-=Part 2=-

The trio was back in the Observatory, a room that they were starting to get well acquainted with at this point. It had only been a few days since they had arrived in Equestria, but they were already starting to fall into a nice routine. Following dinner, Tyler and Sarah would work with some of the other astronomers from around dusk until late into the evening, and then Scarlet would take over with another team until sunrise.

The nature of their work schedule afforded Scarlet the chance to actually interact with her human companions and enjoy their company, something that she felt she wasn’t able to really do all that often back home. While she wasn’t due to start her shift until a few more hours, she still liked to keep the two humans company in the Observatory. Even without having a hooves on role, she was still able to keep herself occupied in the large circular room. From her note taking, to her questioning, and even to her simple observations, it was enough to keep her busy until it was her turn to take over.

The unique mix of Earth and Equestrian technology was something that Scarlet found great interest in and she could often be found pestering some of the maintenance staff about it late at night, more often than not resulting in her being shooed away without a second thought. She never let this bother her though; to her, it just offered a new challenge to master and learn about, and that’s exactly what she was doing now. Where most of the people she knew back home would find this place boring, Scarlet could spend hours in here and still find something that piqued her interest time and time again. Tonight she was jotting down notes on the large telescope that sat in the center of the room, curious about how it differed from the one she had back home. She knew that it wasn’t too far off from Earth designs, but the Equestrians had done made their own modifications to it and she was determined to learn as much about it as she could while she had the chance.

The large wooden double doors could be heard opening, causing Scarlet to pause for a moment. She glanced over to see Princess Luna entering with Crescent Shadow and Starry Skies. Luna said something to Crescent who chuckled and nodded, turning around and leaving her and Starry.

The princess calmly walked towards Tyler, who was currently making some finer adjustments on the telescope’s control computer. “Good evening Mr. Anderson. Are you having a productive night?”

Tyler smiled and nodded his head, “Evening Princess, so far we are. And yourself?”

“It’s been quiet, but peaceful. So what is on the schedule for tonight? Anything particularly interesting?”

Tyler shrugged, “Oh you know, a lot of the same. I think we just about got the hang of operating this baby, now we’re just working on finding the more prominent constellations and using those as a reference point to map out the less prominent ones.”

Luna nodded, “I trust you’ll find the best method. Please do have fun with this project.”

Tyler smiled, “Oh we will!”

She returned a smile and moved on to Sarah, “And you Miss Conners? How are you adjusting so far?”

Sarah looked up from the charts she was plotting out, “Huh? Oh, yeah we are. It helps that this outpost is a little more… accommodating for us. If I’m going to be honest, I was kind of worried that we’d be getting tiny beds to sleep on and cramped quarters when we first got here, it’s so nice that it’s been the exact opposite.”

The princess smiled, “I am glad to hear that. We designed this outpost with more than just ponies in mind, and I’m happy to hear that the accommodations are acceptable. Though, is there anything that could make your stay more enjoyable?”

Sarah shook her head, “Aside from missing the entertainment back home, not really. If we were living here year round then maybe, but for a research outpost that’s only housing us for a month, it’s more than comfortable enough.”

Luna nodded, “If you think of anything else that would make your stay here better, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Sarah smiled, “Thanks Luna, we certainly will.”

Luna moved down and calmly approached Scarlet, “And a good evening to you Mrs. Eclipse.”

Scarlet bookmarked her notes and smiled, “It’s been a wonderful evening so far. I’m not actually scheduled to come in for a few more hours but it’s just so… exciting being here.”

Luna took a quick look down at the open notebook and smiled, “What is it that you were working on?”

“Just some more notes. This is kind of my life back home. I’m sure you’ve already read through my other notebook, this is just adding onto that.”

“Are those drawings of the new telescope?”

Scarlet nodded. “They sure are! This is based on a standard design from Earth, but it obviously incorporates magic in its design. Its similar enough to make operating it here a lot easier, but I’m just curious about how it works and what exactly you guys changed. Starry said that it was mostly the same but used some Equestrian materials and a few special components in its construction where they had to fill in some of the gaps. This is something we’ve been trying to do back home and I was kind of hoping to at least note down some of my own observations on it. I know we’re probably years away from ever doing anything like this, but it’s still just cool to learn about. You know, just as a reference for the lab boys back home.”

A warm smile spread across Luna’s face, “Your fascination really is insatiable, isn’t it?”

Scarlet smiled, “Yep! I know it’s a lot to take in for me, but I want to learn as much as I can here while I’m here. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the opportunity to do something like this again so I want to make sure I have thorough notes on this, if anything just so I can educate some of my team back home.”

