PROTOCOL EE-456

Chapter 1: Holes

Magic.

Every foal could tell you that magic was one of the most mysterious things in the universe. It can make rabbits appear out of hats, scarfs become smaller, and help a person survive getting cut in half. But all of these acts could be done by any basic traveling unicorn you could come across.

The real magic, that kind that takes years to get right, is even more amazing.

The possibilities that is has have no boundaries. If ponies put their minds to it, they can accomplish anything. They can grown somepony a new leg, raise the sun, teleportation, and much, much more. Some ponies give their entire lives to the discovery of new spells and new uses of magic.

And sometimes, those discoveries can have unknown consequences.

***

The early morning sun was just starting to peek through the curtains. Rays of light lit up the large bedroom, shimmering off the crystal walls and other furniture also made out of the hard rock. The light revealed stacks of books that littered the ground, while some lay scattered throughout the room. The largest clutter was around the large four post bed.

It was largely decorated with elegant silk sheets that had little tassels hanging from the edges. The top of the bed sat on four posts that raised it high above its occupant. The color was a mixture of royal purple and a slime green color. Pillows were stacked against the headboard to keep the head of a unicorn pony well adjusted.

The mare that was sleeping in the bed had the same colored pelt as her sheets did. Her mane, which was thrown around thanks to the pillows, was a slightly lighter shade with a red streak running through it. For a mare, she was snoring rather loudly, making the pages of the books around her move back and forth.

A ray of sun moved across the room until it slowly came to rest on the eyes of the mare. She quickly raised a hoof to block the ray, but the damage had already been done. With a slight groan into the pillows, she slowly raised her head up and opened an eye.

Red lines ran through the visible white parts, while new bags were beginning to form under her eyes. “Morning already,” she asked groggily.

She looked around at the room, as if seeing the whole thing for the first time in her life. Her eyes scanned the piles of books that surrounded her, some now being flung to the floor as she got up. “Oh….I guess I was studying too late last night.” She yawned and gave her muscles a good long stretch. Bones clicked back into place as her brain started to kick into gear.

The clock beside her bed started ringing, causing the mare to fall back in surprise. Groaning, she lifted her head and spotted the time the hands were pointing to. Her eyes widened with shock. “Oh no, I overslept!”

With the swiftness of a wonderbolt, the mare leapt from her bed and hit the ground running. Books flew in different directions as the mare bolted for the door. Encasing the handles in her magic, she banged the doors open and ran down the winding staircase behind them. She took three steps at a time; her eyes keeping deadlocked on the area in front of her.

When she reached the bottom, the mare turned right and barreled down a long corridor. Doors and other passages flew past her as she made her way towards another set of stairs ahead of her. She bolted down these as well before reaching the bottom and running down the forward corridor.

That’s when the mare saw what she was looking for; a large set of crystal doors with ornate decoration. The mare encased the handles in her magic and flung the doors open. She screeched to a stop beyond them and looked around the room she’d entered.

Many shelves lined the walls of the room. Books of every kind were stacked orderly along them; arranged by genre, age level, and author name. Some were even color coordinated, while others were spread across the many tables that were placed around the room.

But the mare only had her eyes on one thing.

On the other side of the room, in a small alcove built into the wall, a very large and strange looking machine sat quietly amongst the many books. It consisted of a large horseshoe shaped mirror, above which sat an old leather bound book. Different machines sat behind and to the sides of it, each radiating a strange pink glow of magic. Other instruments sat a slight distance in front of it. Each one was flashing lights, beeping, or printing out long pieces of paper.

The mare ran up to a small stool that sat in front of the large beeping machines. On top of the stool sat a small purple dragon with green scales. His head was being supported by his hand, while his eyes were closed with the happiest sense of dreaming. An occasion word emerged from his lips, but none that were audible to the mare now standing next to him.

The mare huffed angrily. “SPIKE, WAKE UP!” she yelled.

The purple dragon’s eyes flew open in surprise, and the sudden jolt sent him and his stool falling backwards. The dragon screamed in panic and desperately waved his arms in the air to try and do something. Thankfully, the mare encased the lizard in her magic and set him upright.

The dragon known as Spike looked at the mare with a distasteful expression and a snort of fire. “You know Twilight, there are less dangerous was of waking somepony up. I’m sure there’s a book that can teach you that.”

