but it burned weakly, and the fire was dim and barely gave off any heat at all.

It's an insult to fire itself to say that this is the Shrine of Fire...

        Everyone began to walk up the steps, eventually coming to rest at the built up top of the step-pyramid. They then saw the formerly ornate Seal of Terran Mana, now more resembling a giant stone cork. Said stone cork was visibly crumbling, and everypony could feel the roiling mana underneath just waiting to get out.

"So you have come, Conduits of the Elements of Terra, and Bearers of the Elements of Harmony from the Other World..."

All ten could hear the voice out loud now; whatever was speaking to them was here. They scanned the walls and ceiling of the caves, trying to see what was actually speaking to them. Rarity turned around and spotted what looked like a throne or some such, but what she saw in full shocked her sense of aesthetics to the core.

"Oh my goodness, how utterly dreadful!" Rarity yelped, her voice giving away the sudden shock she felt at what sat before them all.

The other nine Ponies soon shared Rarity's shock as they all found the 'robed' figure. Said figure was a titanic being, easily over 100 ft tall; although, sitting at quite a distance as to not tower over them. The figure seemed feminine, and incredibly ancient. Her hair was white and unkempt, her skin ashen gray and incredibly wrinkled. Her robes were tattered, all the colors that represented the Four Elements were terribly faded, almost gray in their own right. But what most shocked everypony was her face. Her eyes were pale and somewhat glossed over, and her countenance was that of one who seemed like she has been in grief for an incredibly long time. There was such an incredible, oppressive sense of forlorn and sadness in her, that it made every single of them there shake in nervousness.

The ashen figure then began to speak. "I am truly sorry anyone from this, or another world has to see me in this condition, but it truly cannot be helped. I am but a representation of the state of the World itself, after all."

        Blue Vague was still dumbfounded by what he saw, his mind struggling to make sense of the condition of the shrine and the figure sitting before him, looking all the world like someone resigned to a slow, terrible death.

I can feel that power within myself, can't I? So why is everything around here so weak, so feeble... It's as if everything around me is dying and decaying; this whole pace just reeks of death. This has to be some kind test right, just some kid of ruse... right? No... this is the truth, the real condition of everything... I remember my trips to the Gulf, looking out at that once beautiful and blue ocean; now dark, poisoned, and nearly lifeless. It's dying... my element is dying... and this world with it...

Midori Hana felt the pain this entity was feeling. Pain not only of the current condition of her planet, but what had to have been happening all of these millennia to lead to this.

I can feel her hurting, hurting so much. Like she's been in pain for a time longer than any society has existed. I can feel that pain as I feel the earth growing more and more fallow, the plants struggling and failing to grow anywhere except inside the Domes. Even then, they are starting to struggle now. Soon this world won't be able to support any kind of life except for what can live off what the machines produce... if those machines even exist going forward...

Golden Storm saw the anguish in her face and heard it in her voice. It was making him sick to his stomach, much like the air outside on a bad day outside of the Domes.

This is, this is just horrible. She looks like a mother that is or has lost everything. Now I can see why... the air itself feels like poison outside. I've only been gone for four months, but I must have been used to it growing up. Who knows what it was doing to my body. All of those people have to live in that air, and the weather is going more and more wild too. It's either slowly choke to death on that poison, or get wrecked by a sudden storm. Humanity can't survive like that, it just can't...

Red Blaze could see why this great being would be forlorn, the Fire of Life was flickering now, while the dark flames of death were beginning to blaze out of control.

Those flames are so weak, like everyone's will to continue. Meanwhile the black flames are growing stronger. The flames of destruction, the flames of death, the flames of war.... If this continues, that bright flame of life is going to go out completely, and this world is going to be consumed by those black flames. I got to stop it... I can't see this world destroyed when we just started to figure this Power out...

The Will to continue on was fading in the world. Like a person that had been mortally wounded and was bleeding, it was running out of the strength to call for help, only to collapse and eventually succumb entirely to their wound.

