Author's Note

This chapter actually took a lot of thought and ~~Wikipedia~~ research. Can you dig up all the details I hid in there? Let me know what you find. Happy hunting!

He came from outer space!

“Twilight?” Fluttershy called out, her voice echoing throughout the cavernous hallways, “Twilight, are you here?” The lack of a response was starting to get her a little worried, but Fluttershy continued on with her search. The Castle of Friendship was a big place, but there were only a few areas where Twilight was most likely hiding.

“Twilight?” she called out again, “I was hoping you could help me find a book.” Normally, the mention of interest in books was enough to get her attention, but there was no Twilight to be found.

“If you can hear me,” she continued, “I could really use your-“

*Thump*

Around a blind corner, Fluttershy and spike collided. The stack of books he was carrying toppled like a poorly constructed building. Spike struggled in vain to stabilize the stack, but it was no use. He fell flat on his stomach, throwing books on the floor for several feet down the hall.

“Oh, goodness!” Fluttershy gasped as she realized who she hit, “Are you OK, Spike? I didn’t mean to run into you.” She sincerely apologized as she helped the young dragon back to his feet.

“That’s OK, Fluttershy,” Spike replied as he dusted himself off, “It was an accident. Could’ve happened to anypony. Just call out next time you go around one of these corners like that,” he said as he started to reclaim the dropped books.

“I thought I did,” Fluttershy said in a barely audible whisper.

“What was that?” Spike asked. Her last comment barely registered to him so he needed clarification.

“Oh, nothing,” Fluttershy quickly remarked, “Anyway,” she continued, changing the subject, “Do you know where Twilight is? I need her help.”

“She’s upstairs in the observatory,” Spike answered, “I was just heading up there myself. C’mon,” he beckoned Fluttershy, “I’ll deliver these books to her and you can ask her for the help you need.”

“That sounds good,” Fluttershy cheerfully comment as she helped carry a couple of books for Spike.

~~~

Finally, the pair reached the door leading up to the castle’s massive observational telescope. The door to the observatory was blocked by a mountain of books and parchment scrolls, but Spike didn’t figure that out until he forced the door open. He opened it as far as the paper mountain would allow him, but that was barely enough room for him to squeeze by. Forcing the door open as well as carrying a load twice his weight required more coordination than he had, so he ended up dropping the books once more.

Before they hit the ground, however, Twilight caught them with her magical grasp. She teleported down from one of the telescope’s gantries and scanned the entire lot of books. She dropped the ones she didn’t need and immediately started leafing through the ones she did. Right away, Fluttershy could see there was a problem. Twilight was on edge, anxious about something. Her eyes were mildly bloodshot, like she had missed a night’s sleep or two. She nervously groaned over seemingly nothing, though in Twilight’s racing mind, every minute detail was a serious problem.

“Spike,” Twilight said, desperately trying to maintain her composure, “Where’s that book on magical meteorological phenomena?”

Fluttershy looked at the books she was holding and noticed that one had an image of a red cloud emblazoned on it.

“Is it one of-“ Fluttershy began to ask.

“Thanks Fluttershy!” Twilight interrupted as the book sprung to life and leapt from her hooves. It was so sudden and startling that she inadvertently dropped the other book she was carrying right on Spike’s head. Fluttershy apologized in her usual near-inaudible way, hiding her embarrassment behind her hooves and long flowing mane.

Twilight almost didn’t even seem to notice that Fluttershy had entered the room. She was so engrossed in her books and whatever it was she could see in the telescope. Fluttershy flew up to the main control station where Twilight was located, navigating around her cloud of books and scrolls of notes.

“Um, Twilight?” Fluttershy meekly asked. It felt wrong interrupting Twilight when she was clearly busy, but she needed to find more information about Levin and Twilight was the best pony she could think of to help her. “Do you think, umm, maybe some time today you could-“

“Hold that thought!” Twilight interrupted, not even batting an eye. In a moment, several of the knobs and levers on the main control panel came to life, glowing with Twilight’s magical aura. A moment later, the massive telescope apparatus started rotating counterclockwise. The entire room seemed to shake as the brass gears and steel components clacked and chattered. Fluttershy instinctively put distance between herself and the noisy mechanical behemoth. Twilight remained focused on her task, unbothered by the unnatural levels of activity.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy called out as loud as her vocal cords would allow, “I found a strange animal and I need your help to identify it!” Even Rainbow Dash would have trouble being heard through the incredible noise.

After about 30 degrees of rotation, the contraption came to a slow but eventual halt. The stabilization mechanism engaged with a sharp *CLAK*, locking the telescope on its current azimuth and elevation. It was aimed at a spot directly over the Apple Family orchard. Twilight approached the eyepiece and stared into it intently, slamming her other eye shut for maximum focus.

“So, umm,” Fluttershy asked once the telescope had finished settling into place, “Do you think that, umm, sometime today you could-“

“Yeah, got it, thanks Spike,” Twilight swiftly replied, not actually acknowledging what was going on around her.

“Hey, Fluttershy,” Spike called out just as Fluttershy was about to ask again, “I don’t think you’re gonna get through to her.”

“But I really need her help,” Fluttershy pleaded as she landed next to Spike at the base of the telescope.

“Well,” Spike began, “you’re gonna have to ask her some other time of the month.”

“Wha..?” Fluttershy was confused by Spike’s wording. How did he know ‘that’ about mares at such a young age?

“Ya see,” he explained as he led Fluttershy out of the room, “Twilight has these little episodes of Twilight-style craziness about once a month. Best thing you can do is just let her get it out of her system. She should be OK by Thursday. You can ask her then.”

“But-“

“Trust me,” Spike asserted, his tone suddenly getting serious, “things could get ugly at any time.”

“Spike!” Twilight suddenly called out, “Take notes!”

“Like now!” Spike fretted as he pushed Fluttershy out the door.

The heavy oak door slammed shut and the openness emptiness of the castle set back in. Luckily for Fluttershy, she was not agoraphobic. She let out a defeated sigh that her best lead for information was preoccupied. Regardless, she would have to find out what Levin was another way. She thought about going back in and asserting herself to Twilight, making her wishes known, but her timid nature got the better of her again and she simply walked away.

