Chapter 1: What Was Found Under the Leaves
Chapter 1:
What Was Found Under the Leaves
Rainbow Dash loved the breeze. As a pegasus, she was always comforted by the wind in her mane, but today, she took it slower. The air was still, the clouds were put away, and the sun bathed the ground with an amber glow. There was nothing quite like trotting through White Tail Woods in Autumn. The Running of the Leaves wouldn’t be for another four weeks, but already the leaves had changed, and ponies and other critters passing through had caused some to fall already. She was actually out here practicing for the annual event, making mental maps of the new routes, and keeping in shape by exercising her legs. Winning wasn’t as important in a race like this, as she had discovered a few years back, but it was always good fun, and Rainbow was hardly the type to back down on a challenge if she had no other pressing matters.
Rainbow stopped under an oak tree some squirrels had been traipsing through, and reached into the saddlebags she took with her to pull out her canteen. She had been up since dawn, a feat only accomplished through willpower and her love of all things sporty. As she drank her supply of nice, cool water, she took a moment to look at the sky she was so fond of. Not a cloud in the sky. Of course, that was the schedule, and Ponyville had been very good at keeping schedule with their weather ever since Twilight helped with that one Winter Wrap-Up, and they were especially protective of their weather patterns after last year when Rainbow tried to keep winter away for the sake of keeping her pet, Tank, from hibernating. She thought about that and blushed hard, thankful she was alone in the woods. That was so embarrassing. Even now, she could hardly believe she had gone that far, but on second thought, perhaps it wasn’t so surprising. After all, she often took risks and went out of her way to do extreme things for those she cared about. That was just the kind of pony she was.
Not one for introspection, and getting antsy from sitting so long, she decided her break had gone on long enough and packed up her things, continuing her trek down the trail. After she had gone a ways down, she noticed the leaves had grown in number, which confused her. These paths weren’t often traversed by many ponies this close to the Running, to save some leaves for everyone else, so the fact that there were so many leaves on the ground at this part of the forest was concerning, to say the least. Rainbow wondered what could have caused this to happen. A certain distance in, there was a tree that had been completely emptied of leaves, and below its boughs sat a pile that sat taller than the average stallion. It was as if someone had just bucked the leaves right off. Of course, this was not the most bizarre thing about the tree; what really caught her eye was the pulsating blue light coming from the middle of the pile.
Immediately taken aback at the unusual sight, Dash decided to investigate. Upon closer inspection, the glowing blue flashes were at the center of the pile, near the base of the tree. She began digging down, pushing copious amounts of foliage aside. At last, she got to the center, and had to take a moment to adjust she eyes in order to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.
Within the pile, next to the trunk of the tree, sat a wristwatch, albeit none like Rainbow had ever seen before. It, every now and then, would put out an intense flash of blue light, like a lighthouse beacon, from its face, which had no hands and looked as dark and endless as the ocean at night. A pit in the center of an intricate, yet basic outer rim, a bright sky blue, that looked like a dial, or a jar lid that could be screwed on or off. Along the rim, there were buttons of different shapes and sizes, and they went all the way around. From the center came two sleek metal bands that formed the strap, with what looked to be an end of a clasp on either end, presumably to attach and form a circular band around the arm of whoever it belonged to. Speaking of, who did it belong to?
Rainbow Dash looked around, and saw no-one in sight. She hadn’t seen anypony earlier on the trail, and it was too early in the morning for anyone to have been anywhere down the trail, unless they had been up during the early hours of the morning kicking the leaves off the trees. It was safe to assume, therefore, that the owner must have lost it the day before, or even before that. That still didn’t explain why the thing looked so weird, though. Who would own a watch that looked so weird? What was the point of a watch with no face to tell the time? And how did it make that light? Electricity? If so, where was the generator? If it was magic, was it cursed? Was Rainbow going to turn into a snail if she touched it?!
The glow looked a bit more menacing as she stared at it, in the depths of the leaf pile. Dash took a deep breath. She steeled herself and prepared mentally to reach for it. After all, this wasn’t the first time she had faced potential doom. And who knew? Maybe it came from aliens and she would get superpowers from this. She stopped and looked up for a second. After reminding herself that she needed to stop borrowing comic books from Spike, she steeled herself and reached down again. Her hoof came nearer to the device, and the glowing stopped. She made contact, tensed up, and…
Nothing.
Rainbow looked around. She took a hoof and felt around herself, seeing if she had grown any extra limbs or ears, but everything was the same. She looked back at the mysterious device, and gingerly lifted it from its resting place on the forest floor. After wiping off some stray debris, Dash took a closer look. The face was made of some type of really thick glass, and had little lines running up and down, making little squares. The material the rest of the watch was made of was some strange foreign material, something unnatural that didn’t feel right, and the metal that made up the rest of it was strange-feeling. It made her fur stand on end.
“… What are you?” she asked the watch.
Of course, she didn’t expect a response.
“Hello. I am P.E.T.A.L.D.”
Rainbow screamed and dropped the thing. As soon as it hit the ground, the light that came from the circular face lit up fully, and with the blinding light came a loud whirring sound, and little wiry tentacles poured out of the buttons on the side of the face and propped it up to face Dash, like arms. She stared, bug-eyed, at the contraption as she was certain she was about to be violently turned into mincemeat. However, as she shut her eyes and braced for the end, the light dimmed, and turned into a wave like water against the lines she saw on the face earlier, which were now lit up, but not as brightly as the sliver of pale blue in the center. The ends of the straps connected as if pulled by a magnet, and the whole thing appeared to sit up and look at her. This was especially disconcerting because it didn’t have eyes as far as Rainbow could tell. It then proceeded to speak again.
“Please, don’t be alarmed denizen. I am not here to harm you. Can you understand me? I heard you speak English, or whatever you call the language in this realm, if you call it language. Oh, perhaps I’m going too fast. What is your name?”
As this nightmarish thing talked to her, Rainbow wanted to scream, but she was paralyzed. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of it, but she also couldn’t help but notice its incredibly feminine, if echo-y voice. It had a soothing rhythm to it, as well as a peaceful, reassuring tone, but that didn’t change the fact that it was clearly coming from the watch. … Or was it? Rainbow looked around, suddenly feeling less terror and more than a little annoyance. If this was some prank, she was gonna... She got off her back, which she had fallen onto when she threw the watch, and called out.
“ALRIGHT, WHO’S THE WISE GUY?!” she said to anyone who might be waiting in the bushes along the sides of the road. Spinning around, she found no-one, and started to look before she was stopped by a calm, level voice.
“My sensors don’t read anybody else in the immediate vicinity, but if you are uncertain, then yes, I am the one speaking with you.”
Rainbow turned to see the watch, now facing her with that same… look? She didn’t even know if that was what she should call it, but she did notice the ends of the line in the middle of its face (fitting for a clock for it to have an actual face) were pulled up in the corners as if it was a mouth smiling. The smile, if you could call it that, was almost motherly; small, yet patient, calm. Rainbow took pause at that. How could an inanimate object look so sincere? … Rainbow Dash decided she had gone insane, and decided to give it a chance. “Um, you?”