Twilight snorted, but kept her attention focused on the machines that surrounded the mirror. She checked the long printouts the machines were producing, looking over the completely straight line that ran along the middle of it.

“No change since last night?”

Spike hopped off the stool and walked over to check another machine. “No change. And believe me, I would have woken up if something different had happened,” he replied with a frown.

Twilight sighed. She had hoped that something different would have been recorded by now. Every time she checked, the line was straight and the machines showed no irregularities. Even the slightest spike up or down would have been enough to calm her nerves somewhat. But no, nothing had changed; everything was exactly the same.

Spike walked up to her and laid his claw gently on her leg. “Twilight, I know you want to figure this out….but don’t you think you’ve done all that you can? I mean, the mirror’s been the same since day one, and I don’t think a few machines are going to tell us if something’s wrong with it.”

Twilight was beginning to think the same thing. The thoughts brought her back to the time that everything had started, as well as end.

Five years ago, on a seemingly normal day, Twilight had planned to go visit her friends at Canterlot Hight. But when she had turned on the machine to power the mirror, she found that she wasn’t able to pass through. The mirror had stayed a normal mirror.

Thinking there was something wrong with the machine, Twilight spent the next few days taking it apart, checking each piece, and putting it back together again. But during the second try, the same result occurred: Twilight couldn’t pass through the mirror.

This was strange in and of itself, but then things got even stranger.

After the required time of thirty moons had passed, Twilight had once again tried to use the portal. But to the bewilderment of Twilight and Spike, the mirror still refused to let them pass throught. The two tried a dozen different objects and ways getting through over the three day span. But by the time the third day ended, they were still unable to pass through the mirror.

Since that day, Twilight had set up equipment around the portal to monitor it and scan for any change in it’s normal magic field. She checked the process every morning at the exact same time (except for today), and recorded her findings. Spike, who got up early on Saturdays, usually looked over the machine first.

But even after monitoring, scanning, and even rubbing the mirror for five years, there was no major change in the magic field. Occasionally there were small bursts of magic, but they only lasted for an hour at most. But even that wasn’t enough to allow a pony to pass through it.

Twilight had been hoping to see some major change in the field by now, but she still came up empty. Not only was this taking up her time, it was also causing her to spend less time with her friends. She still spent time with them, but it was now very limited compared to other times.

“I just wish I could find out why it’s not working. My friends at Canterlot High are probably wondering why I haven’t seen them in over five years!”

“What about the book,” said Spike, pointing a claw at the leather bound book that sat atop the mirror. “Have you gotten a message from Sunset Shimmer at all?”

Twilight shook her head sadly. “No, I haven’t gotten a single message or reply from her. It’s like the magic between our words is blocking the connection….or something worse.”

Spike walked over and took the mare by the hooves. “We’ll we're not going to figure this out on an empty stomach. Let’s get some breakfast; I’m sure that’ll help us think.”

He began pulling Twilight towards the door, and she didn’t hold back at all. “Maybe you're right,” she said sadly, “besides, I can worry more about this later. I still have responsibilities as a princess that I have to take care of.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Spike, “time for waffles and pancakes; all topped with mountains of whipped cream.”

Twilight giggled as the two left the library. “But just think of the full stomach you’ll have later.”

“Not to worry; that’s future Spike’s problem.”

The two laughed as they headed down the hallway away from the library.

***

Not long after leaving the library, the castle kitchen was filled with the wafting smell of baking pancakes. Spike had on his special chef's hat, and was happy flipping flapjacks on the stove.