“I’m glad your concerns over working with more experienced astronomers from our first meeting was unfounded. Your devotion to gaining knowledge on something you are passionate about is admirable and I hope you’re able to share it with your fellow ponies back home.”

Scarlet gave a quick nod, “Thank you Princess, this all really does mean a lot to me.”

“Now Starry Skies has told me about your plans to visit the caverns under Canterlot next week, during the scheduled maintenance here at the Outpost. Given that you will already be in the city, I would be most honored if you and your companions would join me for dinner.”

Scarlet’s eyes widened in glee, “You would?!— Honored? I mean yes! I’d love too.” She looked over towards the two humans, “I mean you two wouldn’t mind coming along right? I don’t want to speak for you.”

Sarah smiled, “It might not be the most comfortable for Tyler and I, but we’re up for it.”

Tyler nodded in agreement, “How can I refuse dinner with the princess?”

Luna smiled, “Then it is settled, Starry Skies shall accompany you next week and direct you where to go. I look forward to seeing you three again.”

Scarlet sat by the window in the train, watching as the Equestrian landscape far below slowly passed by as they rose up the followed the terrain up the mountainside to Canterlot. The week up to now had been mostly uneventful, with the team working away on their assigned jobs until the telescope’s scheduled maintenance. Most of the outpost’s staff had taken the opportunity to take a few days off, visit their families, or take a short vacation, the latter of which Scarlet was currently doing. Though, calling it a short vacation was a bit of a stretch, in reality it was only a quick trip to Canterlot for a few days, but for her, everything here felt like a vacation.

Coming around one last bend, the capital city came into view hanging off the side of the mountain. Majestic and whimsical with its tall towers in bright white, golds, and purples. Like a literal fairy tale castle brought to life. Pressing her muzzle to keep an eye on it as long as she could, they entered into a tunnel briefly before it suddenly opened up again to the sky and they were pulling into the station. Scarlet turned away from the window and towards Starry Skies, “We’re here, right?”

He nodded, “Indeed we are, however our destination today lies beneath the city itself.”

Scarlet nodded and began to collect her belongings, “Is it a long walk to the Caverns?”

He shook his head, “Not at all, a short flight away in fact. There is an entrance into the caverns from the nearby mountains..”

He stood up and waved her towards the exit. The two began to walk towards the city gates, chatting along the way.

She smiled, “I’m excited to see it. We’ve got a cavern hangout back home, but it probably doesn’t even hold a flame to this place.”

“Is it common for night ponies to gravitate towards caves back on Earth? I haven’t had the chance to visit it yet.”

“I honestly don’t really know. The place where I'm from, the Oasis, is kind of separate from the rest of the pony communities around us. The others are still largely stuck into following Sunset Shimmer’s vision of what a pony community should be like, but we’ve got our eyes set on the horizon. Then there’s the ponies out east and up north that are integrating back into human society a bit more, I guess you could say that we’re the closest in regards to them. Haven’t really noticed if any of either group winds up hanging out in caves like we do back home, there’s so few night ponies that sometimes it’s easy to forget that we’re around.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Why is there such a large divide? The information has been known to us for a while, but there has never really been a good explanation why.”

“It’s… hard to say. The United States was kind of already divided a bit before ETS. Each region was kind of different from the rest, that might play a part of it but I’m sure there’s bigger things at play too, like politics and just overall climate. The night pony situation out east in particular seems to be a lot worse than out where I am. There’s lots of mares fighting for a handful of stallions and it’s not a good situation at all. It’s a problem all around but I’ve only really noticed the worst of it over there.”

Concern carried in Starry’s voice as he replied, “It sounds as if it’s a dire situation, it must seem so different here.”

She nodded, “It is, but what can you do? There’ll always be fighting and issues, but hopefully it’ll fade with time. I’m just happy that it hasn’t cropped up at home as much. Still happens every once in a while but it hasn’t been a problem in a long time. But when we travel over there as much as we do we still have to deal with it.”

“I never would have imagined that there would be so much division back on Earth.”

Scarlet shrugged, “There always was, and always will be. It’s just a part of life there. We’ll all move on, the world will keep spinning, even if it seems dire now it won’t always be.” She paused for a moment, “I’m sorry if this got kind of off topic, is the entrance just up ahead?” She asked as she gestured towards the large mountain in the distance.

Starry nodded, “You do not need to apologize, it is fascinating to hear about your world’s culture. There are many parallels between our worlds, even if they have diverged over time. The Cave isn’t too much further ahead, I know you are curious to see what’s inside.”