“Yes, myself. And you are… ?” As it spoke, or whatever it called the way it made sounds, Rainbow noticed the line that made its mouth warbled up and down, splitting in two and looking suspiciously like lips.
“Oh. Uh, my name’s Dash. Rainbow Dash. And what did you call yourself?”
The “smile” on the watch grew a little. “I am known as the Portal Energizing Teleportation and Location Device, but you may call me P.E.T.A.L.D.”
“Wait, did you say, ‘Petal?’”
It somehow managed to nod despite not having a neck. Or head, for that matter.
“But you spelled it with a ‘D’.”
The smile disappeared. “It’s silent,” the watch said with a bit of annoyance.
“Okay, if you say so. Wow, this is so weird.” Rainbow held a hoof to her head in preparation for a migraine.
“Are you in pain? I don’t know your physiology, and therefore cannot in good conscience prescribe you any medication, but I do have counselling programs for those unaccustomed to such events as my presence. On a scale of one to ten, how much mental strain does my being here put on you?”
“Twenty, but… ” she sighed, “I’ll be fine. What are you, anyway? And how can you talk?” She pointed her hoof accusatively towards her current speaking partner.
“To answer your first question, I am a sentient program designed by a one Emeril Langston to assist in the search for and apprehension of criminal entities. In order to fully extend my services to their fullest reach, I have been fitted with a device and programmed with the data that makes me capable of interdimensional travel, including the creation of portals between space and time for travel between short distances within one singular reality. However, to prevent my being used for malign purposes, and so that if I ever go rogue I cannot alter timelines and destroy universes, I cannot be used without one of my owners present, and should I be lost without them, my program and all my data is contained within a mainframe in my reality of origin, and all extensions of myself, such as this form which you see before you, have a limited battery life, so that I cannot be used by anyone who may have ill intentions. Does this information help?”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes were saucers. “Could you say that again? I lost you at ‘I am.’”
P.E.T.A.L.D. sighed. “To phrase it in a way that you may understand, m-.” She paused.
“Um, hello?”
“Pardon me, but in my haste, I neglected to ascribe you a gender, if such things exist in this realm. Do you prefer to be called-”
Dash blushed heavily. “Not ‘Mister,’ if that’s what you’re thinking!”
“Right, Miss?” Rainbow nodded her approval, if begrudgingly. “Right, then, Miss Dash, to phrase it in a way you might understand, I come from another dimension, and I make portals. Anything else?”
“One thing.”
P.E.T.A.L.D. listened intently. “Yes?”
“You think you can catch me?” Her eyes rolled back in her head, and before she hit the ground, Rainbow was out cold.
Author's Note
Hope you guys enjoyed this first glimpse into the horrible train wreck that is my head. And welcome, me, to this fabulous website! I hope to enjoy your comments and criticisms for many days to come. But mostly criticisms. Because I don't really have time to update this regularly. Just a heads-up. But yeah, let me know what you think. Bye, I guess.
Chapter 2: A Newly Acquired Acquaintance
Chapter 2: A Newly Acquired Acquaintance
Everything was dark, but light was fading in, bit by bit. Under her eyelids, Rainbow could tell it was light out still but dared not open her eyes for that reason. She had a headache, and knew the light would only make it worse. But, as she sat in the middle of the road, she remembered why she had a headache. Rainbow Dash slowly opened her eyes, and...
“AAHHHH!!!”
She came face to face with P.E.T.A.L.D., who was staring down at her, uncomfortably close to her face. She was propped up by dozens of those wiry tentacle things which shone in the midday sun. They extended and pushed the odd machine up until she was hovering several feet above Rainbow’s head. The central part of her form tilted like the head of someone looking at something out of curiosity.
Rainbow scooted back and got a better look at the thing in front of her. Still a really weird watch, so she hadn't dreamed it. It was so… weird, though!
“What are you?”
“I thought I told you already. I am–”
“Yeah, yeah, P.E.T.A.L.D.,” Dash said, cutting her off and rising to a sitting position, “I know, but where did you come from?”
P.E.T.A.L.D. paused for a moment. “My dimension of origin, X-17-I.”
“Um, what does that mean?”
“Well,” she said, adjusting her many arms to lower herself to eye level with Rainbow, “it basically means that I inhabit one of many alternate universes within the third ring of the multiverse, and THAT means I'm from a close offshoot of the Prime Third Dimension. According to my sensors, right now, we’re in Y-97-E, which means… well, how about I show you, instead?”
Rainbow Dash grabbed her chin with a hoof, weighing her curiosity against her trust of this strange device. After a moment of contemplation, she sat upright, looked P.E.T.A.L.D. in the face, and nodded. “Go for it.”
“Very well,” she said, “allow me.” P.E.T.A.L.D. rose higher on her ‘legs’ as her face was tilted downwards, and a light shot down from her face and formed an image on the ground. It was a vast field of clouds, with lightning striking in large spikes at random points. Concentric circles of clouds swirled around like a hurricane, with a giant orb of bright light in the center. The whole thing moved in a rapid fashion, as the currents of clouds whipped around the middle. There were smaller orbs in the arms of the hurricane, and small channels flowed even more rapidly within the clouds, looking much like streams flowing into a river with their own speed independent of the rest of the storm. The entirety of it was absolutely massive.
“Whoah, what is that?”
“That,” P.E.T.A.L.D. said, “is a hologram.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I know what a hologram is, what is that?!” she said, gesturing to the whole projection.
“Oh. That, Miss Dash, is the Void.”
The way she said the name made it sound ominous. “The Void?”
“Yes. The space between spaces, an endless hallway of doors that open and shut at random, an icy chasm of turmoil that is ever-changing, as vast and as open as the fields of your imagination. It is entirely inhospitable and it holds the keys to infinity and the secrets of all time and space. All known and unknown realities are held within its tumultuous grasp, and to traverse all its paths would be an endless nightmare, which only those who are already mad would leave from intact. No living thing without incredible strength and willpower has ever escaped it with their life, if they escape at all. It truly is a Hell unlike any other.
“But, I go through it all the time, so it's cool. Any questions?” P.E.T.A.L.D. looked up from the projection just in time to see Rainbow wobbling, though she managed to catch her before she fell over again. “Too much too soon?”
“You think?” Rainbow deadpanned, a slight shake in her voice.
Her ‘mouth’ line squished up, in what could only be described as an attempt for something with no facial features to look embarrassed. “Sorry, I forget how much this information affects newbies at first. It is an awful lot to take in.” She thought for a moment how to make things better. Then, her ‘grin’ returned. “Want me to show approximately where we are?”
“Sure, I’m already feeling small and insignificant, why not show me how small?”
“Umm… okay?” With a bit of hesitation, P.E.T.A.L.D. projected a beam of blue light from the center of the swirling vortex and moved it until it rested near the second ring from the center, and followed the point as the circle spun slowly. “This is the realm of Y-97-E, your dimension, and its offshoots.”
“Offshoots?”
“Yes. You see, when something happens in one dimension, the effects are visible throughout the Void. Even something as small as you blinking at one point instead of another can change everything you know about the world you live in. Do you know what the Butterfly Effect is?”