Twilight was sitting at the table with a nose pressed into a book. It described the uses magic can have when combined with the modern technology that ponies make today. She was currently at the part where it describes messages being sent through magic streams and being recovered by a machine.“This is so fascinating,” said Twilight. “The way that magic is being used today is just the first step in leading Equestria to a better future.”Spike walked over to the table with two plates of pancakes in his claws. “I thought the magic of “friendship” is what will lead Equestria to a better future,” he said as she gave Twilight her plate.“That’s true Spike,” replied Twilight, “but we also need to find new ways of using magic to improve our lives physically. The machines we have today wouldn’t have been possible if ponies hadn’t experimented with magic and science.”Spike, who was digging into his pancakes, nodded a reply. Thinking that would be the best response she’d get from the dragon, Twilight put down the book and was about to dig into her pancakes. But before she could even start cutting them, the door to the kitchen burst open.Twilight jumped in surprise, while Spike once again fell back in his chair. She’d barely turned towards the door when she found herself face to face with a bright pink pony.“TWILIGHT!” the mare shouted, her voice mixed with questioning and fear.Coming to her senses, Twilight tried hard to concentrate on her words. “Pinkie Pie, what’s wrong?”Pinkie stepped back, “its...its...my Pinkie Sense!”Twilight raised an eyebrow in confusion, but it was then that she got a good look at the mare. Her entire body was shaking, and her eyes buzzed around in their sockets.“It’s been like this all morning! I haven’t gotten a sense this big since the hydra incident.”Of all the things that Twilight understood, Pinkie Sense was unfortunately not one of them. Unlike most forms of magic and science, Pinkie Sense had no clear path. It came and went as needed, but usually the bigger the shake, the bigger the problem.“Okay Pinkie, first you need to calm down,” said Twilight.The pink mare breathed heavily for a few seconds, before stopping and breathing normally. “Okay….I’m cool,” she said.“Good,” said Twilight, “now why don’t you go out and see if you can find out why your Pinkie Sense is going off?”Pinkie suddenly tensed up, her eyes almost popping out of her head. “Oh….that’s a GREAT idea! I’ll get right on that!” And without another word, Pinkie zipped out of the kitchen and out of sight.Twilight and Spike stared at the doorway with confusion. “I know that was Pinkie Pie….but that seemed almost too crazy; even for her,” said Spike.Twilight squinted; the face she usually made when she was in deep thought. “I don’t know Spike. Pinkie said herself that this was bigger than any sense she’s ever had.” She looked at the purple dragon with concern. “I just have a bad feeling that something’s going to happen.”Spike whipped off his face before addressing his friend. “Well either way; you have other things to worry about.” He breathed fire, and a scroll materialized from the flames. “You still have an meeting with Mayor Mare this afternoon.”Twilight’s eyes shot open. “Sweet Celestia! I’d almost forgotten. And I still have to take a shower!” Taking one last bite of her pancakes, Twilight rushed out the kitchen door.Spike huffed. “I guess that leaves me to clean up the kitchen,” he said as he grabbed the plates and headed to the sink.

***

Later that afternoon, Spike was making his way through the library. Twilight had left an hour earlier for her meeting, leaving Spike alone in the castle until she got back.

He was making his way along the section of the library labeled “Comic Books”. When Twilight had been filling the library with scholastic books, Spike has specifically requested that a section for himself be added in. After a lot of begging and negotiating, a section for all the best comics in Equestria was put in.

“I really can’t think of a better way to spend the afternoon,” said Spike as he browsed the endless options. “Well, maybe while eating a bowl of some delicious gems.”

Spike reached the section for “The Power Ponies” and began looking the different options. But as he browsed the titles, something made contact with his ear.

A beeping noise...and it was coming from around the corner.

“Huh, what’s that,” asked Spike. He left his comics behind and headed towards the sound of the noise. He turned the corner, and found himself at the alcove where the mirror stood.

It was then that Spike noticed that one of the machines hooked up to it was making the beeping noise. “That’s strange; these machines usually never make any noise,” he said as he approached it.

The machine was a small box with a screen on it. A line ran across it, which moved up and down whenever the beep sounded. “What’s going on here?” asked Spike.

But just then, another machine turned on. It printed out long pieces of paper with zigzagging lines on it. Spike barely had time to think about that when another machine turned on. It sparked and beeped, sending information to even more machines.

Soon, all the machines around the mirror were sparking, buzzing, and doing just about everything else. Spike was too shocked by their sudden awakening to try and do anything.

“Oh gosh….I….I don’t know what to do!” Spike turned away from the machines and ran towards the library doors. “Gotta get Twilight….she’ll know what to do!”

***

Spike’s legs ran as fast as they could towards the Mayor’s office. Ponies were out and about enjoying the day, which made it harder for Spike to get anywhere fast.

He ducked in-between ponies legs, dodged crates, and even slid under a mare who’d stopped on the bridge. “Hey, watch it,” she called as Spike ran towards Town Hall.

“Sorry; in a hurry,” he called back as he approached the building. He quickly ran up the steps and pushed through the doors. Once he was in, Spike looked around for a way to the mayor’s office.