        All Six of the Equestrian Bearers could see the lack of Harmony in her face, friendships broken, laughter ringing hollow, generosity replaced by greed, the lies wearing her mind down, the kindness being replaced with a cruelty or apathy, and loyalty broken like it was nothing. This figure wasn't like Discord, a being that seemed to be the living antithesis of the Elements of Harmony. She was like a Pony who was 'touched' by Discord's antics, and then left to suffer year after year, decade after decade.

        She raised herself from her seated position to stand, the pain obvious in her motions. She coughed briefly, and then began to speak, "I am the Will of this Planet, the Will of Earth itself. I am the guardian of the source of all Magic of this planet, upon which you all stand. Before you commence the Ceremony Of Unsealing, I permit you let me speak my story, it may answer questions you all have about why I have contacted you the way I did, and why I put you, four Conduits of the Elements of Terra through the trials that I have so far."

All ten Ponies sat on the cushions she conjured up. It was like a group of children sitting before one's grandmother, ready to hear a nice story of that woman's youth, or some fairy tale out of a book. This tale however, was of a great tragedy that befell the two worlds, hopefully the ending of which was still to be written.

        The ancient figure continued to speak when she made her audience as comfortable as she could manage. "Good, then I shall begin. Long ago, magic flourished in this world, and it was relatively at peace. In ancient times, a hundred millennia or so ago I believe, the Other World and this one were linked by a bridge made of the most pure and glorious magic ever seen. It would allow the Children of this World to cross-over and mingle with the Children of the Other World and return. This period saw the great civilizations across the world, civilizations that all practiced various forms of Magic, and technologies that could implement said magic when direct invocation was unnecessary. It was a glorious time, the Ancient Ponies of the Other World would show my children how to will one's environment to suit our people's needs; and the Ancient Humans of this world would show their children how to invoke the power necessary to shape things as one saw fit.

        "Power and Will, Will and Power, these things exist in tandem. Each aspect by itself only results in incomplete Magic. Without Power, Will becomes idle hope and a struggle to make even the most basic of changes in one's environment. Without Will, Power becomes mindless aggression, even the most basic of changes can easily run wild and cause widespread destruction. The Ancient Ponies and Humans, although powerful, were not omniscient, nor were they immune to the same negative impulses that plague all sentient beings. Eventually the Ponies began to believe that pure will would beget any change they needed. If they hoped hard enough, then whatever they wanted to have happen would happen. The Humans believed if they applied enough Power, any problem that needed solving would be solved. Eventually this led to a falling out. The Humans continued to use the weather control abilities taught to them by the Ponies, but these abilities became warped. They applied too much Power, and a massive strain was being generated in the flow of mana. The Ponies, seeing Humanity as foolish for following the Path of Power instead of the Path of Will, continued to isolate themselves on the other side of the bridge. The relationship, that beautiful relationship between the two worlds, had now grown cold, so very, very cold.

        "I could no longer communicate with the Will of Equestria, my once great friend was slowly becoming a memory. The Ancient Ponies had effectively closed themselves off to most human contact by then, believing them all fools. The Ancient Humans did not see this as a problem, though; if the Ponies did not want interact with them, they would not force them to. They figured that the Ponies would surely see the error of their ways and reopen dialogue with them. And so the great twin civilizations grew separate. Eventually, a grave calamity befall the Ancient Civilizations.

        "I can still remember their names: Egypt, Atlantis, Mu, Inca, Maya... there were so many, so many people, and I could not help them. Why you ask? The Ancient Humans had used so much Power, it began to leech freely into the Earth. Everything was thick with it, the buildings, the air, everything non-living was so heavy with mana. Then the Cataclysm came - the Bridge to the Other World had been shattered entirely. The astral shockwave this caused triggered a massive chain reaction on Earth. All of the ancient civilizations began suffering massive disasters due to the mana reacting to the shockwave. Building and homes were exploding, fires consumed, storms raged, seas roiled, the ground quaked. Hellish beasts, straight out of the nightmares of my children began to rise. It was a disaster, and it was quickly becoming an apocalypse. There was nothing I could do at that point except draw out the un-reacted mana in the world back into this shrine and seal everything. This process took a long time, decades, and could not be stopped. Eventually after a century, the disasters calmed enough and the beasts faded from existence enough to where the Ancient Civilizations could think to rebuild. There was a problem though.