Starry led Scarlet into the large cavernous area. A cool blue glow lit up the cave just enough for the few days ponies present to see without trouble. All around were buildings and stands that differed wildly from each other, all set on different levels and tiers. Her own enhanced night vision let her see the area with relative ease and immediately noticed that the cave was home to more night ponies than she had ever seen at one time back home.

She stared around in awe, earning a laugh from Starry. “This… this is amazing!”

“So is this similar to your caverns back home then?”

She shook her head, “Uh— no— .”

Starry smiled and waved her along with a wing, “This is just the entrance, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

“We have time to stop at some shops, right? I’ve been hoping to pick up a souvenir or two for my family back home, this might be just the place I’ve been looking for.”

“Of course, I believe there may be a few shops that could pique your interest. Were you looking for anything in particular?”

“Well Silver’s into old antiques and collectible stuff like that, Orion’s really too little but he likes stuffed animals.”

Starry nodded, “I actually know a shop that deals with just the kind of antiques that I think he would appreciate.”

“And for Orion?”

“There’s a hoof made toy shop not too far from it, we can stop by there if you’d like.”

Scarlet smiled, “That sounds perfect.”

Starry pointed towards a round building set into the side of the cave on one of the upper levels, “Canterlot Curiosities, the shopkeeper is a little eccentric, but I believe you’ll find what you’re looking for in his shop.”

“Oh believe me, we’ve got our own eccentric antique dealer back home, I don’t think this will be a surprise to me at all, I’m excited to see it.” Scarlet added as she started to follow Starry.

The two trotted along and stepped up a short flight of stone stairs and onto the upper level where the shop was. As they approached it Scarlet took note of the odd assortment of statues and items that sat just outside, almost acting as an advertisement for the shop in itself.

She looked over towards one of the statues that resembled a hippogriff, “This actually reminds me of an old statue that Silver and I saw on vacation a little while back. I’m gonna assume that they’re not just mythological creatures here?”

“For a time we thought they might be, though they resurfaced not too long ago. Now they live in both the sea and the air, their kingdom isn’t that far from the outpost actually. If we had more time here I would consider bringing you there, but alas, we simply won’t have the time before your trip here is done.”

“Oh well, I’m sure there’s plenty of things that I’m missing, at least I have the chance to see what I can now. Maybe I can make it back here someday, you never know.”

Starry nodded, “Shall we enter?”

Scarlet smiled, “After you.”

As the two trotted in, Scarlet couldn’t help but take note of the strange artifacts and caged creatures that seemed to line every square inch of the place. An assortment of statues were arranged around the room, strange masks and trinkets lined the walls, and the sounds of unearthly animal noises echoed throughout the room. It was obvious that this pony had come to great lengths to amass this collection, and Scarlet was absolutely hooked.

Scarlet looked at her reflection in one of the strange glass terrariums, jumping back in surprise as a large fruit bat swung out of the shadows and into the dim light, hissing at her menacingly. Taking note of the two visitors, the shopkeeper turned from behind his desk and lowered a pair of goggles, dramatically bowing in greeting, “Welcome my guests to Canterlot Curiosities, home to one of the most comprehensive assemblages of rare artifacts and creatures in all of Equestria. I am Mystic Ember, humble collector and proprietor of this den of antiquities. What curiosities have called you to this place today?”

Scarlet smiled at the strange stallion’s theatrics, “Nothing specific, I was looking for a souvenir for my husband back home, this place seemed like the kind of place that would be right up his alley.”

“In that case, is there anything specific that you were seeking?”

“It’s hard to say, Silver’s into old antiques and other strange artifacts… I don’t suppose you have anything like that here?”

Mystic nodded, “I believe I might have something that would intrigue your husband, strange and old antiques are my specialty after all.” He flew up to one of the inset shelves that lined the circular shop and reached for a strange wooden mask that resembled something of an exotic bird, “This is an old mage’s protective mask. In it’s time, it was imbued with a strong enchantment that protected its user against magical maladies, though that magic has long since faded. That isn’t a problem, I hope?”

Scarlet shook her head, “That’s actually perfect, I’m from Earth and we can’t bring anything magical back home.”

A warm smile spread across the night pony’s face, “I am pleased to hear that. The true magic doesn’t lie in what this antique can do anyways, but rather the memories and stories it holds.”

Scarlet raised an eyebrow, “And what’s its story?”

“I’m glad you asked, it was passed down from master to apprentice for centuries before the magic within it began to fade. By the time the last master had acquired it, it’s magic was fully depleted. Seeing that the true magic lied not within the mask, but within himself, he chose to pass it on to others who might find their own use out of it.”

“And how much is it?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Normally eighty bits; however, seeing as how this is being given as an interdimensional gift, I would be honored to part with it for a single bit.”