~~~

On the way home, Fluttershy considered her options. Nopony local to Ponyville had access to as much knowledge as Twilight did. Fluttershy was the superior animal expert in Ponyville, so if she ran into a situation she could not solve, she would have to escalate the issue to the experts at the Canterlot Zoological Association. Luckily, such needs for expertise were rare.

She already completed the difficult task of figuring out Levin’s diet. He was privy to fresh fruits and vegetables. He wasn’t too attracted to raw meat, which was a blessing for many of the other animals under Fluttershy’s care. Now that his food situation was solved, she could focus on his odd behavior.

He had an alarming habit of constructing campfires when she wasn’t looking. Fire was not only dangerous, it was terrifying to an overwhelming majority of the animal population, even to some ponies. It was a very serious problem and one she was not quite sure how to address.

As she walked along the winding dirt road to her cottage, something out of the ordinary caught her eye. A thin column of smoke rose up, dispersing the higher it rose, but it clearly originated from her property. Fluttershy despaired at the thought of extinguishing another poorly constructed campfire and cleaning up after the burning wood. Worse still, that wasn’t the only issue she had to deal with.

Near the fence around her property stood two ponies dressed in all white clothes. They had very short manecuts and were almost indistinguishable from behind. They were fixated on the source of the smoke, but they went no further than the fence marking the edge of Fluttershy’s property.

“Do you see him?” one of the ponies asked, “He’s over there,” she pointed out, extending a hoof in Levin’s direction.

“Oh, yeah! There he is!” the other excitedly replied, looking through his binoculars.

“Um, excuse,” Fluttershy meekly interrupted, but the pair carried on.

“I never thought I would see one of them so soon!” the other pony commented after a moment of observation. They were both giddy with excitement.

“Umm, hello,” Fluttershy spoke up, slightly louder this time, but the pair still did not hear them, “I wasn’t expecting visitors today and-“

“I don’t see his space craft anywhere,” the first one commented. She squinted her eyes and scanned the open field.

“Well, however he got here,” the other replied, “I guarantee that Warp storm the night before had something to do with it.”

“Hey!” Fluttershy finally cried out. The two ponies turned around to see what was squeaking like an injured mouse.

“Oh, I’m sorry, miss,” the one with the binoculars said, “We didn’t hear you come up behind us.”

“So,” Fluttershy began now that she had their attention, “Can I help you with something?”

“Is this your property?” he asked back.

“Yes, I live here,” Fluttershy replied. The two ponies glanced at each other, and then looked at Fluttershy like she had given them the best news in Equestria.