        "As far as Magic was concerned... I refused to help them, and it would take millennia before I could even begin to trust the Humans again with this power. But these civilizations did not have millennia. The lack of ability to control the weather and the loss of the written knowledge meant they were now at the mercy of the Glacial Period they lived through. Magic had artificially prevented the ice and winds from causing catastrophic failures of agriculture, but now the environment would have its way with them. They became nomadic, forever having to move and hunt and do anything to survive. There was no time for them to sit and think, for them to build up the knowledge base to contact me. Their induced ignorance and my anger at them forced humanity to develop differently."

        "I will not bore you reciting the full history of Mankind since then. But it was full of war, cruelty, attrition. However that is what it took to survive in this magic-less world. The world had become cutthroat after the Age of Ice, and mankind had become cutthroat to match it, as if said Age of Ice froze their hearts collectively. Eventually strictly magic-less technology allowed mankind to thrive, at least population wise. Yet I, it's collective soul, was starting to degrade. The longer humanity developed along this path, the more I degraded, and their ability to recognize and manipulate mana faded. Eventually mankind, save a few, simply lost its sense for magic entirely, yet they did not lose their desire to manipulate the forces behind the world. This is what begat the Sciences. Mankind still had an imagination for magic, but no ability to use it anymore, so it had to effectively create it for itself. This would have been fine, Humanity could have developed these sciences to the point where they would begin to re-discover magic, and by extension myself, on their own. However, the tools and ideas created by this science became warped in their purpose - fulfilling the greed and blood thirst a few in particular, instead of human development in general.

        "Despite my anger at these developments, I do not blame humanity as a whole for this. The blame lies with a select subset who think themselves new gods, those who thought they had achieved the pinnacle and there was nothing left to do but exploit what the Earth had to offer it. Imagination was being quashed, development being squandered; humanity had begun to legitimately create a second magic, and its ability to be used was wasted not by the need to prevent an apocalypse, but by the selfishness of a few humans. The spark of Will for Magic that had been re-ignited, was quickly being put out again by over-active and blind Power. Those developments have done nothing but accelerate my decline, to the degree you now find me. I've become sick with grief. I was watching humanity slowly kill flora and fauna, crack the earth, poison the air and water, and leave the fires unattended to burn out. I was despondent, and now I could feel the very will to live in this damned world beginning to seep out of the population. Once the Will to Live is gone, there would be no future; Humankind would implode and I along with it, be it slowly and quietly, or loud and violently.

        "When I reached the zenith of my despair, I felt something I had not felt in eons - contact from the Other World. Then specifically felt the Will of the Other World, a being I had not contacted in eons, now in the form of your Princesses. I did not question why the Will of Equestria, as you all refer to that world, was now in physical form, but I was desperate to contact it. Eventually I did, and I learned of their plan. I knew what it could mean for my world and the magic I kept bottled up here, yet when I fully took their measure, I was greatly disappointed. Their magic had grown incomplete, the Other World had gone so far down the Path of Will, Power had become almost vestigial. Therefore, I was left with one last trump card, one final gamble for my own legacy to be preserved. When I learned of the plan to alter the form of my Children into their Children, I knew that it would re-ignite the Will within them. The gamble was embedding a Spark of Power to match that Spark of Will. When I spoke to the four of you, Conduits of Terra, I did not lie when I said that should you have accepted my trial and failed, your soul would have been annihilated. That was the gamble, I had to hope that whoever the sparks found would have enough will to survive to fight through their own trauma and the world's trauma, in order to grasp Power. Judging from your performance in the Other World, you all have truly begun to grasp Power; and I must say, it was truly impressive. For the first time, I can honestly feel that my legacy will be preserved. Not only that, but you have begun to inspire the desire for true Power in those you have interacted with - the is the Power to truly make their Will reality.