“I think so. Twilight told me about it once, after she saved the past last year. Oh, she’s my friend, the Princess of Friendship.”
“Princess of Friendship? Are you acquainted with the monarchy? Well, I must meet her at some point. I’m sure she can tell me much more about this new world! I just love learning about new realms!”
“You sound like you’d get along great. So, quick question.”
“Shoot.”
“If this is us,” she said, pointing to the beam, “where are you from?”
“Oh, that’s easy,” P.E.T.A.L.D. said, moving the beam to the third ring, on the other side of the orb. “This is the position of Earth Prime, and this,” she said, moving it ever so slightly to the left, “is X-17-I. My world.”
Rainbow looked at the spot and compared it to the position of her sphere swirling in the sea of clouds. She wondered just how far apart they were. This was all so much in such short time; she was barely wrapping her head around it.
“So, you’re not pulling my tail? This is real. You’re from another dimension, and you’re a talking watch?”
“Sentient computer program, but yes!” she said, grinning widely.
“… Y’know, that’s actually really cool.” Rainbow allowed herself to let it all sink in, and a smile started to form. “Actually, that’s AWESOME! Wow, a real live alien right here in Ponyville! Wait’ll I show the girls! They’ll FLIP!” Rainbow had started flying a short distance above the ground and was going in circles around the map of the Void.
P.E.T.A.L.D. looked on and couldn’t help but giggle at her excitement. As she watched, she thought of something.
“Pardon me, but did you say, ‘Ponyville?’”
Rainbow stopped mid-flight and turned to her. “Huh? Oh, yeah, that’s where I’m from. Well, technically I’m from Cloudsdale,” she said with no small amount of puff-chested pride, “but Ponyville’s where I live now. I can take you there if you want!”
“That would be splendid!” P.E.T.A.L.D. said, turning off the hologram and retracting her many legs. As she sat on the ground again, she regained her appearance as a watch, leaving her strap unlatched. “I hope you don't mind, but I need to conserve battery power. As I am fairly light, I believe it would be best if you wore me around your ankle – in the interest of speed, of course.”
Dash shrugged. “Sure. I mean, it's not like you're radioactive, right?” She chuckled at her own joke.
“I am, actually. But don't worry; it probably doesn't affect your species.”
Rainbow’s laughter cut off as her eyes grew to gargantuan size. “Uuhhhh…”
“Heh, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that?” P.E.T.A.L.D. asked, trying to give a cockeyed smile as an apology.
It didn't work.
But, hesitantly, Dash wound up picking her up despite thinking it was the biggest mistake of her life, and allowed her ends to connect like puzzle pieces, quickly forming a solid band of metal. Once she was wearing P.E.T.A.L.D., Dash felt the same unease she had felt when she had first touched her. Probably the radiation poison setting in. As she feared her oncoming death, Dash remembered something. “Say, what are you made of, anyway?”
“Oh, a plastic byproduct and living metal, primarily. Why?”
“No reason, other than I have no idea what those are.”
“Oh my. I have much to tell you of my world, then. For now, however, we’d better get going.”
“Alright, then hang on.”
P.E.T.A.L.D. was nervous now. “Why?”
Rainbow spread her wings, crouching down and looking ahead. Fire burned behind her eyes as she gave her response, “I’m tired of walking.” And with that, she shot off at the speed of sound, heading for town over the trees as her passenger held on for dear life.
~~~
Twilight sat in her castle, sipping black tea with milk and going over her mail. She didn't even care how bad it might stain her teeth, she needed the caffeine and was fresh out of coffee. She had an awful sleep last night, and it showed. Bags under her eyes, mane in a tizzy, and she couldn't stop yawning. She sat in a soft chair in a brightly lit room, in front of her was a coffee table with her tea set and a pile of mail next to it. If she didn't have to respond to all the letters from Celestia, she'd still be sleeping. Alas, no such luck would befall her this day.
But, hey. At least it was quiet.
“INCOMING!!!”
Twilight knew that voice. She also knew she had three seconds to either chance her skills with magic while groggy and shut the windows, or exert what little strength she possessed to dodge her friend and maybe save the tea. She chose to dive, and just in time.
CRASH! The table and chair, scrolls and envelopes were violently tossed to either side of her missile-like companion. She covered her head with her hooves and realized her crown had fallen off. She turned back to look for it, and saw Rainbow Dash sitting in the middle of her imported tea set -sigh-, limp and unmoving. She ran over to her, pushing the scalding tea away with her magic. Twilight leaned in to check for bruises and cuts, but found none. She wasn't moving, though.
“Rainbow? RAINBOW!” Twilight leaned in, starting to shake. This wasn't happening. She bent down and tried to hear her breathing.
“…”
“… Rainbow?”
“BOO!” Twilight screamed, shooting straight up in the air and clinging to the ceiling. Below, Rainbow guffawed giddily. “Gotcha!”
“RAINBOW DASH, THAT’S NOT FUNNY!” Twilight hovered down until she stood next to the misbehaving mare. Rainbow was still laughing.
“Heh, heh, uh, sorry, Tw-Twilight, ha ha ha! Oh, it was worth it!” She wiped a tear from her eye. “Say, you busy?”
“Not. Anymore.” She spoke through gritted teeth.
“Well, I brought something for you.” Twilight’s expression softened slightly. Her ears perked up, and Rainbow continued. “Twilight, allow me to introduce my new friend, P.E.T.A.L.D.!” The name was accentuated with a waving of her hoof.
Twilight looked in the direction she was pointing in. “Um, okay. Where are they?”
“Huh? No! Here!” she said, pointing to her leg. But P.E.T.A.L.D. wasn't there. “Wait, what? Where'd she go?!” She looked around, and from inside her mane, a rustling was heard. As Rainbow looked up, the round body of her new companion appeared.
“Sorry, I like to make my own entrances!” With that, P.E.T.A.L.D. jumped up with the ends of her straps, connected them in midair, and rolled like a cartwheel down the curve of Rainbow’s nose. After spinning in the air for a while, she landed on the ground, rolled to Twilight, and sprang up, catching herself with her tentacles and extending them until she was eye-level with Twilight. “Hello! I'm the Portal Energizing Teleportation and Location Device! But you can call me P.E.T.A.L.D.”
Rainbow Dash looked smugly at Twilight. “So, what do you think?”
“Um, what?” Twilight looked on in utter confusion. “What is this supposed to be?”
“Twilight, it’s P.E.T.A.L.D.! She’s a… a…”
“Sentient com–”
“–puter program, right! I found her in the woods this morning! She’s from another dimension and is gonna tell us all about the multiverse, and she wanted to talk to you about our world! She’s a TOTAL EGGHEAD!!!” P.E.T.A.L.D. glared in response.
“Uh, not that being an egghead isn’t cool, or anything…”
“Wait, did you say it’s from another dimension?”
“She, Twilight, she is from another dimension.” Rainbow suddenly looked confused. “Wait, you are a–”
“Yes, Miss Dash, I’m a girl.”
“Yeah, I knew that.”
“And you’re what, exactly?” said Twilight, looking at the machine in front of her.
“I’m a device created for the purpose of locating and apprehending criminals through the use of gateways to alternate realities.”