“Ma’am,” the mare started to explain with nervous excitement, “In your back yard, you host a momentous event in Equestrian History!” Only Pinkie Pie ever had grins this happy, so whatever they were talking about must be better than any surprise party in recorded history!

“Oh, how exciting,” Fluttershy feigned, trying to sound genuine, “but now’s really not a good-“ Her attempts to walk around were blocked by their insistence for conversation.

“Do you see him there?” the mare asked Fluttershy as he pointed out Levin to her, “The latest descendant of ancient astronauts?” He offered his binoculars to make spotting him easier. In the distance, she easily found Levin kneeling by the small fire pit he had constructed. His lips were moving and he had a small book open in his hands, as if he was reading the contents aloud to himself.

“I see him,” Fluttershy answered, “and I’ve told many times him to stop starting fires. The other animals-”

“You’ve spoken to him?!” the stallion interrupted, astonished by Fluttershy’s response, “What else did he tell you?!” he demanded to know. He leaned in close, eager to hear her answer.

“Corrody!” the mare interjected, pushing her friend back out of Fluttershy’s face, “Be respectful to your neighbors!” she said to him sternly. “I apologize for his behavior, miss,” she continued, turning to Fluttershy.

“Oh, that’s OK-“

“But you must understand,” she continued, “that creature you shelter is a messenger! The Emperor of Man has sent him to us!” She was staring to lose Fluttershy around here.

“The Imperium is finally rising again after ten thousand years of war!” Corrody added, confusing Fluttershy further.

“Equestria may never have another chance to hear His divine words again!” At this point, Fluttershy was baffled beyond belief. “Please,” the mare urged, getting closer to emphasize her point, “you must let us see him up close. He could be the key to saving all of Equestria from being recycled!” Fluttershy had finally had enough.

“STOP!” she shouted as loud as her meek lungs could manage. The two strangers fell silent at this sudden display of assertion. “I’m sorry to hear about your emperor and his message of war,” Fluttershy said, unintentionally mixing up their message, “but I can’t stay and talk right now. I really have to go. Goodbye!” She wanted to apologize for leaving them so soon, but the urgency of the situation pulled her more than her desire to be polite. She sprung to the air as quickly as she could, flying over the fence to get to Levin before he could do any more damage.

“But miss,” the mare called out, unfurling her wings to follow Fluttershy.

“Let her go Aliody,” Corrody said, using his unicorn magic to hold her back leg. The two continued their discussion as Fluttershy flied away, but did not follow. She wasn’t worried about what they were arguing about. She was far more concerned with Levin and his fire.

When Fluttershy finally arrived at the spot where Levin had set up his fire pit, a congregation of animals had gathered a safe distance from the fire. Something about what Levin was doing had them very anxious. He was kneeling just feet from the edge of a pile of smoldering ash and burned out sticks. There was very little smoke rising now indicating that the fire had finally burned itself out. Puzzling was the fact that Levin was reading out loud from a book resting in his hands. He was speaking in a dialect that was clearly different from the several times he had spoken before. Was this yet another language Fluttershy would have to learn to speak to this animal? One mystery at a time, Fluttershy thought to herself, turning to the frightened animals for answers.

“What happened here,” Fluttershy asked them, “Is everybody OK?”

*incomprehensible clusterf^^^ of animal noises*

“One at a time, please,” Fluttershy gently urged, calming the group.

*duck noises*

“Oh, I’m sure he didn’t mean to-“

*bear noises*

“Well, Twilight reads books all the time. They’re not danger-“

*angry beaver noises*

“Charlie Xavier Beaverton! He is not trying to-“

*goat screaming* *points to Levin*

Out of the ashes, Levin dug out three small box-shaped objects, placing them to his left. He tucked his book into a cargo pocket on his trousers, fastening the flap over it. Next, he unslung the long object from his back and braced it against his shoulder. Moving around to his left, Fluttershy could now see that the long object was almost like an extension of his body. The back part of the object fit nicely into the crook of his shoulder and the small grip underneath was perfectly placed for his right hand to grasp it. The tube pointing forward was still a mystery, but at least one piece of the puzzle was fit into place.

“Levin,” Fluttershy called out as sharply as she could. She was only a few feet from his face with her arms crossed in front of her. She had puffed her chest out in an effort to make herself look bigger, but Levin just gave a disinterested glance to Fluttershy before turning his attention to the three boxes on the ground.