“For one bit!? You’re basically giving it away to me Just because I’m bringing it back to Earth?”

“To me, continuing the story of an item holds more value than the actual item itself. Every object has a life of its own, countless stories that can be told… that is, a value that transcends the mere material realm that we ourselves exist in. This item in particular has passed through hundreds of sets of hooves only to be deposited in a dusty antique shop where it very well may have come to the end of it’s journey. But never in its entire existence did any of its owners think it would pass from one realm and into another. I myself long feared that it wouldn’t ever leave my shop if I’m being perfectly honest with you. As a collector and historian, I would see no higher honor than allowing something from my collection to bridge the divide between our realities.”

“I never thought of it that way, but if you’re willing to offer it for such a low price I would be honored to carry on it’s story. My husband is going to love it even more because of that.”

Mystic smiled, “Then in that case I believe we have a deal.”

Starry led Scarlet through the crowded walkway and over towards one of the higher parts of the cave. As they pushed their way through the crowd he gestured towards a small staircase, leading her down into a less crowded walkway.

As they continued down the new path Starry looked back towards Scarlet, slowing his pace slightly, “I apologize for the crowds, the main walkway tends to get a bit busy in the evening… I hope it’s not overwhelming for you.”

“Oh it’s perfectly fine, I’m no stranger to crowds.”

Starry nodded and resumed his pace, “Well in that case I am happy to hear that it’s not getting to you. To tell you the truth, I enjoy this part of the cavern more than any other, the toy shop happens to be close by so it works well in our favor.”

“So Starry, do you have a family or something? You don’t exactly strike me as the toy collecting type.”

Starry smiled and nodded his head, “Oh most assuredly not. Mystic’s shop is more my style, but to answer your question, yes. I have a wife and two wonderful foals. One’s a night pony and the other’s a pegasus, and both mean the world to me.”

Scarlet stopped and jokingly jabbed his side, “You never told me you were a family man, so do they live in the outpost or somewhere else?”

“They live just outside of Canterlot, that’s actually part of the reason why I like to visit this place so often. The months I spend away in the outpost can be crushing at times, but these regular excursions out here help mitigate it. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve arranged for you to stay at a nearby inn. I would normally be more than happy to host you in my own home, but I’m afraid that the little ones have long since taken over permanent residence in our spare room.”

“Starry, I can imagine that that’s got to be the most adorable thing ever. I’ve only got one foal back home and believe me, it’s probably the cutest thing I think I’ve ever seen when he makes little nests and forts in his room. I’m more than happy with staying at an inn.”

Stary smiled, “I’m glad to hear that,” He paused and gestured towards a bright purple building with a happy looking sign brightly painted on it’s side. Velvet Aura’s Hoof Crafted Curios

“Cute, so I’ll take it your kids like this place?”

Starry grinned, “They love this place, I’ve spent my fair share of bits here for them, but it’s all worth it.”

As they trotted in Scarlet noticed a purple night pony working away at the top of a staircase in a small loft section that overlooked the entire shop.

The mare took sight of Scarlet and stood up, cheerfully greeting her with a warm smile, “Greetings and welcome. I’m Velvet Aura, please let me know if you need help finding anything” She looked towards the side, noticing Starry, “Oh Starry Skies! Welcome back! Here for more gifts for the little ones?”

Starry smiled and shook his head, “Not today I’m afraid, but my friend here is. Velvet, this is Scarlet, an Astronomer that’s helping out with Princess Luna’s program.”

“Well welcome, any friend of Starry is a friend of mine, is there anything specific that you’re looking for?”

Scarlet began to glance around at the various toys and trinkets that were seemingly crammed into every inch of the place, “Just browsing for now. I want to get a present for my foal back home, this is the first time he’s been apart from me for more than a few days.”

Velvet nodded, “How old is he and is there anything that he enjoys in particular?”

Scarlet smiled, “He'll actually be turning one in the summer. It’s hard to tell if he’s really into one thing more than others right now, but he does seem to enjoy plush toys more than anything.”

Velvet nodded and glided down from her loft, “We have a wonderful assortment of those to choose from, he is a night pony I presume?”

Scarlet nodded, “Yeah, and like I said, he’s not really into anything specific yet.”

“Not to worry, in that case let me show you my specialty line designed with night pony foals in mind, I myself am well aware of how rough and rowdy they can get. Follow me, they’re just over this way,” She gestured towards a large shelf full of different plush toys with a wing.

Scarlet took a few steps closer and began to browse the selection, smiling as she took in the different plush animals that lined the shelf. Right away she noticed a large snake-like plush that she could already envision Orion snuggling up with, and excitedly grabbed it off of the shelf.