“Did you hear that?! She’s a superhero, too! How awesome is that!?”
Twilight took a few steps back, studying the machine very carefully. Her horn lit up as she probed it with magic.
“WHOAH, THERE! What is this?! Hey, whatever you’re doing, don’t do it there! I have sensitive hardware!”
“My apologies, I’m just looking to see if there’s any latent spells attached to you. So far, nothing. You’re definitely not organic, but you’re not run by magic, either. Very interesting.”
“Magic, huh? So it’s one of those worlds, isn’t it? Oy.” If she had eyes, P.E.T.A.L.D. would have rolled them. The servos in her camera lenses would have to suffice.
“Well, I’m not sure about any of this, and I will certainly have questions to ask the two of you later, but for now, I’m exhausted, and need to lay down after my sneak attack.” Twilight then headed out of the room and down the hall, leaving the others in the chamber alone.
“Wow,” said Dash, breaking the silence. “That was weird. Normally she would be way more excited than that. She must be on the verge of a coma!”
~~~
“Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, OHMYGOSH!!!”
Meanwhile, in the main hall of the castle, Twilight was as giddy as a schoolfilly. Prancing around and flying through the rafters, she still felt like a sack of hammers that got tossed into the river, but her rising heartbeat made her feel lighter than air. This was the most astounding, not to mention important, finding of her life, if not all of Equestrian history! First contact with an interdimensional entity! Of course, she had to keep her cool – who knew what this thing was capable of? It could melt her face in a split second if she made it mad, but it seemed to like her, so that was good.
Ohmygosh, it seemed to like her! It was all too much for her to handle. And then, from the castle doors came a knock and in came Spike.
“Twilight, I’m back from getting groceries! And I bought your favorite blend of coffee!” Immediately, the little guy was set upon by his friend and guardian, getting so close to him that all he could see were eyes.
“BREW EVERY. LAST. DROP. WE HAVE A LOOOONG DAY AHEAD OF US!”
~~~
Beyond the town, a portal opened.
Author's Note
Chapter graciously edited by the fabulous atronosthelast.
Chapter 3: Aliens
The portal shut. A figure had walked out, stumbling and half-frozen. Ice clung to his outfit as he shakily tried to stand. There was nothing like that place, and he hoped never to return. He got a look around him, but his vision was occluded by a thin layer of mist that had frozen over his head. He wiped it off with a hand and found himself face to face with a bizarre sight: a unicorn. An Honest-to-God pink unicorn, about two feet tall, with a blue mane. And what’s more, it started speaking.
“Um, you okay? You fell out of a hole in the sky! It looked like it hurt.”
It had, but the pain could be ignored. This new information was exciting. Clearly, this was a new reality, and there was a new lifeform he’d only ever heard stories about right in front of him! From its voice, he assumed it was a young female of its species. He had to get a better look. He got up, wiped the grass and dirt off of himself, and stood up on his legs. Being bipedal, he naturally towered over her.
“Wow,” said the filly, apparently intimidated, “you’re a big one, ain'tcha?”
“Indeed, I am,” he said. His voice was weak, possibly a side effect of being in the Void for so long. He decided to conserve it. “Who are you? Where am I?”
“My name’s Cream Soda,” she said in a bubbly voice, “and you’re outside the Everfree Forest. Say, this isn’t a good place to be. There are lots of monsters around here. Can you walk?”
“Yes, why?”
“We gotta get out of here; the sun’ll be going down soon! That’s when the bad stuff happens! And you don’t wanna be around for that!~” The tone of her voice was very sing-song, like she knew something he didn’t. He disliked that, but the information she was giving him was useful. First, there are mythical creatures here, and second, there are dangerous ones in that forest. Good to know. He decided to probe for more.
“Where would we go?”
“To town, duh!” she said as if he was stupid for not knowing. “To see the others!” He was confused now.
“Why?”
“Because you’re new! New ponies get a welcome party, and a song!”
“A... song?”
“Yeah! It goes like, ‘Welcome, welcome, welcome! A fine welcome to you!...’” As the little, pony, did she call her kind? Yes, pony, continued to sing, he began to put more pieces together. This little filly had very little instruction on how to treat strangers, clearly. She was also a little pitchy. However, she was leading him to civilization, and that was good. The sooner he was in a town, the more at ease he would feel. He turned back, and saw the woods looming behind him and felt colder, despite having most of the frost melt off of him by now. He turned back to the filly, and saw she was dancing away. He decided not to interfere with her fun, and let himself relax. This could pan out, after all.
“... Welcome, welcome, welcome…”
~~~
“... To Ponyville today!!!~”
A cloud of confetti and streamers filled the room. The Welcome Wagon settled down, and Pinkie Pie stood in front of it, front hooves raised and a smile plastered all over her face. A small round of applause went around the map room in the form of stomping hooves and clapping claws, and P.E.T.A.L.D. sat in the middle of the map, taking it all in. She had had quite the afternoon, to say the least. Twilight had wanted to run all sorts of diagnostics on her after her excitement had worn off a little, but P.E.T.A.L.D. was wary of someone with that much enthusiasm probing her, so she instead asked to hear some of Equestria's history. After hearing some preliminary information, such as the three types of ponies, where on the planet the country was, and things like that, Twilight had invited the others to talk, and to introduce her to them. Immediately, the pink one had set to organizing a celebration for a new face, something she apparently did for everyone, without exception. While sudden, P.E.T.A.L.D. would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it. It was nice to be appreciated for once, and she would take all the attention she could get.
“So, what did you think?” asked Pinkie expectantly.
“It was wonderful! Thank you all so much for this! It’s all just so nice of you!”
Pinkie blushed, “Aww, shucks! It was nuthin’.”
P.E.T.A.L.D. sat on the Friendship Map in the center of the Castle of Friendship surrounded by new faces. There were ones she knew like Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie, who had just initiated her “Welcome to Ponyville” Party with a song and dance number, but there were others like Applejack, the farmer, Fluttershy the animal specialist, Rarity the fashionista, Starlight Glimmer the Princess’ student, and Spike a dragon and assistant to the Princess. All had eyes on her, and were enjoying themselves with refreshments that Pinkie and the others had brought.
“I gotta say, it sure is a pleasure to be the first ponies to greet you, P.E.T.A.L.D.,” Applejack said. “Though, I am sorry you can’t eat anything we prepared for you. And I spent all that time makin’ those fritters.” She kicked a hoof dejectedly.
“It’s okay. While I have no biological needs to take care of, I’ve scanned the ingredients, and after running through my database of flavor experiences and chemical combinations, I can guarantee those who can eat would enjoy them immensely!”
Applejack gave an unsure smile. “Uh, thanks! I guess... but don’t go around tellin’ folks about those ingredients. Apple Family secret, after all.”
“My speaker is silenced,” said P.E.T.A.L.D., running a tentacle across her sinusoidal sonic readout.
“Uh, sure.”
“Anyway,” Twilight said from her place at the table, “we now have an important matter to discuss. Actually...” Twilight then pulled out a projection screen from behind the throne. “We have many things to talk about. Our esteemed guest has graciously offered to give us information about her world in exchange for information about ours. Spike?”