"Even as you all begin to walk the path to realizing the true harmony of Will and Power in earnest, my own power grows ever more weak. My ability to restrain the mana that would flood this world is nearly at its limit. If it were to fail without being properly released, the Cataclysm that almost ended humanity instead of just the Ancient Civilizations, will be revisited; and this time, I will have no way to stop it."

        The ten members of the audience took some time to begin digesting this tale. The wheels were turning so fast in Twilight's, it was amazing smoke wasn't pouring from her ears due to the friction.

Fluttershy, however was the first to ask a question of the gigantic goddess(?). "Excuse me, Will of the Earth. But I was wondering --  you love Humanity very much, even if you were left in no position to help it directly. So, why would you allow us to turn them into Ponies?"

Will of the Earth contemplated this question. It was indeed a good one, and one a good many humans were asking in a different form. She then formulated her answer and gave it. "Bearer of the Element of Kindness from the Other World. The answer is simple: Time. There is precious little time before this world enters a death spiral. I cannot ascertain when exactly it will happen, but in order for this world to be renewed, Will must be combined with Power. I believe the Element of Magic of the Other World can tell you why this is the most elegant solution."

Twilight realized that the Will of the Earth had figured out what she was thinking. The story she just told all but confirmed her suspicions and theories. Twilight then began to address them all. "The Will of the Earth is correct in saying I have a theory regarding this world's magic. There was a reason why the ten of us have formed such a close-knit group in such a short time. That is because we represent the Complete Form of Magic, the magic that the Earth's Will was speaking of was what the Ancients once possessed. I figured the Princesses knew this too, that is why Blue Vague and his group were specifically moved to Equestria, and we were charged to teach them Equestrian Magic first. Terran Magic is highly instinctive, while Equestrian Magic has to be rigorously taught. They were able to pull off those impressive displays without anyone having to teach them the Terran side of the Equation. However, if they had attempted that when they first arrived..."

Blue Vague then spoke up to finish the sentence, "... that display would have quickly gone completely out of control. I remember the flood I caused and the air-burst Golden Storm caused trying to use Terran Magic without knowing how to use Magic at all. That was just us subconsciously drawing out that Power. If any of us had consciously tried to do it during our performance, it would have been chaos."

Rarity continued along those lines, "But then that poses a problem - once you all un-seal this magic, wouldn't that just be introducing more chaos to this world that can hardly handle anymore strain as it stands?"

Golden Storm realized what this was, a Morton's Fork. Neither option was very good given the state of the world, "Rarity, I don't like this any more than you, but we really don't have any other options. If we let this powder keg blow by itself, it could wreck what's left of society and end the lives of billions. Remember, despite how bad things are, there are still roughly 9.5 billion humans managing to survive to this point."

Rainbow Dash saw what Golden Storm was saying, and didn't like the implications. "A choice between Organized Chaos and Absolute Chaos. Not much of choice is it?"

Red Blaze answered. "No, it isn't. And we can't exactly just pave the current seal over, because the power we need to fix the damage this planet has incurred, is something we're most likely literally sitting on top of."

Pinkie Pie suddenly had a flash. "Oh so that means that this big, thing we're sitting on, listening to Grandma Earth-Will is the seal itself?"

Midori Hana more or less concurred. "Not exactly. This pyramid is more like the font of the mana. That thing that looks like a big cork now is the actual seal, I'd guess. I can feel an incredible power just... here... like this whole place is a cave sitting above a giant aquifer. Except it's mana and not water we're sitting on top of."

Applejack chuckled as she thought about it out loud. "Knowin' our luck this whole dang thing is one giant spigot, and y'all the dial supposed to open it."