“How much for this one?”

Velvet eyed the snake plush and smiled, “That particular item is twenty bits. However, I am offering a deal with those particular toys.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“If you’d be interested in buying another plush I can offer that one for half off.”

Scarlet looked around and grinned in delight as she saw an adorable looking spider plush sitting on the shelf. Silver would never approve of this existing in their house, he was absolutely terrified of spiders, but she figured that a harmless plush would be fine, he only seemed to hate actual spiders after all, a fake one that was clearly a toy should be perfectly okay. Plus it was a present for Orion, and if there was really an issue with it she could just keep it away in the colt’s room where Silver would never need to see it.

Scarlet grabbed the toy off of the shelf and approached the counter where Velvet had retreated back to. She gently set the two plush toys on the counter and reached into her saddlebags for the bits she had earned so far.

“So Thirty bits?”

Velvet nodded, “Thirty bits. Would you like these in a bag? Or perhaps we can ship them to your home?”

Scarlet looked towards Starry. “What would work best for this?”

Starry turned towards Velvet, “We’ll take them to go, there is no courier route to the outpost unfortunately.”

Velvet nodded, “That’s perfectly fine. I hope your foal enjoys these. They are hoof-made, but designed to be durable enough to withstand any kind of play, and considering he’s a night pony I’m sure it’ll be well worth it.”

Scarlet slid the bits across the counter and smiled, excited to give Silver and Orion their gifts, even though she’d still have to wait a while for that. A sense of longing came over her as she thought back to her family. She was happy to have the opportunity to be here in Equestria, but she’d be lying if she said that she wasn’t feeling a little homesick. Normally this was mitigated by the fact that she could always be in contact with them, but the lack of that opportunity was definitely starting to get to her. Her new friends at least gave her a feeling that she wasn’t completely out of place here, and the fact that everyone was seemingly so friendly and cheerful made her feel more at home.

Velvet passed a bag over to Scarlet and smiled, “Would you like a receipt?”

Scarlet shook her head, “I think I’m okay. This might sound weird, but I’m from Earth, so I don’t know when or if I’ll ever be back here.”

Velvet’s eyes widened in intrigue, “From Earth? Fascinating. So I’m assuming that you’re not just here on vacation then, right?”

“I wish, this is still an awesome experience. Like Starry said, I’m with the astronomy program, but we finally have a break, decided to do a little sight seeing while I had the chance.”

“Well in that case I hope you enjoy your trip, hopefully you’ll have the chance to make it back over this way someday.”

Scarlet nodded, “I hope so too.”

Starry smiled, “Take care Velvet.”

“And you as well.”

The pair trotted out of the store and over to a low wall that overlooked the rest of the caves. Scarlet gazed around at the crowd of ponies, most of which were night ponies.

Starry followed her gaze, “Is it really that strange seeing so many members of your tribe in one place? You’ve mentioned it before but it’s just hard to imagine.”

Scarlet turned towards Starry and nodded, “For a guide that works so closely with a princess I would have thought that you’d know more about Earth… not that I can really fault you on that, it just stands out to me more than I thought it would.”

“I suppose I never really saw a reason to learn more. Call it anxiety, a fear of the unknown… whatever the case may be, it’s kept me from delving further into it.” He perked up, “Though perhaps someday I’ll make the journey myself. It all sounds so… different.”

“Believe me, this place is beyond different for me. If you’re afraid of feeling like a fish out of water, you won’t be alone, even on Earth it’s easy to feel out of place. I guess I never thought of it much, but after coming here I just feel like everything’s so perfect. The world’s built for us, there’s no one or thing telling us that we’re wrong for being different, it’s just an eerily odd and endearing feeling at the same time.”

“I presume that Earth is the opposite?”

Scarlet shrugged, “It’s hard to really say. For most people it’s a matter of perspective. I can choose to see only the bad and that’ll make my experience, or I can choose to look beyond that and find what I’ve found here… if that makes sense.”

Starry nodded, “I believe it does, though I suppose that the matter is far more complex than that. Equestria isn’t perfect either, there’s still prejudice, fear, anxiety… just look at our relations with the griffins following one horribly misguided unicorn’s actions, that may be something that will hang over us for many years to come.”

“We’re really not all that different— earth and equestrian ponies that is, it’s just different worldly circumstances.”

“And your world did just suffer what could be perceived as a very real apocalypse only a little over a year ago. That will likely leave scars that won’t fully heal or many years, if ever.”