Fluttershy would not be ignored. She landed just inches from Levin’s hand as he reached for his boxes. Levin stopped as he turned his glance to Fluttershy. He was more irritated by her presence than surprised. Certainly not afraid or intimidated as was usually the case, but Fluttershy had quite an unusual creature on her hooves.

“I know you’re new around here,” Fluttershy politely started, “but you can’t start any fires so close to the other animals. It really frightens them,” Fluttershy explained as she pointed out the cluster of animals that stood not far away. They trembled with uncertainty as Fluttershy dealt with Levin.

In response, Levin reached down and scooped up all three of his ash-covered boxes. He gave a dismissive remark as he turned 90 degrees to his right and returned his attention to the mysterious device propped against his shoulder. Fluttershy was not the type to be quick to anger, but she was steadily growing frustrated with his lack of cooperation. Levin rose to his feet, placing two of the boxes in his pocket while maneuvering the third into a cavity just forward of the grip on his device.

“It really isn’t nice of you to not cooperate with me, Levin,” Fluttershy asserted as she flew close to his face. She pushed on the body of Levin’s object slightly to get his attention. Fluttershy rarely ever had to raise her voice above a gentle coo, but she also rarely ever met a creature that behaved as Levin did. Levin was also escalating, swinging his hand out at Fluttershy in an attempt to shoo her away. He made a similar remark to the one previously, but repeated with emphasis. Fluttershy evaded his half-hearted strike, but it showed that gentle talk was getting her nowhere. There was only one option left.

Levin looked at the spot where Fluttershy touched his device with a look of disgust. He used his gloved hand to rub at the spot she touched and brush away any dirt he probably thought was there. He only got a few rubs in before something else took his attention.

Without warning, and seemingly from nowhere, appeared a large set of angry eyes. They were just inches from Levin’s face and their gaze was piercing. Whatever it was, it drove fear into Levin’s heart as he lurched backwards, stumbling over his own feet and dropping his artifact to the ground. Whether it was the shape or color of her eyes, the suddenness of the event, or some other unexplained force, Levin was scrambling backwards like a terrified animal, screaming in pure fear.

The rear of the object hit the ground first and it discharged a projectile into the afternoon sky. It went wide right, but Fluttershy could still feel the heat emitted off of whatever it fired. She did not let the loud emission or heat distract her from the task at hand. She had to assert her dominance over the stubborn beast and only by properly breaking his will to resist could Fluttershy do it.

After a few moments of retreating, Levin was pinned between a tree trunk and Fluttershy’s furious stare. His heart was racing, sweat beading up under his helmet and running down his brow. He was paralyzed with fear and Fluttershy had not even touched him. By now, she had dialed back on the intimidation factor and calmed herself down enough to speak without rage.

“I didn’t want to do this, Levin,” Fluttershy said sternly, “but you can’t treat others like you have been.” No rebellious reply from Levin this time. He was still petrified and probably couldn’t understand what she was saying to give a response.

“Now,” Fluttershy continued, slowly dialing back the intensity of her stare, “I don’t want to see you do this again. No. Fires.” She was sure to emphasize the last part so that he could clearly hear it. She was firm, but calm and in control of the situation, like teaching a naughty child a lesson from their bad behavior.

“No… fire…?” Levin finally replied, trying his best to imitate Fluttershy’s words, though his heavy foreign accent still came through.

“That’s right,” Fluttershy confirmed, nodding her head, “I will give you everything you need, but we don’t need any fires, OK?” She had finally calmed down back to her normal self. Even Levin could sense that she meant him no harm so long as he did not transgress against her. In response, Levin copied Fluttershy’s body language, nodding his head. He didn’t quite know what it meant, but it seemed to put everyone around at ease, including himself.

“Glad you understand, Levin,” Fluttershy said with a genuine smile, “You might not be from Equestria, but I never met an animal I didn’t like.”

Levin gestured to the object he dropped and seemed to ask a question. He stayed propped up by the tree, so Fluttershy interpreted his words as permission to retrieve his property.

“Go ahead, Levin,” Fluttershy replied as she moved out of his way. As Levin got to his feet, he casually dusted himself off as he made his way over to his object. A few curious animals were cautiously inspecting his device from a few feet away. They backed away once he approached.