        Twilight was still concerned though from the talk a few days ago. Everyone involved was worried that letting loose that kind of power to a population not ready to handle it could easily result in rampant abuse. Yet, she knew that only the combined Terran and Equestrian Magic could repair this planet. "Before we let the Terran Bearers do their work. I have one more question to ask you. What would be the consequences if the Equestrian Ponies were to attempt fixing this world without releasing Terran Magic first?"

The great figure contemplated this for a few minutes, she then came to her answer. "I am afraid the result would not be pleasant. Your Mana, due to the lack of exposure over these tens of thousands of years, is now like poison to my Children. The sheer amount that would be necessary to truly repair this world would result in rampant die-offs of Humans. If the safe, lower-grade magic, like you use around them now, was all that you engaged in, it would take decades to complete the task, decades Humanity does not have." All ten did not like hearing this answer, but in some way knew it was true. Time was their enemy right now.

Blue Vague then stood up, he had come to a decision on the course of action, "I'm afraid we are truly left with no other choice. We have to release this mana and hope we can deal with the aftermath. It seems to be the only legitimate option we have in order to repair Earth before it is too late."

        The Four Terran Ponies then arranged themselves in the center of each side of the temple, aligned with their respective shrines on the ground.. The Six Equestrian Ponies all arranged themselves between the Four Terran Ponies, a pair to each gap except the one directly facing the aging Will of the Earth.

Said Will then began to speak. "The process of release is simple. First, you must break the seal to allow the mana to flow out from the center fountain. Then you must direct that mana through the Four Shrines so that it may be useable once you return to the surface. Due to the fact the Bearers of the Other World had re-established the Bridge in a different form, my mana will be able to flow backwards into that world. The last warning I offer you all, before you begin, is this: do not believe that the manifestations of my Magic are simply limited to Four Elements that account for the Symbols you all see. There are many forms of Power, forms only limited by the Imagination."

All ten of them wondered what this warning meant exactly, but they would hopefully have time later to figure it out. The four Conduits then set to work. Each one of them began to activate their element, all of them glowing hotly in the colors of their respective elements now.

        The entire shrine began to rumble. The sealed, somewhat leaking mana was beginning to respond to the calling of the Terran Bearers, the physical seal on top of the fountain was beginning to disintegrate.

There is no turning back now, for us, for them, for either world. A New Age is about to begin, and we have to do everything we can to make it a positive one... All four the Conduits of Terra thought to themselves.

Soon a pure white fountain erupted from the seal. Applejack was right in her hunch, they were standing on the proverbial spigot of Terran Mana itself. All Six of the Equestrian Ponies felt a sudden spike in their Magical strength. They were being exposed to raw Power in the form of Terran Magic in its purest form, something no Pony felt directly since the ancient times the Will of the Earth spoke of.

A New Age is coming, I just hope we can all handle the change... All six of the Bearers of Harmony thought to themselves.

The Four Terran Ponies then began to will the mana into the Four Shrines, and were feeling a strange sensation while doing such. They ceased feeling like they were the living funnels of Terran Magic, and now were more its conductor. They have gone from having to channel the mana directly through their bodies all the time, to manipulating what was ambient in the environment. Just like they did in Equestria... in fact, EXACTLY like they did in Equestria.

"This... this is the nature of Will and Power. A great force being smoothly directed to accomplish a specific task. No brute forcing on either side. Smooth, elegant, like a grand dance.", Rarity shouted over the rumbling.

Magic in itself was an art in her eyes, and both sides, since the falling out, were practicing an incomplete version of it. Like they had two halves of a choreography, and neither could figure out the missing half, so they began ad-libbing the entire thing. The Four Conduits of Terra also realized this, and therefore began to improvise a performance. Soon, they all pictured themselves grabbing hold of the liquid mana and directing it to flow straight into the Four Shrines, as if they were hooking up a water-line to a faucet. Lo and behold, that is exactly what began to happen.