“Nothing ever fully heals, there’ll always be reminders and visions of the past that help remind us of where we came from.” Scarlet paused for a moment, gazing back out over the random ponies that made up the unassuming crowd. “Thanks for the insight Starry, I didn’t mean for this conversation to get so personal… it’s just, I feel like we’re still figuring everything out and it’s sort of desensitized me at this point. Like this huge unbelievable trip has barely even phased me.”

“Maybe that’s for the better? That you’ve taken your experiences and created something positive from them.”

Scarlet smiled, “Maybe it is… so what’s next?”

“Well, we should probably go check in at your lodging and drop your gifts off, after we can head over to a quaint cafe for some dinner, it’s not the most ornate place, but the owner is an old friend of mine and I’d like to catch up with him.”

Scarlet nodded, “Lead on then, I can’t wait to check it out.”

Starry smiled and waved her along towards a small inn that would serve as her home for the next couple days.

The two sat in an area that Starry had pointed out was a popular cafe run by an old retired member of Luna’s Night Guard. The arched iron sign that sat in front of it had read The Knight’s Light, though ponies from all walks of life seemed to be present here. A large assortment of night ponies wearing similar armor to the guards back at the outpost were scattered around, but there were also ponies wearing simple aprons, tool belts, or even just hard hats.

The two shared a table with Starry’s wife, foals, and two other ponies who wore goggles and tool belts. Starry had been quick to point out that they were engineer ponies who had helped set up some of the early outpost infrastructure, but had returned to Canterlot when they had gotten the chance to take on a contract that they were after for a while now.

Starry chatted with the unicorn for a bit while the night pony absentmindedly tinkered around with a strange looking mechanical device that almost resembled something of a clock. Scarlet tuned out the conversation, instead choosing to look around at the rest of the cave they were in. It certainly felt like she stood out here, but none of the ponies seemed to care or pay her any mind.

“So Scarlet’s from Earth then?” She suddenly heard the unicorn ask.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and nodded towards him, “Yes, I’m an astronomer back on Earth. I’m here on a sort of cultural exchange.”

He smiled, “It must feel so weird getting to come here, then. I heard that Earth is so much different than Equestria. I mean you guys built up a world without magic for most of your existence… I’m sorry, where are my manners. I’m Gear Grinder, and this is my apprentice Xenith.”

The night pony set his device down and nodded, “It's rare that we encounter a Terran here, even more so one that is a night pony.”

“Yeah… there’s not too many of them back home either. It’s honestly a little weird seeing so many in one place here.”

“I bet. So what did you think of our handiwork?”

“In the observatory?”

He nodded, “It's based on Terran designs, though there’s a fair amount of Equestrian engineering involved. Was there any noticeable difference in operation compared to what you’d find back home?”

She shook her head, “No, not really. It seems like it moves a little more precisely but I can’t tell if that’s just different materials, the higher end design, or what.”

“It’s a mix actually. There’s some magic involved to fill in the gaps of what’s possible on Earth and what we lack here in Equestria. That’s detail that I can’t get too far into I’m afraid, but I’m glad to hear that there’s no real issue with reliability.”

“I kind of figured as much. So I know you can’t get into details, but out of curiosity would this be possible back home?”

He shrugged, “It’s possible. It would depend on whether Earth has materials that would be receptive to that. Neither of us have looked into it too much. Sorry if that doesn’t really answer your question at all.”

She nodded, “It’s fine. I was just kind of curious is all. We’ve been trying to develop some new telescopes back home so I was just curious to see if anything like this would be possible.”

“Well if it ever is please don’t hesitate to share the plans with us. You Terrans all seem to be so resourceful at times,” he chuckled. “Imagine doing everything without magic.”

Starry cleared his throat, interrupting the two. “I hate to interrupt, but I believe our server is returning soon, do you all know what you’d like to order?”

Scarlet looked down at the menu and nodded, “I think so.”

He smiled, “Wonderful!”

Starry smiled as he led the three down the cobblestone streets of Canterlot and towards the large imposing palace in the distance. Tyler and Sarah had just arrived today, and they seemed more than happy to be off of the cramped train they rode in on earlier. Their amazement wasn’t quite the same as Scarlet’s had been when she first caught a glimpse of the regal city a couple days ago, but they were still sneaking bewildered glances every once in a while.

“So will the Princess actually be joining us or is it more of a Join me and the assorted nobility scenario?” Tyler jokingly asked.

Starry nodded, “Princess Luna may be present if her other duties permit it. Other nobility and ambassadors shall be in attendance as well, including a few from your own world.”

“Other country ambassadors you mean?” Sarah asked as she returned her gaze from one of the large buildings.