He treated it like an extension of his body as not one movement was wasted or seemed to be out of curiosity. He removed the box from the underside and began scrutinizing the device. His aim was to remove dirt and dust from where it hit the ground. Fluttershy was the only animal brave enough to venture close to Levin while he worked.

“So, what is this thing you have here?” Fluttershy asked, “I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Levin replied in his native tongue, but Fluttershy was able to pick out one word in particular: “lazz-gun”.

“Lazz-gun, huh?” Fluttershy noted as she observed what he was doing. Levin briefly paused and looked at Fluttershy. He seemed surprised that she was able to speak his language, if only a single word of it.

Levin nodded and commented favorably at her pronunciation of ‘lasgun’. As he returned to his task of cleaning his lasgun, Fluttershy felt something on her right shoulder. Remembering back just a few moments ago, the lasgun had fired a loud shot of something very hot. Looking closely, Fluttershy noticed that the fur on her right shoulder was slightly singed as were a few feathers on her wing. She recalled a very short, but very intense heat shortly after she started staring Levin down. Was it the lasgun that did this to her? If it was, what would have happened if the shot was much closer to her? Deep in her mind, there was a kernel of doubt that harboring Levin was such a wise move for her.

Coming back to the present, Fluttershy noticed that Levin was done cleaning his lasgun and had risen to his feet. With his lasgun slung over his shoulder, he made his way back to the fire pit he had dug. Worried that her earlier message had not sunk in, she made her way back to his face, ready to repeat her message to behave. Instead, he did something she did not expect.

He knelt down by the now burned out fire pit and began spreading the ashes over a large area. He used dirt around the area to cover the ashes. In under a minute, all trace of the fire was gone. At a glance, one might never suspect that anything had ever happened on this patch of dirt at all. Fluttershy was now more pleased with how Levin was adapting to life in Equestria.

“Thank you for cleaning up after yourself, Levin,” Fluttershy said, genuinely pleased with his behavior. Levin finished his cleanup and looked at Fluttershy in response to his name. “That was very good of you to do that.”

Levin looked at what remained of his fire, then back at Fluttershy. “Good?” he asked, gesturing to the natural-looking dirt patch.

“Yes,” Fluttershy nodded, “You cleaned up your campfire after you were done with it. That was very good, Levin,” she explained. Levin gave Fluttershy a confused look, like he wasn’t sure how to process what he was being told.

“Levin… good?” he asked, gesturing to himself.

“That’s right!” Fluttershy replied, beaming with joy, “You are very good, Levin!” He had been given his first compliment and Fluttershy was hoping this positive reinforcement would change him for the better. Levin gave a disbelieving stare back to the dirt patch. It was as if he had never been given a compliment before and he didn’t know how to respond. Eventually though, he did formulate a response and it would surprise Fluttershy yet again.

“Fluttershy… good!” Levin said enthusiastically, directing his remark to Fluttershy directly. For the first time since he arrived, he smiled. It was a huge step forward for Fluttershy as she got Levin acclimated to life with ponies. Fluttershy was now the one in disbelief. She tried to hide her blushing face behind her flowing pink mane, but she just couldn’t hide how happy she was. It was a good bonding moment for both of them and it reaffirmed Fluttershy’s belief that caring for Levin was a good idea.

~~~

Granny Smith sat in the shade of the makeshift pavilion watching the shadows on the ground. It was an old mare’s trick to watch the shadows instead of a clock. She was old school, and firmly believed that the old ways were just as good if not better than what the young ones were doing today. In any event, the time had come.

“Gather ‘round, y’all! Come an’ gitchya some chow!” Granny Smith called from the pavilion as she clanged an old iron bell. Every extended Apple family member recognized this sound and answered its call.

Apple Seedling Jr and his son Apple Seedling Jr-jr were working as a team to drag a splintered roof truss from the scene into the scrap wood pile. They both perked up when the welcome sound of the lunch bell made its way into their ears.

“Seedy double-j,” the father called to his son, “Set ‘er down right ‘ere. We gon’ git us some grub!” The pair dropped the heavy wood frame fragment to the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust on impact.

“Y’ain’t gots ta’ tell me twice, daddy,” Jr-jr responded, eagerly making a beeline for the pavilion.

“Slow down there, Jay-jay,” the father called out, “Watch out fer the-”

Around a blind corner of splintered timber beams, the young colt ran face-first into an obstacle he could not see. He shook the stars away from his eyes and focused on what he hit with his face. At first, only the strangely-shaped leather boots came into focus. Panning up, he soaked up the strange details of Levin. From his tough leather boots to the pockets on his utility belt to his helmeted head, the young pony stared in awe at the green and beige creature as it stared back at him.

Levin threw his armful of broken timber into the pile of scrap wood, then turned his attention to the small creature that ran into his ankle. Levin gave a short comment to the small pony as he wiped sweat from his brow. Jr-jr could only sit and stare, confused by Levin’s strange language and utter alien form.

“You did a great job today, Levin,” Fluttershy interrupted. She saw Levin reaching for the device holstered at his hip. Whatever it was, she stopped him from drawing it and potentially making a scene. “Let’s go get some food after all this work.”

Levin responded quite favorably to ‘food’ and followed Fluttershy to the back yard where the rest of the Apple Family was preparing to feed the hard working clearing crew. Jr-jr’s gaze was still fixed on the giant walking away next to the light yellow pegasus.

“Watch out fer that ‘un, son,” the father cautioned his child, “I get me some strange feelins ‘bout ‘im.” He had no reason to think that Levin was dangerous, but some sixth sense of his just screamed otherwise.

