1: Project New Horizons
"Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family."
The Walking Dead
"Alright everypony!" I started, standing atop my lifted podium and looking over the small town square where every one of the ponies that had volunteered for my little project had gathered. I felt a cool breeze washing over me, coming in from the north from the Crystal Empire no doubt. From my calculations, a sum total of five thousand ponies have gathered here today along with my friends and a few of their siblings. Rainbow Dash hovered next to Scootaloo, who was sitting by her idol. Rarity and her sister, along with Applejack sat side by side off to the left with some other Apple family members, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were behind the latter.
Today was the day, Project New Horizons will commence!
Princess Celestia will be so proud! I sighed happily, thinking of the princess and the task she appointed me with. She expected great things from this project, and I was aiming to please her in anyway that I could. I looked at everypony, and smiled brightly. "Today is the day that will mark a new era in Equestria!" I heard their cheers and cries, Rainbow Dash's being the loudest, of course. "You have all volunteered to be a part of this project, and I am sure it will be worth your time and effort!"
Somepony trotted up from within the crowd, donning a newspaper hat and jacket, part of the Equestrian Globe I believe. "Princess Twilight, would you mind explaining to everypony what this project is exactly?" He asked me, others following suit with their own questions.
I smiled at the reporter, "I hope you're going to write this down." As I said that, several reporters gathered their notepads and cameras, standing by and waiting for me to begin. "Princess Celestia, has tasked me with overseeing Project New Horizons and before you ask, I shall explain what this project is." Clearing my throat, I continued. "Project New Horizons is this town, and what lies within it. This town will be the first of many, to incorporate new technology to allow this place to be a fully self-sustaining town," I flared my horn and cast my spell, sending out beams of magic flying towards several towers surrounding the town. They hit with a resounding thrum, each tower lighting up brightly as the ponies with cameras snapped several photos of the event taking place. "These towers you see placed in the town, are built from crystals, and were created by several talented earth ponies and unicorn scientists who you see behind me," I gestured to both the stallion and mare.
"What do these towers do?" One reporter asked me, eyes showing many more questions hidden with.
"I'm glad you asked," I stepped to the side, allowing the Earth pony and unicorn to step forward. Both were well aged, but still just as hearty as anypony. "Dr. Glasswell," I pointed to the earth pony stallion, "And Dr. Cold Hearth are the innovators of the towers behind the project." I pointed to the unicorn mare.
Dr. Glasswell smiled. "Yes well, if was your funding that helped this project see the light of day, princess." He bowed his head slightly, raising it again to add. "With my companion, Dr. Cold Hearth, we managed to find a way to use the special crystal growths of the Crystal Empire to not only generate power, but also produce Harmonic Energy!"
Some oohs and aahs sounded from the crowd, I smiled. I was also at awe of such a thing, to have power that didn't rely on wind turbines or water, it was unreal, but these two found a way.
"Mmm, yes, the crystal towers that have been built around the town surround it on all sides," Dr. Cold Hearth said, a smile on her face and her tone icy. "They are powered by sunlight, and can retain solar energy to keep the town lit until the next day arrives and the crystals are recharged." She looked at one of the towers. "They are capable of other things, but I'll leave that up to the princess to show." she bowed her head and stepped back, allowing me to step forward and finish.
Looking out at the crowd, I said, "This town, and everypony in it, will be the first of many to experience this new cutting edge technology," I pointed to the towers, that now began to glow and pulsate. "The towers, seeing how they produce Harmonic Energy, that energy can be used as a way to protect the town from corrupt magic," I flare my horn again, focusing my magic and turning on a switch within the town center's Town Hall. I felt the towers power up from the already charged reserves, and before I knew it a wave of magic washed over the town and its residents. Expanding outwards and encompassing the town on all sides. "What you just experienced, was a wave of Harmony Magic washing over you."
"I feel weird," one pony called out, followed by several others.
"Its like, something's surrounding us."
So there are a few of them. I grinned. "That is perfectly normal, it is just the magic settling in. Its not harmful in any way, so do not worry." I was wondering if there were some ponies like them in the crowd. Okay, now onto the second phase of the project. I lit my horn up slightly, and started focusing on the control board within the Town Hall. I had memorized it completely, so I could flip the switches without having to be there. It only took a little magic on my part, and a lot of focus. "Project New Horizons, has begun!" I cried, flipping the final switch and hitting a button.
The towers all around us pulsated and hummed loudly, everypony in the crowd seemed to sense the magic flowing through the air. I could only smile as everything went according to plan, this was perfect!
"Excuse me, Princess Twilight?" Another one of the reporters asked, when I nodded towards him, he asked, "what is that on the stage behind you?"
I turned around, facing the object in question. "It is the second part o Project Horizons, which will commence shortly." I answered. In truth, what it was supposed to be, was a larger and more powerful version of the mirror portal back in the Crystal Empire. Which, if my calculations were correct, should open a portal to the other world I went to years ago. "You shall all see what it can do soon, for now let us recess." Everypony seemed satisfied and went about conversing with one another. I descended down the podium and onto the ground as my friends came over to me with their sisters.
"That was really something Twilight," Applejack told me, cantering up with her little sister in tow. "This town seems like it'll be a really interestin' place." She said, getting a smile from me.
"That's the idea AJ," I told her with a smile as Rainbow hovered nearby. "What do you think of all of this?" I asked the rainbow maned pegasus.
"Eh," She shrugged. "Not really sure what to think, its pretty cool I guess, but I'm not one for all of that egghead nonsense." She looked towards the object I had hidden under the tarp, eyes curious. "What is that thing though, you didn't tell us."
"You guys will see, soon." I told them, making Rainbow groan.
"Lame~" She flew onto the ground as Scootaloo came over and bounded up to Dash, the two breaking into small talk about how lame this all is.
Those two. I swear, they would not make it long in a human world.
"So how long until the big reveal of whatever it is you have under there darling?" Rarity questioned me, cooling herself with a little fan she had held in her magic. "I have to say the weather here is dreadful."
"Its cooler then it usually is Rarity," AJ responded to the mare. "Ah don't know what yer talkin' about."
"Now that you mention it, is does seem a bit warm." Fluttershy said, looking around the town and its inhabitants.
I hummed to myself, it does feel a bit warm... that shouldn't be right. Must be the weather acting up, no problem whatsoever. I cleared my throat. "How about we get to the unveiling, shall we?" I suggested, turning around and going back to the stage. I walked up the stairs as everypony slowly gathered back, some staying where they were by the food and drink tables. Dr. Glasswell walked up to me, a worried look on his face. "Doctor?" I asked, why was he so worried?
"Um, we may have a slight problem," he told me, looking nervous.
"What is the problem doctor?"
"It seems, well," he rubbed the back of his head, looking towards the mirror. "It seems the regulators that hook up to the mirror are, not working properly." When I gave him a questioning glance, he added, "I'm getting power fluxuations from the crystal towers, somethign is wrong and I would suggest holding off on the unveiling until we can figure out what is wrong."