        The giant geyser of mana began to reduce to a normal looking fountain, the mana rushing down the sides of the pyramid, past the ten Ponies, and across the shrines. The Four Shrines then began to show a rejuvenation. The Water Shrine began to glow blue, the water clearing, and gushing forth as pure as any could imagine. The Wind Shrine glowed yellow, and the poison gas was cleared, the cloud now clean and sterile. The Fire Shrine glowed red, the flames re-igniting into a healthy, bright red and orange flame. The Earth Shrine glowed green, the stone edifice becoming polished again, the vines growing green again and even starting to sprout a few flowers. This re-direction of mana was greatly exhausting the Conduits of Terra though, their bodies and minds straining to push the mana into the proper places. Eventually, all four of them stopped glowing; their Medallions flashing like they were all blinking lights, themselves passing out under the strain incurred.

"Oh no is something wrong?! Vague, Storm, Blaze, Hana?", Twilight Sparkle shouted started to go into a panic.

"Do not worry Child, they are fine. In fact, when they re-awaken, you will all be more than fine. Their job has been successfully completed. The Stage has been properly set now for the great drama to unfold. The ultimate fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, can you all save the Earth from its destruction, or will those blind to greed and hate damn it to oblivion?" the Will of the Earth responded.

She then gave the Six Equestrian Ponies a final admonition before sending them back to the surface from where they came. "Your Elements of Harmony have already manifested here, they respond to the Power being re-awakened, listen to them. For Power is instinct, an instinct that has to be guided and tempered by a powerful Will, lest that Power run wild and uncontrolled. You will soon begin to sense that Power manifesting in yourselves just as the Four Conduits have. Do not resist that instinct to seek Power, but do not blindly follow it either. Mold and bend it to your Will, just as those four have already begun to do."

        The Six Elements of Harmony had indeed taken physical form, all of them glowing softly while the Elements of Terran Magic now glowed softly as well. It was like ten friends who not seen each other in ages all were taking time to commiserate and get caught up on lost times, tens of thousands of years worth of lost time. The Six Bearers of Harmony then briefly saw a vision produced by the Elements of Terra.

We are the manifestations of the burgeoning Will and Power of the Four Conduits of Terra. We want to say... do not fear us, and do not fear our Power. For that Power resides in all those who seek and learn magic, regardless of species. Look into your own heart, and you will see it there. When the time comes, our group shall grow to ten, to match your ten. Now, The New Age will begin to be forged. Only those that have the strongest of Wills and the mightiest of Powers can forge the New Age for all. Steel yourselves, and gather your allies, for this great struggle shall soon commence...

Twilight Sparkle was still deep in thought after the vision stopped, the tiara with her Element of Magic sitting on her head still softly humming away.

Will without Power is just idle hope. Perhaps the hope that some solution that could be found without angering anyone. Power without Will is mindless aggression. Perhaps the thought that Earth's problems could just be browbeaten into submission. When the two are joined, a New Age will be forged. Hopefully, an age where we all can live together, regardless of whatever form we may assume.

She let out a heavy sigh and returned to the edge of the now gentle fountain of Earth's Mana. It was like ethereal water constantly pouring up and out. It flowed down into the Shrines naturally now, channels had been formed in the great temple that fed directly into them. The Will of the Earth, her voice beginning to grow a bit stronger now, rose to send them back to the Earth's surface with one last statement: "Remember, Conduits of Terra and Bearers of Harmony - Power and Will must always be joined, lest Magic remain incomplete. I know some of the humans will greatly abuse the Power that has been released, but you must not let that distract you from, or prevent you from reaching your goal. Go, save my Children and my Planet! Save them from the great black maw of Death!"

        A few moments later, all ten Ponies were back on the surface of the Earth, back on the now inactive and fading Magical Array they started the afternoon on. The Princesses were there with the Doctors Isegawa.

"So my little Ponies, how are you all feeling this evening?" Princess Celestia said, a wide grin on her face.

Blue Vague finally came to, and answered his Princess. "I feel like I just ran a hundred marathons back to back. Other than that, well, as well as you can expect after doing all that."

Soon the rest of the Conduits of Terra came to as well. They spent the next few minutes going over everything the Will Of The Earth told them all.