~~~

In the kitchen, the mares and children were working hard to prepare a feast. Many branches of the Apple family had answered the call to help rebuild their wrecked barn. The stove was glowing red-hot, nearly every mixing bowl had something ready for the next step and a pile of apples was waiting to be cored and sliced. Ponies in nearly every square foot of the kitchen worked diligently on their task, but something was missing. Granny Smith could feel it.

“What’s got yer ankles in a knot there, Granny?” Great Aunt Brown Betty asked, placing a gentle hoof on Granny Smith’s shoulder.

“Oh, it’s nothin’, Betty,” Granny replied, shrugging the hoof off as she walked back to the dining room. She tried to forget about it, but no amount of setting plates and silverware could make her forget. Betty wasn’t fooled for an instant.

“Ya still miss ‘im, don’t ya?” Betty asked.

“I don’t miss that nut case worth a single apple seed!” Granny snapped back, knocking a plate three seats down the long table, “He ran off with that old floozie o’ his back in ’72 and I ain’t seen hide nor hair o’ him since!” Granny huffed as she vented her frustrations. Betty was nervous to ask for more details.

“I’m so sorry, Granny,” Betty said meekly after an awkward moment of silence, “I didn’t mean to stir up somthin’ sour.”

“No, I’m sorry, Betty,” Granny replied, having finished blowing off steam, “He just left so much unfinished back then,” she lamented, but choked back tears, “I just wish he’d come ‘round b’fore both our times,” she explained, as she spilled her forlorn desire.

“Then Emperor willing, I shall,” a voice said from around the corner. Granny Smith and Brown Betty perked their ears and focused on the source of the elderly voice.

In the door frame stood an old stallion clad in clean white clothes. His mane was shaved and his eyes appeared wider than they really were. However, it was not the small details that had Granny Smith staring in disbelief.

“Applewhite?” Granny gasped, scarcely believing what her eyes were showing her.

“Quantum tempus, dear sister,” Applewhite calmly remarked, “I see you’ve been doing well for yourself,” he continued as he admired her quaint farm house.

“No thanks to you!” Granny snapped as she approached Applewhite. She grabbed his lapel as she prepared her rant. “Ya’ meet that nurse mare from the looney bin and suddenly yer gone with the wind! What gives?! She more important than yer family?” She let go of Applewhite and started to make her way outside as fast as her frail body would allow. She was so flustered that she absent-mindedly shoved Brown Betty aside to get to the door. “Where is she, any hows?” Granny demanded, “I got some words fer her!”

“She is no longer with us,” Applewhite sadly explained. Granny stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to face her estranged brother. “I’m sad to say that Bonnie Dress has ascended to the next level.” His words were sobering. He was genuinely saddened by the loss of his wife and still visibly affected by her passing. His gaze had wandered to the floor and had nearly zoned out completely.

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Applewhite,” Betty chimed in, placing a hoof on his shoulder out of sympathy, “I know how you must feel. My husband Golden Fields is up there in that next level, too.” Betty was well-versed in the grieving process. She found that imitating the grieving pony’s verbiage often set them at ease around strangers.