“Indeed. I do not know who will be present specifically, just that it includes ambassadors from both worlds.”

“It sounds like it’ll be a real interesting night. So are we actually dining in the palace?” Scarlet asked, cutting in.

Starry looked over towards her and shook his head, “Not the actual palace proper, but the venue is close by. It should still offer spectacular views of the city and surrounding vistas though.”

Scarlet smiled, “Well I can’t wait, this whole place has just been amazing so far.”

She looked towards Sarah and Tyler who nodded in agreement.

“So Starry… what’s the actual plan? Are we sitting with them or are we going to be off on our own?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I would assume you would be sitting with them. As far as I am aware, guests visiting from Earth are all seated at the same table, is there a concern with that?”

Scarlet shook her head, “None at all, I was just curious. So is it okay for us to chat with them? Do we need to be super formal and uptight? Y’know, is this supposed to be a formal dinner or is it more of a casual meet and greet kind of thing?”

Starry smiled, “Oh of course! I could not imagine a quiet dinner here, these are some of my favorite events to attend solely for the interesting stories you hear from far and wide. I’m not aware of how it is on Earth, but here in Equestria, sharing stories among strangers and friends alike is one of our greatest traditions.”

Scarlet smiled back, “I think that answers everything. I just wanted to make sure, I don’t know about the others but I’ve never dined with any kind of celebrity or ambassador before, I wasn’t sure if there was some ironclad protocol we had to follow or anything.”

“There is none that I am aware of, I do hope you enjoy yourselves tonight, it might not be what you are used to on Earth, but I hope you’ll feel welcome all the same. The princess invited you, but do not feel like this needs to be a formal event, if it helps, think of it as a dinner with old friends.”

Starry led the three into the regal dining room, where a plethora of creatures were already sitting. Scarlet hadn’t realized it until now, but Equestria had a far more diverse population that was made up of more than just ponies. Starry had mentioned this earlier when they had first toured the outpost, but she hadn’t thought much of that comment up until now. As she looked around the room she picked out a few creatures that were obvious to her, like the humans and ponies, but she also noticed a zebra, a few creatures that looked like ponies but had strange horns, and a few other creatures that she assumed were griffons based on some of the depictions Scarlet had seen back home.

She continued to observe the other guests up until Starry ushered them towards one table in particular, it wasn’t specified in any particular way, but she could tell that it was meant for Earth based guests. The table was empty, except for a human and two ponies, who were all casually chatting and enjoying what looked like freshly baked goods.

Starry cleared his throat, “Good evening, I would like to introduce you to a few of your fellow guests from Earth,” He gestured towards the Human that sat at the outside of the table, “This is Giovanni, Earth’s Italian ambassador to Equestria,” He moved on, gesturing towards the pink unicorn next, “And this is Cherry Blossom, She is Japan’s ambassador,” He moved on to the remaining orange pegasus, “And lastly, we have Lucky Hazel, Jamaica’s ambassador.”

The orange mare smiled and nodded, “Pleased to meet you, you three are astronomers right? What’s it’s like to actually see another world’s stars? Is it as cool as it sounds?”

Starry smiled, “I can see that you all will get along just fine, please pardon me for a moment, my presence is required up front, I will return in just a few minutes.” With a quick bow towards the assembled guests, Starry trotted off towards whoever needed his attention.

Scarlet took a seat next to the pegasus, “It’s no harm, I don’t think you’ll be able to out geek three astronomers who are getting to do something like this.”

“It is an exciting change of pace, that is for sure,” Cherry Blossom spoke up, “I have never been much of a stargazer myself, but I can see the appeal nonetheless. Am I correct in assuming that you’re a part of Princess Luna’s little pet project?”

Scarlet raised an eyebrow, “Pet project?”

Giovanni sat up in his seat and took a sip of water, “My friend, I believe that Cherry is referring to the Princess’ new observatory that’s out in the middle of nowhere. Pardon our curiosity, it’s just that there’s so much mystique surrounding both her and that project in particular. There’s rumors that come out of the shadows and naturally that can tend to pique one’s interest, especially given the… less than usual circumstance of all of us being present here.”

Scarlet couldn’t help but pick up on the fact that the three ambassadors seemed to speak in a dialect that was understandable, but didn’t feel as graceful to her. They spoke as if they had only recently learned the language and were still getting the hang of pronouncing the strange, almost musical words. She wasn’t sure if it was that they had simply arrived here later than they had, hadn’t bothered to practice it as much, or maybe something else entirely. Was it possible that these three felt just as out of place as her and her two new friends did?