Near the doors, Spike set up a projector. “We’re good!” he called out to his mentor.
“Excellent! And now,” Twilight said, dimming the lights with her magic, “let’s begin your crash course in Equestrian History 101!”
Rainbow Dash grumbled to herself. “Ugh, wake me up when they’ve run out of films.”
~~~
After 2 hours of documentaries, the group had gotten a tad bored. Well, Rainbow had passed out sometime at the beginning, Rarity was styling Fluttershy’s mane for the fifth time, Fluttershy was letting her for the fifth time, Spike still bravely manned the projector, and only Starlight, Twilight, and Applejack truly paid attention to the information on the screen. Pinkie had wandered off and had yet to be found. Meanwhile, P.E.T.A.L.D. stared intently at the pictures and listened to the sounds as her microphone picked up every word and her cameras every sight. She didn’t watch, she absorbed all that was presented to her.
This was not especially difficult for the supercomputer, but it was different this time in that she loved everything she heard about this place. For some reason, it was utterly fascinating to her. The history was so rich, the culture so unique, yet so similar to Earth. The magic alone was something she wanted to take a week to study, but she knew that so much good could come from this information, too. The ways she could change her home with this knowledge. Earth could stand to learn more about friendship. It was then that her sensors told her the films had ended, and suddenly P.E.T.A.L.D. became aware of the fact that everypony (and Spike) had gathered around her front, despite her being able to see behind her. Must be a biological thing to want to stand in front of someone when addressing them.
“So...” started Twilight, “what did you think?” Her excitement barely contained.
As she looked at those around her, she saw a sleepy Rainbow being shaken by a frustrated-looking Applejack, Fluttershy being spooked as Pinkie Pie launched herself into view from underneath the table, Rarity looking at her with a fascination she could only assume stemmed from her looking distinctly similar to a piece of jewelry, Spike looking like he needed a nap after running those documentaries for hours on end, Starlight looking at her with an uncertainty that did not go unnoticed, and finally Twilight, leaning in expectantly, waiting for her answer. She felt something very familiar about this. It reminded her very much of home. She loved it.
“I think I’m going to like it here,” she said, Twilight smiled wide as the others let out a round of cheers and applause. The Princess of Friendship extended her hoof.
“Then it’s settled! Welcome to Equestria, P.E.T.A.L.D.!” P.E.T.A.L.D. took her hoof in her tentacle, and they shook. As they did, the others congratulated them. “I hope we have good relations between our two worlds for many years to come!”
“Thank you, but while I hope we can have a mutually advantageous relationship, I don’t plan on staying indefinitely,” she said, retracting her metallic appendage and frowning slightly.
“Oh, yes of course! I just got caught up in the moment, is all.” Twilight didn’t sound disappointed, but you could tell by how she looked. Even her ears sagged, which, while interesting to her, made P.E.T.A.L.D. want to backtrack as fast as possible.
“But, I still have to tell you about my world! I have to uphold my end of the bargain now.”
Pinkie Pie spoke up this time. “Well? What are we waiting for?! It’s Storytime! Again!” She returned to her seat at the table, and the others followed. Even Rainbow looked more enthusiastic this time, though perhaps because she hadn’t heard any of these stories yet. The only one who hesitated was Starlight Glimmer, who still had a worried expression. She shot Twilight a glance that said, ‘We need to talk later,’ and moved to her seat next to hers. Lastly, Twilight herself was seated, and the whole group waited for their guest to start. P.E.T.A.L.D. began whirring, turning her face upwards, and began projecting images in the air above the table, three-dimensional holograms that spun around.
The first image was of a globe-like object, a planet. “This,” she began, “is the place where I was manufactured, my homeworld, one tiny little stone in the quarry of...” She zoomed out, leaving the enormous sphere to show an immensely bigger solar system, a yet larger galaxy, and ending with a room full of stars, star systems, nebulas, galaxies, supernovas, and so much more, packed into one area. “... My universe. My homeworld,” she changed the image like a slideshow, “is populated by these: sentient beings known as humans.” The picture of a bipedal simian with a tuft of hair on its head, wearing clothes and moving its legs to demonstrate its walk cycle, appeared in place of the star system. “There are many different species on the planet, most of which, if your information is anything to go off of, Twilight, we happen to share, but don’t be fooled; humans are the dominant species on Earth, and that will likely never change.”
At the end of the table, had Twilight begun furiously scribbling notes, and abruptly stopped. Did she say, “humans?”
She looked up and saw the image, all too familiar. Yes, it may have looked a little different, but those features she had seen before, had lived in. Was... was she from that portal? She looked across the table, gauging the other’s reactions to this. Most of them were enraptured, and Fluttershy was staring so intently, she was leaning over the table, about to fall over, like she had just seen a new animal to care for. Of course, but... still, it was so bizarre. This wasn’t a new world, at least, not to her. She had been over to the other world many times, and had always told her friends the major details, but didn’t give out any details like her turning into another creature. She had told them about ‘other versions’ of herself and her friends, but didn’t want to scare them, and as such never went too far with her descriptions. But now, she was wondering if that was a mistake.
She’d have to talk about this later. Perhaps this world was different. Yes, this must be a misunderstanding, There’s no way the two could be related, it was all a coincidence, right? For now, though, she had to get back to her notes. She had missed some things in her mental detour, and was missing the history of the universe. She was just about to talk about the first lifeforms in the universe.
~~~
“Come on; we’re almost there!” This rambunctious filly was going to drive him insane. At this point, he was certain that she either didn’t know where she was going, or she didn’t care. They had been walking for hours, and she was getting distracted by everything. ‘Ooh! A butterfly!’ ‘Ooh, a squirrel!’ How about, ‘OOH, THE ROAD.’ It was infuriating that he had to keep her on track, but it would pay off soon enough. At least that’s what he told himself; whether he believed it was another matter.
Oh, great. She found a caterpillar. Exquisite.
But finally, after a few more yards, he could see buildings ahead. He let out a soft sound of disgust. Of course they would have thatched roofs. The filly, wait, what did she call herself, again? Oh, right. Cream Soda. Because that was normal. Anyway, she passed by the first house and found things to be quieter than usual. At least, that’s what he assumed. She looked around, as if seeing where everyone went. He looked around and asked himself that, too. Of course, it wasn’t like she had made the place out to be a sprawling metropolis, but a few more faces would be very much appreciated. It was far too quiet. It reminded him of a ghost town, but moreso an ambush. He was on his guard, and began reaching for his waist, when suddenly-
“CREAM!!! THANK CELESTIA!” A cherry-red pony, one without a horn, came rushing out of one of the homes, her wintergreen mane flying behind her as she galloped over and grabbed what he could only assume was her daughter. “YOU ARE IN SOOOO MUCH TROUBLE! IT’S NEARLY DARK, YOU’VE BEEN GONE ALL DAY, AND NOW THAT I FIND YOU YOU’RE WITH THIS, THIS... this....” Her words trailed off as she looked up at him. A good three feet of distance between each other’s faces kept her quiet long enough to think about backing away slowly while guarding her daughter as well as she could, given that she was fighting to go back to him. Eventually, she broke loose and found her voice.