“Oh, her passing is not a reason to despair,” Applewhite said, changing his demeanor from sad to enthusiastic in a heartbeat, “She has ascended to the Evolutionary Level Above Equine!” The mares simply stared in confusion at Applewhite, trying to parse what he just said.

“You said he was in the nut house, before?” Betty whispered to Granny smith as she leaned in close to hide her comment.

“It’s a long story,” Granny replied, “I’ll tell ya’ later.”

“It is a long story, indeed,” Applewhite interjected, “and the most important chapter is almost ready to begin.” He was brimming with as much joy as a pony his age could.

“He’s out here!” a voice called out from behind Applewhite. All three ponies turned to face a young bald pony dressed in all white. “Come quick! He’s right outside!” He was brimming with excitement and he was beckoning Applewhite to follow. Both Applewhite and the white-clad pony ran outside as quickly as they could.

“Now stop right there!” Granny called out as she gave chase, “Ya’ ran out forty years ago, y’ain’t doin’ that again!”

“This is momentous!” Applewhite exclaimed, “The Imperium has finally come to Equestrian soil!”

“Git on back here, you little-“ Granny smith shouted as she ran out of breath from chasing Applewhite.

~~~

Outside, a different scene was unfolding. A crowd of ponies had congregated around Levin and Fluttershy. Each of them wore a plain white robe and sported a shaved head. They took an unusual interest in Levin and his presence before them. Unfortunately, Levin did not feel the same way. His lasgun was in his hands and he had the barrel aimed at the crowd like a spear. His face started to resemble that of a cornered animal.

“Come on,” Windody pleaded, “I just want to see him up close,” she insisted. Levin barked at her as if to implore her to come no further.

“I’m sure you do,” Graffody replied as he grappled with Windody, preventing her from getting any closer to Levin, “but remember,” he continued, “Man is extremely xenophobic. Honestly, I’m amazed that he hasn’t shot us all by now.” He wasn’t too far off the mark.

“OK, everypony,” Fluttershy nervously said as she intervened between Levin and the crowd of white-robed bald ponies, “let’s all calm down and give each other some space.” The sound of Fluttershy’s voice had an effect on both parties. The tension in Levin’s shoulders dissipated and the crowd of ponies retreated a few steps.

“So,” Fluttershy began, “What has you so interested in Levin?” she asked.

“I can answer that for you, ma’am,” replied a voice from the back of the crowd. The dozen ponies parted way to clear a path for a thirteenth pony to enter the scene. He too was dressed in all white and his entire mane was shaved off. He was slightly out of breath, yet the most enthusiastic one of the lot.

“He comes from a world called Holy Terra,” Applewhite explained. Levin turned to this new pony and gave him a quizzical look.

“Terra?” Levin asked under his breath, “Sanctus Terra?” He paid special attention to this apparent ringleader.

“The Imperium of Man is fighting for their very survival, you see,” Applewhite continued, “A ten thousand year stalemate that is finally at an end!”

“Imperium…” Levin repeated quietly.

“In the night sky,” he continued, “The light of the Astronomicon has been getting brighter and brighter the past few months.”

“That means the Emperor is regaining his strength!” cried out one of the ponies from the crowd.

“That’s always possible, Lumody,” said Applewhite, addressing the individual who spoke out, “But only those who have evolved to the Level Above Equine really know for sure.”

“Hold your horses just a minute, partner,” a large stallion interrupted. As he approached Applewhite, it became clear that he was at least a full head taller than Applewhite and was built twice as big. “Ah recon we may have our differences in beliefs,” he calmly explained, “but ‘round these parts, you go spoutin’ ‘bout other-worldliness, astronimitids, and levels beyond equine and the like, ponies’ll start thinkin’ you’re plum crazy.”

“If that’s your interpretation,” Applewhite replied, “so be it. I don’t wish to judge you for your beliefs,” he explained as he walked around the large stallion to get a better look at Levin. “I would, however, like to ask our envoy from beyond the stars a few things, if that’s alright.” He was looking at Fluttershy as if asking her permission.

“Well,” Fluttershy thought, “as long its one pony at a time, it should be alright.” Applewhite kept a respectable distance as he faced Levin and prepared his first question.

“Levin,” Applewhite began. Both Levin and Fluttershy got an uneasy feeling as they wondered how this stranger knew Levin’s name without any introduction. The next words out of Applewhite’s mouth were seemingly unrelated and incoherent, as if they were from a long-dead language. Levin was on edge more than ever as his spine tingled and he started to raise his weapon again.