"Quite an amazing story, although I cannot confirm that myself and my Sister are who she claims we are. Maybe we are in part though," Princess Luna said, as she thought about the idea of being a physical incarnation of Equestria's will.

"In any case, it certainly does explain a lot, and may have some hints for how to proceed in this unknown future," Princess Celestia added, nodding sagely.

As they continued the talk, they saw the sky go completely black, with no stars or anything in the sky.

"Ok Princess Luna, I'm just going to assume you aren't doing that since your sky is more an indigo or midnight blue color anyway," Golden Storm said, becoming mildly disoriented by the featureless, black sky.

Everyone rushed inside to look at the holographic television to check to see if the news reports were saying anything about it. Indeed, all over the world, the sky had suddenly turned black as pitch, and not a cloud, star, or heavenly body was to be found. Then they all heard what sounded like a massive sonic boom. As four lines of color streaked over the sky, all of them in exactly the same hue as the Elements of Terra. Each streak soon exploded into fireworks of all manners and colors, showering the whole of the Earth in rainbow colored sparks.

"Well, I guess this is the Will Of The Earth's way of saying that Terran Magic is up for grabs again, although I wonder how many out there know it..." Blue Vague said, chuckling at the simple yet highly impressive display.

"Wow, they look really pretty up close," Pinkie Pie said, muzzle pressed against the window watching the sparks land everywhere she could see.

Their reverie was broken by very loud screaming and a crash outside as the sparks faded and the sky returned to its normal color and feature-set.

"That sounded like Spike," both Rarity and Twilight shouted, as they bolted for the dormitory's main door.

What everyone saw when they finally got outside shocked them all. Spike was thrashing about, his skin covered in runes of each of the four Terran Magic colors. His screaming was visceral and painful to hear, as if every nerve in his body was being fired at once.

"IT HURTS... WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH!!" Spike yelled, voice distorted by something.

"I don't know, I can't even tell what's going on!" Twilight yelled back, becoming distraught at the pain her assistant and something of an adoptive little brother was in.

"Sister, it can't be..." Princess Celestia said, starting to figure out what was going on.

Luna looked on with grave concern. "I'm afraid it is, he's undergoing flash puberty. All that magical force being unleashed back into the world is triggering a reaction in him."

"I NEED MORE... MORE POWER... MORE EVERYTHING... NEED... MORE!" Spike bellowed, mind subsumed by the incredible impulse he was under, eyes glowing and nearly totally blank. His body was also growing, but not as fast as it was during his first greed-induced growth spurt. His skin though, continued to glow as more runes appeared.

"Spike, please... stop!" Rarity yelled as she rushed out to meet him.

"RARITY... NEED... WANT... NE..." Spike began to stammer, his mind coming back to some level of comprehension. The runes began to fade... but he was soon under immense physical strain again.

"IT HURTS... EVERYTHING HURTS... BUT I CAN'T STOP IT... I..." he yelled, as he trashed around, his eyes returning to their normal green, but looking sharper. His body was morphing into a more balanced masculine physique, as he stood at about 5 feet tall, and his tail stretched another 2.5 ft. behind him.

"You can't stop this Spike, your body is undergoing a natural growth spurt. Even though your mind has stopped trying to consume the magic around you, your body is still responding to it. You have to endure this... this is nothing any of us can stop," Celestia said sternly, trying to calm the Dragon down.

Spike was kneeling on the ground now, still writhing in pain. The runes had faded entirely, as he stopped subconsciously trying to pull Terran Magic into his body, but it was still growing and morphing, and his voice had definitely changed, now sounding more like someone in his late teens. Eventually, his body calmed down enough to where he began to stand back up.

"Wha... wha happened. My voice? Why is my voice so much lower... and why am I nearly as tall as Princess Celestia and Luna?" Spike said, more than startled by the change in himself suddenly.

"First, let's get you back inside, dear Spike. Then we can sort out what to do," Twilight Sparkle said, also stunned that Spike would now seem like her adoptive older brother, as least going by size.