“Mom, it’s okay, He’s new!”
“He certainly is... wait, what?!” She grabbed her daughter forcefully by the shoulders. “Who is this, no, WHAT is this?! Where have you been?” The worry seeped through her voice, and for a moment, he felt pity for her. But the kid spoke up again before that feeling could settle.
“I saw him fall from the sky! He said he was new, and wanted to come to town, so I was showing him around!”
He had said no such thing. And “showing him around,” huh? Was that what she called it. Regardless, he felt as if he should speak for himself. His voice should be less... ew, at this point.
“My dearest pardon, but-”
“Oh my princess, it can talk, RUN!”
The mare started shoving Cream Soda away towards the house she came from, down the street, and he followed, which wasn’t hard because he took much longer steps. He had almost gained on them when the door slammed inches from his hand. He heard a latch slam on the other side, and became frustrated.
“Excuse me, but I feel we got off on the wrong foot-I mean, hoof!”
“GO AWAY!”
If he was as dangerous as she thought, then saying that didn’t make much sense, did it? He’d just find another way in, if he was that desperate. But he wasn’t. So he sat against the door, waiting for her to calm down. While he waited, he stared at the stars, which had just started to appear in the sky. The sun was at the horizon, and it was getting cold. He had a feeling that it wouldn’t be long until the spirited little filly told her he was no threat, and then he could explain his situation. After another five minutes, the door opened, almost causing him to fall back. He stood up, and looked down at the bright red coat of the borderline panicking mare.
“... Come in.”
Not wanting to waste his opportunity, he crouched and entered. The door was small, but the ceiling almost didn’t decapitate him, so that was a plus. He looked around and saw wood floors, a bit of simple furniture, some chairs and a table, and a fireplace that had fire in it. The shades on the window facing the street were drawn shut, and it was otherwise dark, but inviting nonetheless. Cream was sitting near the flames, drawing a picture. So innocent-looking to anyone who hadn’t been dragged along all day by her. He made his way to a chair. He finally felt like he could relax after the day he’d had.
“I’m Cherry Soda.”
He was a little stunned by her suddenly speaking to him. There was fear in her voice, but confidence, as well. She walked to the fire, in front of him. He got a better look at her, seeing that she had a fizzing bottle on her rear. Ungulates called them flanks, though. He decided to ask her about it. “So, what’s that mark?”
“Hm. You’re definitely not from around here. It’s my Cutie Mark. Guess you don’t have one, do you?”
“My kind don’t possess marks like that. How did you acquire it?”
“When a pony finds out what they’re best at, they get their Cutie Mark.”
“Interesting. So yours means...”
“I make sodas, and bottle them.”
“Interesting.” He stared at the design a little longer. So, they were all magical. That made things even more interesting. And complicated.
“So,” said Cream, “if you’re not a pony,” – was this kid serious? – “what are you?”
“... First, I have three questions.”
~~~
Meanwhile, at the castle...
The ponies and dragon got a little dizzy as the sheer magnitude of the information struck them. They had just traveled light-years in seconds, centuries in minutes, and this watch, smaller than any of them, was talking about it all like one would talk about what they had for breakfast. She had just gone through the entire history of her planet, at least, the highlights. It’s formation, the history of its people, the humans, and all the wonderful and horrible things they were capable of. She had just gotten to the Twenty-First Century, her time, and was going through the events leading up to the current day. She was a professional lecture-giver; being a machine, she had to have been made to be one. Everyone was completely entranced, but Twilight paid extra special attention. This was definitely not the world she had visited, but that only raised more questions! For one thing, if there was no portal to her world, how did P.E.T.A.L.D. get here? And how did she end up in a world that was so similar, yet so different? There had to be a logical reason for it. She decided she was going to ask, but-
“Oh, oh! I think I know what’s next!” said Pinkie excitedly.
“Would that happen to be the story of my life?”
“Yay! I was right!!!” Pinkie clapped her hooves together, and P.E.T.A.L.D. smiled softly.
Twilight decided to hold her questions for later. Right now, she’d listen to some answers.
She phased away her last image, and brought up an image of herself. The sleek design came apart as thousand of moving parts were displayed. “Under normal circumstances, I would say that this information is classified, but I feel I can trust you all. And so, here’s my blueprints. The story of my, admittedly, short life.”
The parts seemed to dance across the scene as the others gazed up and stared at them all. Again, the image filled the room, so numerous were the parts. And just as quickly as they appeared, they disappeared, and another image took the previous one's place. Twilight was glad she had an eidetic memory, it went by far too quickly. She'd have to ask about those parts later. Above the table, a dark image popped up of a creature with glowing eyes. The photograph was taken at night, from the end of a feathery wing. It was a profile, and below the creature, there was a sea of lights, clearly a city, from one of P.E.T.A.L.D.’s photos of modern Earth. From what little light was visible, the creature was metallic like P.E.T.A.L.D., with a giant beak, like a toucan protruding from its avian face, but hooked on the end. While the color was muted in the dark, it was clearly a bright green all over.
“That,” said P.E.T.A.L.D., “is my maker, Emeril Langston, known more commonly as the Emerald Egret. This is him during a night mission. He’s flying above the city he resides in, the one I was made in, Princeton Heights, a city on the East Coast of the United States.”
Rarity gasped. “So that means you live near New York City?!”
“Well, it’s actually quite a ways away...”
“Oh,” said Rarity, looking sheepish. “Well, even being in the general vicinity of that glorious place makes you all the more divine in my eyes, darling!”
“Gee, you sure took a shine to that one, didn’tcha, Rares?” Applejack prodded rarity in her seat next to her.
“Well, can I help it if there’s an even bigger and brighter version of Manehatten out there? It’s just appealing. How could it not be?”
“Like an orange?” asked Pinkie.
“No, what? Pinkie, dear, that’s not what I-”
“Girls,” interrupted Twilight, “I think we’re getting off-topic.” The others turned back to P.E.T.A.L.D., each with varying degrees of embarrassment.
“My apologies, please continue.”
P.E.T.A.L.D. giggled a little at their antics. How quaint these organics were. “It’s nothing. Anyway, as I was saying, my creator is a man named Emeril Langston. He designed my software in an attempt to create a conscious from large chunks of data. After many tries, and several failures, he finally created the entity that speaks to you today, the Portal Energizing Teleportation and Location Device. Of course, interdimensional travel had not been achieved by my creators yet, so I wasn’t called that.”
“What were you called?” asked Fluttershy.
“Clarise,” she said with a hint of nostalgia. “Of course, one of my creators didn’t like that name, so it got changed when I was fit with portal technology later on.”
“Wait, ‘creators’? I thought you said Emeril Langston made you,” inquired Twilight.
“All in due time.” She changed the image again, this time to a molecular diagram. It was a chemical that Twilight was unfamiliar with. It’s shape was all wrong, and there were letters that shouldn’t be there, elements she didn't recognize. How in Equestria would this work in reality? “This is the component they made the portal machines out of, the form my conscious currently resides within. It’s called Living Metal, and it was invented by...”