Levin replied in the same language, as if to clarify what had just been said. He flicked a small switch on his lasgun with his thumb and moved his index finger into the recess in front of the handgrip. It was subtle, but Levin was shaking in his boots, completely unsure of what Applewhite would say next.

Fearing an impending conflict, parents quietly retreated and herded their children to safety. Applewhite spoke again, but Levin interrupted with an angry rant, pointing his lasgun at Applewhite. Levin almost sounded scared as he screamed and slowly retreated. In a calming tone, Applewhite tried to sound reassuring, but Levin’s right index finger was slowly contracting regardless.

The tension in the air snapped as loudly as Levin’s weapon did. Like a lightning bolt, a perfectly straight and blinding projectile discharged from the barrel and struck the ground just inches from Applewhite’s feet. Applewhite stopped his approach and ceased speaking, frozen in place with mortal fear. In that instant, other ponies ran for cover and sheltered their children from the danger their instincts rightly told them.

Applewhite slowly retreated as Levin advanced. Levin’s trigger finger quivered with anticipation, ready to squeeze again. He shouted aggressive obscenities and occasionally spat, intending to intimidate his opponent as much as possible. Applewhite pleaded with his aggressor, even raising a hoof to show that he was not armed. With his aim steadied, Levin began to squeeze for another shot. This one would be placed with intent.

“STOOOOP!” Fluttershy shouted, striking stillness into every creature that had not already flown or ran away. Both Levin and Applewhite’s hearts raced from the aftermath of the near-deadly encounter, but at Fluttershy’s booming command, neither moved a muscle.

“Levin!” Fluttershy said as she flew up close to Levin’s face, “That’s a very dangerous object you have,” she berated as Levin slowly tried to back up, “Keep it away so nopony gets hurt from it!” Somehow, Levin knew what Fluttershy wanted him to do. He nodded as he slung his weapon over his shoulder.

“And you, sir!” Fluttershy continued, giving the same treatment to Applewhite, “Levin is not in his home land. He still needs time to adjust to Equestria. You are definitely NOT helping by getting close and making him uncomfortable.”

“You misunderstand-“

“No excuses!” Fluttershy interrupted, “I’m taking Levin home with me until we all calm down.”

“But please,” Applewhite pleaded as he approached once more, “we can’t ignore this sign of-“

“Let ‘er go, old timer,” the large stallion interrupted as he blocked Applewhite’s approach, “You saw what he almost did to your hide,” he said as he pointed to the scorch mark on the ground. It was still smoking and small rock close to the point of impact looked like it was partially melted. Applewhite and his entourage tried to approach, but other Apple family members thwarted their every attempt. The large stallion stared Applewhite down, daring him to defy him.

Levin and Fluttershy walked away with their backs turned, not even giving a glance backward. The poignancy of the scene made its way to Applewhite’s heart. He could do nothing but watch as the green giant and yellow pegasus left, taking his excitement with them. Other members of his group tried to push their way past, but not violently. It was painfully clear that he had lost his battle.

“Contact Team,” Applewhite announced, addressing his entire group. They stopped and faced their leader and awaited further instructions. “Let us return to base and reformulate our strategy.” His words were somber and he almost sounded defeated. He had a great opportunity presented to him here today, but it turned sour and he had to admit that. Reluctantly, he turned and walked away empty-hoofed. Just as reluctantly, his followers followed suit and accepted the same defeat alongside him.

“Father,” the youngest one of the group asked Applewhite, “Does this mean we’re going to get recycled with the rest of Equestria?” He was on the edge of tears as he looked Applewhite in the eye.

“Of course not, Jillody,” Applewhite reassured with a gentle smile, “We shall all graduate to the next level. The Emperor himself has promised us.” The group seemed relieved that their efforts today were not in vain and not one of them had a trace of doubt. All thirteen of them slowly became inaudible as they walked off to the horizon, but a few moments later, they could be heard again in unison reciting a prayer in that strange language that got Levin agitated.

“Cults,” Apple Seedling Sr scoffed under his breath as he watched them leave the property, “Ain’t not never done nopony in ‘Questria a durn lick o’ good, nosir. I’m gladder th’n a pig in mud they gone.”

They may be gone for now, but as sure as the Emperor sits upon the Golden Throne, Applewhite would make good on his promise to his followers…