        A short while later, as Spike continued checking himself out in the mirror, the Princesses were explaining to everyone else, to the best of their reasoning, what had just happened.

"Dear Spike has just undergone what roughly only 15% of Dragons undergo, known as Flash Puberty. Apparently, when certain Dragon whelps are exposed to strong enough magic, they will undergo a sudden transformation into a stable older form," Princess Luna stated, also looking Spike over for any evidence of him growing wings.

"So, that's why he didn't shrink when he came to like the last time... also it was far easier to snap him out of his greed impulse than it was the last time. We had to struggle to do that much," Rarity thought as she reminisced un-fondly about that experience with a greed-consumed Spike.

"Well, older Dragons don't become as consumed with their greed as younger ones obviously. Plus, we caught Spike early in the cycle this time," Luna responded as she thought about the incident from the second hand reports.

"Alright, so does that mean I qualify as an older Dragon, or a late teenage Dragon... or what exactly?" Spike said; stretching his limbs out trying to get used to operating in his now larger frame.

"I am unsure of the protocol regarding this honestly. As you know, the Dragons really do not like talking at all about their cultural practices. In fact... this gives me a very good idea," Princess Celestia said, already beginning to pace a bit trying to settle on a final formulation.

I'm not sure I like the sound of that... Spike thought to himself, even sounding older to himself in his own head now.

Celestia then stopped once she came to a final draft of her idea. "Dear Spike, I believe this is a golden opportunity for both yourself and Equestria in general. For the last seven months, I have been trying to open dialogue with the Dragon Elders at Krarrak-za-Jalve, the main city-state of the Dragon Nomads."

Luna blanched at the reminder of that place, mostly because the area surrounding it was a fairly boring desert and steppe.

Celestia continued, "Anyway, I would think they would take great interest in a former whelp that underwent Flash Puberty, on a completely different planet, due to a mostly unknown Magic."

Spike sighed as he could follow this train of thought. "Let me guess, you want me to go all the way out into the badlands, to Karrak-za-Jalve, and see if I can get any kind of audience with them. Seeing as I would probably need to find some-Dragon to help me learn this body, I guess I might as well."

"Oh good then, I'll draw up the official paperwork and we'll get you all set to go on your way!" Celestia said, wide grin across her face much like earlier.

"Woah woah, Princess Celestia. Can I at least say 'See ya later' to everyone first?" Spike asked, raising his hands up defensively.

Hrm, he's even starting to develop an attitude like someone near adult-hood... Celestia thought to herself, giggling a bit on the inside.

        "So are you sure you are gonna be okay? I mean you just got that body and everything, I... I wouldn't know what to do if something happened to you while you were out there..." Twilight said, pleading a bit with her assistant a bit.

"You know this is something I'm going to have to do eventually. At least this way I can go figure out what being a Dragon is from someone that'd actually give me real answers. And, I guess if I come as an envoy of Equestria, I can get them to at least talk to the Princesses as well," Spike replied, as he knelt down to hug Twilight gingerly, not wanting to accidentally hurt her with some unknown strength.

"Well, just know that we're pulling for ya, man," Blue Vague added, hopeful that it wouldn't be too long until he saw Spike again.

"You know, this is kinda hard for me. I mean, not a few hours ago you were little Spikey-wikey. Now, well I guess I can't call you that anymore, can I?" Rarity said, hoping to create another touching moment.

Spike's expression went completely flat as Rainbow Dash and Golden Storm giggled at the pet name.

"Not to leave on a bad note... but I thought we agreed that you wouldn't call me that in front of anyone else?" Spike said, as he looked at Rarity with some exasperation.

"Dear Spike, I thought you would have appreciated me giving you a pet name," Rarity replied with a snide expression on her face.

Spike made to argue the point, but thought better of it. With that, the Princesses and Spike all disappeared back across the New Light Bridge towards Canterlot. Spike had his long journey to prepare for, as did everyone else on a Earth that would slowly learn that Ponies wouldn't be the only bearers of super-natural power.