“Emeril?” droned Twi.
“You’re catching on, good!”
Twilight rolled her eyes. Next to her, Rainbow perked up. “Hey, I remember you said something about that when I found you.”
“Yes it’s my core component, and it’s made of a super dense metalloid called Princium, named for the scientist who discovered it a few years back. It emits a low-wave radiation that doesn’t normally affect living beings, but under certain circumstances, can bond to the DNA of certain creatures, changing their genetic structure. Emeril had this happen to him, and was fused with a giant bird that a certain company he worked for created using gene splicing tech they developed alongside the princium. From what he’s told me, it was excruciatingly painful!” She said that last part a little too cheerfully. Around the table, many faces shared frightened expressions.
“Wow. I only understood half of that stuff, and it sounded really bad!” Dash was cringing like she was there when it happened.
“It sounds like an origin story to me!” said Pinkie.
“Hey, I was thinking the same thing!” Spike, who had been quiet for the most part, chimed in. “Is that why he looks like a bird, even though you called him a human?”
“Yes, it is. Although a more appropriate term would be chimera.” The atmosphere in the map room got a little staler as memories of Discord, and other beasts ran through their minds. “Anyway, he’s basically a superhero, and I help him out on missions with his friends. Oh, and that reminds me, I was going to tell you about my other creator. He’s the one responsible for the portals. He’s a chimera, too, but he was fused with a mammalian subject in the explosion.”
The others got even tenser at that. “Wait, you didn’t say anything about them exploding!” said Dash.
“I didn’t? Oh, yeah, that’s how the Princium got in their system. It was pretty much a small-scale nuke. Pretty terrible, considering they were the only survivors. Anyway, here’s what he looks like now!”
There was suddenly a chorus of ‘no’s’ and ‘don’ts’ and, ‘please for the love of Celestia don’t show us any gnarly pictures of half-melted aliens.’
“What? He looks completely normal.”
She showed the picture anyway. While everypony covered their eyes, a picture of a spotted bipedal cat in jeans, a jacket, and a wide-brimmed hat stood next to a dumpster looking down on another person in a mask holding a purse. He smiled down at the cowering figure, showing a mouth lined with rows and rows of shark-like teeth. Spike screamed as he peeked out from under his claws. “Oh, no no no! Don’t be scared, little guy! He’s really nice, I swear, I just chose the wrong picture...”
“No, it’s not that!” he said, still averting his eyes, “He looks like a bad self-insert character from a fan magazine for the Power Ponies!” This produced a round of laughter from the others, who had uncovered their eyes at this point.
“Well, I mean, yeah, but that’s still kinda rude. I mean, he can’t help the way he looks. It’s impressive he’s alive at all with all the things he’s been through. After all, he does most of the fighting.”
“Wait, fighting?” Rainbow Dash perked up immediately. “Heck, yeah! Now we’re getting to the good stuff!”
“What, you didn’t like the other stuff? You stayed awake for the history and everything,” said Twilight.
“Well, talking about this pony who did whatever whenever, and that guy who did this-and-that is usually enough to put me to sleep, but this is aliens who did this-and-that! It’s completely different!”
Twilight nodded. “Uh-huh.”
“But fighting, oh yeah, THAT’S what I’m talking about! How many villains do you guys have?”
“You’re right. You have been reading too many comics,” said P.E.T.A.L.D.
Rainbow blushed. “Hey! You said you wouldn’t tell them.”
P.E.T.A.L.D. merely chuckled in response. “Well, there’s been some pretty nasty characters we’ve faced off against, let me tell you.” She pulled up a database with mugshots and criminal records. The first image was of a tall, burly man in a labcoat sporting dreadlocks. “Here’s Mr. Brain and Brawn, alias Professor Johan Slocome. He’s pretty much what he sounds like.”
The next one was of a woman, but the image was grainy, like she was made of a fine powder. “And that’s Dust Bunny. She’s always fun to fight, when she’s not trying to asphyxiate you by coating your lungs with her dust.” The next one was a man in a fish mascot costume. P.E.T.A.L.D. tried to skip it, but Rainbow called out.
“Hey, who’s that?”
“That’s Pike, we don’t talk about him,” she said hurriedly, moving to the next image before anyone else could say anything. “And this one...
“... is XiZ.” She shook as she looked up at it. Her metal frame made a jingling sound like spare change until it suddenly stopped.
The picture that caused the reaction was of a bipedal hominid, but clad in a full-piece leather outfit that didn’t show anything above the neck, with a head that looked like a royal guard’s helmet, all gold, with a black ponytail sticking out of the back. Inside the helmet, there was a floating red ball, like a gem in its appearance. Otherwise, it had no face. Those who could see P.E.T.A.L.D.’s face could see that a frightened expression had crossed it, but no one could with her projecting the images. They picked it up from her voice.
“Who’s XiZ?” asked Twilight.
“A vile creature. An alien from a planet far from mine, he betrayed his pacifist people because he finds violence beautiful, or some crap. He’s made it his mission to kill at least one of every creature known to exist, the rarer the better. He’s a bounty hunter by trade, so he gets paid for doing what he does, which only fuels his bloodlust. He’s one of the strongest and smartest psychos we’ve ever fought, and he’s... still at large.”
It was at this point that she noticed the room had gone quiet. She looked around and saw the others huddling back in their chairs, away from the image. She hadn’t really been thinking when she said all that, had she? Idiot. She saw the tapes they showed her. They definitely weren’t used to this level of violence from a sentient being. An animal, maybe, but not someone like him. She hadn’t gone into the more explicit parts of human history for that same reason. Idiot! she mentally cursed.
She looked out over her audience again. Fluttershy was taking it the worst, and was about to pass out.
“What’s that red thing in his head?”
Everyone turned and looked at Starlight Glimmer, who hadn’t said a thing all this time. She was also the only one not looking like she was on the verge of tears. No, she was mad.
P.E.T.A.L.D. hesitantly answered. “Um, that’s his brain... and his eye. He, uh...” She trailed off as she looked at Starlight.
“Well?”
“He, uhhh... he uses it to psychically manipulate matter to...”
“To what?”
“... make living creatures explode.” P.E.T.A.L.D. cringed as she waited for the inevitable. And, right on cue, Fluttershy fell out onto the floor. As Pinkie Pie and Rainbow went to help and as Rarity looked like she was about to vomit, Starlight took Twilight, who was standing dumbfounded by all of this, aside and out the main doors into the hall. When the doors shut, Starlight went off like a bomb.
“So, we make friends with dangerous aliens, now, huh?”
“Starlight, she said she fights these aliens. She’s not dangerous, she-”
“Oh, she’s not dangerous, she’s just different, is that how it is?”
“Starlight, this is hardly the time to-”
“I think it is the perfect time to! Think about it. We gave away all of our history, and she barely gave us anything important that we couldn’t have guessed. We know how stars and planets are formed, we have books! But when it came to her people, that was the shortest part of the presentation by comparison! All filled with science mumbo-jumbo that could mean anything, or nothing! Why are we so blindly trusting her, anyway? She could be Chrysalis for all we know!”