Luckily for him, Twilight and Mayor Mare had just walked into the entrance hall. “Twilight!” he called as he ran towards them.

The princess and mayor looked over towards the small purple dragon running towards them. By the time he reached them, he was out of breath and breathing heavily. “Spike, what’s wrong?” asked Twilight.

“It’s….It’s….It’s the machines! They started going off a few minutes ago!”

Twilight’s mind went into overdrive as the words became clear to her. “WHAT! Is it small or big readings?”

“Huge,” replied Spike. “They were all going mad; that’s why I rushed over her!”

Twilight turned back to the mayor; her face formed into one of concern. “I’m sorry Mayor, I need to head back to the castle. This is something that’s really important.”

“Of course Twilight; I understand. You go and do whatever you have to. We can finish our meeting at another time.”

“Thank you very much Mayor,” said Twilight. “Come on Spike.”

Twilight and Spike ran towards the door, both looking fully determined. Using her magic, Twilight flung open the doors and ran out into the town center. But just as fast, her and Spike screeched to a stop, both looking in shock at the sky.

The clear blue sky from earlier had been covered by dark rumbling clouds. The wind had also picked up, blowing against every object that wasn’t tied down around the town center. Ponies either ran for cover, or looked up in awe at their sudden appearance.

“What happened to the clear sky?” asked Spike. “I thought the pegasus hadn’t scheduled a storm until next week!”

“I’m not sure Spike,” replied Twilight. She kept scanning the sky, looking for anything that might have caused this. But soon, she found the sky filled with pegasus’. They flew around trying to push away or destroy the clouds.

“Spike, I have a feeling the pegasus’ didn’t plan for this to happen.” Twilight continued to scan the sky, until her eyes found themselves staring at one pegasus in particular.

“Come on Spike, we’re getting some answers.” Twilight engulfed Spike with her magic before placing him on her back. Stretching out her wings, she took to the air and towards the group of frantic pegasus.

“Rainbow Dash!” she called out. The blue pegasus with the rainbow mane stopped tackling clouds and headed towards the Princess.

“Twilight, what are you doing up here? It’s not safe,” said Rainbow. Unlike most times, when she looked cool and confident, she now looked scared and worried.

“I’m aware of that Rainbow Dash. But I want to know what’s going on! Where did all these clouds come from, and what’s going on with the wind?”

“We’re not sure! They just appeared out of nowhere, and the wind farms aren’t responsible for the wind either.”

Spike listened to the mares talking, but was also keeping an eye on the surrounding areas. He saw that the clouds were moving, but not around Ponyville. Instead, the clouds were moving towards the high mountains to the north, right above Canterlot.

“Uh, Twilight, do you see that the clouds are moving towards Canterlot right?”

“What!” said Twilight, looking towards the mountains. She did see the clouds moving towards Canterlot, but couldn’t see that well from this far away. She ignited her horn, and soon a pair of binoculars appeared in front of her.

“Let’s see what’s going on,” she said as she looked through the spectacles.

“What do you see?” asked Rainbow worriedly.

What Twilight saw was that the clouds were starting to swirl above the city, moving faster and faster with each rotation. “The clouds are moving around the city, and they're starting to move faster.”

“But why,” asked Spike, “what does all of this even mean?”

Twilight had no idea, but she didn’t have high hopes that it was good. Between the machines going off, Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense, and now this, she knew something big was going on. She looked through the binoculars again, hoping something would change.

Unfortunately, it did.

In the middle of the swirling clouds, a small black circle appeared. It’s outsides sparked and flashed, causing the clouds to swirl faster. But then, after another large spark, the circle began to grow. The inside was a dark black color, which was only broken by the greenish-blue outline of the circle.

Soon, the circle finished expanding; now the diameter of Canterlot itself. The clouds continued to circle around it, almost drawn to the force of the circle.

“Sweet Celestia,” said Twilight, lowering the binoculars.

Spike and Rainbow were speechless, only able to stare at the black hole that now sat in the skies above Canterlot. The other residents of Ponyville were staring to, some even using their own binoculars to see the sight.

“Twilight, what’s going on?” asked Spike.

The princess was silent for a moment, not able to find her words.

“I’m not sure Spike….but I have a bad feeling about this.”