“She’s not Chrysalis, I’ve checked that. How about having faith in your mentor?” Twilight was getting heated at this point. Starlight was bringing up good points, but her attitude needed adjustment. “Look, is this a friendship problem? Do we need to have a lesson about poni- ugh, I mean people, who are different?”
“If by ‘different,’ we mean ‘a library of information to be used against us,’ then yes, she’s VERY DIFFERENT!”
Twilight sighed in exasperation. “Stop shouting, they’ll hear you! And might I remind you, you were very different when we met you, but you changed for the better!”
“And that's my point! Look, Twilight, take it from someone well-versed in manipulation. She’s not telling us everything. Not even close.”
“It sounds like she’s telling us everything. We spent three-and-a-half hours listening to an abridged history of her world.”
“Yeah, abridged! How much do you think she felt was convenient to leave out? The same amount you felt was convenient to leave out?!”
Twilight wanted to argue. She wanted to scream. She was starting to want to punch something, but she decided to think about that a moment. While she had confirmed that the world P.E.T.A.L.D. came from was different than the one she visited, there were still many things that didn’t add up. All the wars, tragedies, explorations, discoveries, all seemed to turn on its head during the last ten minutes when she started talking about superpowers and villains. The progression of events was about as logical as tossing an ostrich into the sky and saying it could fly. Even then, she never did go into detail as she explained the messier subjects. There were pieces missing, but she had no way of confirming anything. And she couldn’t outright accuse her of anything; she’d just scare her off. Starlight wasn’t wrong, just too gung-ho. She just had to be careful about how she continued.
“Well,” Twilight asked after a while, “where do we start?”
“We start by asking why she’s even here. Have you not wondered why something that has handlers suddenly appears in our world alone?”
Twilight was stunned. She hadn’t even thought about that. She was absolutely right, how had she overlooked something so vital?! “... Okay. We’ll start with that, but don’t get aggressive.”
“Trust me, I only want what’s best for my friends.” She shot Twilight an honest smile, which was hesitantly reciprocated before they re-entered the room.
As the doors shut behind them, they saw Fluttershy waking up and Rarity holding her head, while the others attended to them. P.E.T.A.L.D. had turned off the projection and was still sitting on the map, so they marched over to it. Starlight took the left, while Twilight took the right. One glared, the other affected a more pained expression. P.E.T.A.L.D. looked to both without moving. “May I help you fine ladies?”
“Don’t give us any of that, what is your game?!”
“Starlight, NO! Remember the plan!”
Starlight pointed a hoof to the machine. “If we don’t get answers fast, it might be too late! We need to take action.”
“I... beg your pardon, but, what seems to be the problem?” P.E.T.A.L.D. shifted uncomfortably in her spot.
Twilight spoke before her pupil could. “Well, you see, there’s just a few things that don’t add up with your story.”
“You’re hiding something!” They both watched as P.E.T.A.L.D. shrank beneath the hateful gaze of Starlight Glimmer. Twilight was about to reprimand her once again, but just then, their interrogee found her voice.
“Well... Not exactly hiding, per se...”
Every ear in the room perked up and turned to her. Starlight beamed triumphantly, while Twilight urged P.E.T.A.L.D. on with her eyes. “You see, there was a mission I was on... it involved the capture of someone... but they escaped.”
“What do you mean, escaped?” Twilight tried to sound calm, but she was starting to come undone. The tea wasn’t enough this morning. The coffee wasn't, either. She needed several more pots at this point.
“Heh, it’s funny, I was actually helping track him down when I fell into this world. He had gotten ahold of a portal energizer, one of my own models, and was going to change history by going back to a point in the Void where he hadn’t been a criminal and kill everyone that would try to stop him in the future. Of course, he had lost the device as soon as he entered, and was swept away by the current. I’m sure he’s lost by now.”
“That’s not funny! He could have followed you here!” Starlight had her hooves on the table and was shouting again. This time, however, the others were starting to voice their agreement, Applejack and Rarity in particular. Rainbow Dash sat a little ways off, by herself mostly. When P.E.T.A.L.D. looked into her eyes, she noticed the tinge of betrayal beneath them that was far too familiar. She had to amend this. Presently.
“Y-you... y-...” Despite not being physically able to have a lump in her throat, despite not having a throat at all, P.E.T.A.L.D. knew this is what it must feel like. She struggled to say anything for a good minute. “Y-y-you s-seriously underestimate the uninhabitability of the Void. I only survived because I was made to.”
Twilight looked even more hurt. Things were going so well. And she had so wished for her student to be wrong. She still wanted to make things right, though. “P.E.T.A.L.D. Please. Tell me there wasn’t anyone else with you when you came into our world.”
Her pleading, utterly sincere eyes bored holes into her wiring. She couldn’t take it. “I didn’t... check.” She cringed again when more harsh yelling filled the room.
“Guys! Calm down!” Twilight got them to settle again. “Okay, now that we have a better understanding of things, I want you to answer a simple question. Can you do that?”
P.E.T.A.L.D. Nodded.
“Good. Now, can you find out if anyone followed you?”
She nodded again. She connected her straps, and used her tentacles to push herself off the table, rolling into the floor towards one of the windows above the doorways, near the roots of the library. She used her appendages to grapple up to the ceiling, attaching several of them to the frame of a window, affecting the appearance of a spiderweb as the blue beam shot out and through the window. Anyone outside would see what looked like a blue flashlight shining out of the window, but its reach was much longer. As she scanned the town like a lighthouse, she muttered to herself.
“Please don’t be here, please don’t be here, please don’t be here, these are good people, don’t let them suffer because of me, please, please, please, don’t be here!”
But, at that moment, she found traces of Princium, out in the town, and energy from the Void.
“No. Nonononono, bad, bad, BAD.”
“Everything okay up there?” Below her, Twilight had materialized a telescope with her magic and was looking out a lower window while the others pressed in to see outside. It was night by now, so it didn’t do much good, but they did it more for the sake of self-assurance and reassurance than anything else.
“Uh, alright, stay calm, but something came out of the portal.” The others sounded panicky, but P.E.T.A.L.D. had to get the coordinates of the energy reading, so she wasn’t paying attention. “Okay, it sounds bad, but it might be my team. Maybe it’s just Em-”
Her denial was cut off by a streak of red that blew through the roof of a cottage and high into the deep black, moonless night. Every pony gasped as the beam grew taller and taller, and they looked to the source of it in silent terror. Finally, Twilight spoke up.
“P.E.T.A.L.D. ... Who were you following?”
~~~
On the outskirts of Ponyville, a creature lumbered away with a filly in tow. Despite not having four feet, he covered great distances fairly quickly. Actually, he was faster than most Earth Ponies. Of course, Cream Soda couldn’t focus on how fast they were going. She was too busy staring at the floating red orb fixed in the middle of a gleaming gold helmet that had just destroyed everything she had ever loved.
She was too busy crying to tell it to stop laughing at her.
Author's Note
Sorry for the info dump, I just needed to establish some things. The story should pick up now, but I'm not sure when the next chapter will come out. Sorry for the wait, but school comes first.
Again, this chapter edited by atronosthelast. He's been a big help, so show your appreciation, folks. See you next time.