Tyler spoke up, stirring Scarlet from her silent observations, “To answer your question, we’re visiting astronomers that are assisting her with a really novel project. Assuming that’s the one you’re talking about, I can say it’s definitely nothing outlandish or crazy. Just working on updating archived star maps with Equestria’s stars and constellations. Kind of like what we do back home.”

“So exciting for us, boring for probably everyone else.” Sarah added with a smile.

Cherry nodded, “Fascinating, though the truth is certainly less interesting than the rumor.”

“Well for you maybe, I think it’s amazing that you three have the chance to do that. Are you using weird Equestrian equipment or stuff from back home!?” Lucky excitedly asked.

Scarlet perked up, happy to hold a conversation that felt so casual and informal, “Kind of a mix, we’re not really sure how much is from who, but it sure runs like the stuff back home. I think they used some of our designs as a base and worked up and replaced what they weren’t able to really do here with their own engineering and technology. Kind of like an old world meets new world scenario I think? It’s hard to really tell given how… weird this all is.”

Starry returned, interrupting the group before they could ask any further questions, “Ah yes, I apologize for that interruption, another guest needed my assistance. Now as for dinner, our menu has both local cuisine and recipes gifted to our chefs from Earth, you are welcome to try either, though the option for food that may be more familiar to your… tastes is available if you so desire.” He passed a small menu to each of the guests, giving them time to look it over.

Scarlet retrieved one and gave a quick nod in thanks. Without a second thought she started looking through the Earth side of the menu, noting that there were dishes from all four of the countries that were currently represented at the table. Out of curiosity, she gave a quick glance over to the Equestrian side, curious to see what counted as local cuisine. Everything seemed fairly standard, hay burger, flower and hay sandwich… hay, hay, and more hay. She scrunched her muzzle up in disgust as she thought back to when that was the only thing that was widely available for ponies to eat shortly after ETS had struck. It was fine enough sure, but eating raw hay for weeks on end soured the experience for her.

She continued to look through that side of the menu in disinterest, pausing when she came across something she never would have expected to see on a dinner menu, let alone one that was being offered to nobility and ambassadors in the country’s capital. Baked Tarantula. She gave a quick wave towards Starry, who cheerfully trotted over.

“Yes Mrs. Eclipse? Did you have a question?”

She nodded, “Yes, I noticed this thing on the menu, Baked Tarantula… is that actually a baked tarantula or is it something that’s just not translating over as well?”

“Ah yes, the Baked Tarantula. Not as popular amongst the day ponies, but it could be considered something of a delicacy amongst night ponies. Would you care to try it?”

Scarlet hesitated for a moment, before returning a quick nod. “My husband’s deathly afraid of spiders… but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sound interesting. Plus the look on his face when I tell him what I tried is going to be priceless.”

Starry, smiled, “I’ll let our chefs know. They are masters of their craft and it won’t take long for them to prepare your meal. Would you like anything else to drink in the meantime?”

She shook her head, “Just water for now.”

Starry nodded and trotted off, leaving Scarlet alone to her thoughts once again. She was starting to regret her meal choice, and was half tempted to call after Starry and choose something else, but a lingering thought kept her in her seat. If it was on the menu and night ponies in Equestria enjoyed it, it couldn’t be all that bad right?

Giovanni sat up and took another sip from his glass, “So now that that’s out of the way, how have you all been adjusting to your stay here? Before you arrived I was talking with Cherry and Lucky about their own experiences and it’s been intriguing to hear.”

“You know, it was kind of rough at first, jumping from one world and into another wasn’t as strange as I thought it might be, the strange part was just getting used to how small everything is here. I’m sure you understand that.” Tyler answered.

The human nodded, “I’ve had a couple of weeks to adjust but it’s still had it’s unusual moments at times.”

“Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but obviously this world wasn’t built for humans, it’s just an odd feeling when you think you’re judging something but you’re still used to the scale of everything back home. I think Tyler’s tripped about a dozen times on so many different staircases just because he’s not used to the steps being as low as they are.” Sarah added.

Scarlet smiled, “Obviously it’s different for me. As weird as it sounds I feel right at home here. I’d never give up my life back home for anything in the world, but it’s a nice change of pace being here.”

Cherry looked at Lucky and Scarlet and nodded, “I share your sentiment. I’ve only been here for a week and adjusting hasn’t been too hard. I’m assuming it’s the same for you Lucky?”

The pegasus nodded, “It’s different, but I think it’s worth it. If we can help foster peace between worlds and nations I think it’s all worthwhile, even if some of us are uncomfortable at times.”

Cherry nodded, “I have a family back home that I miss dearly, but this mission is worth the momentary longing for them that I feel. I’ll be home to see them soon enough, and maybe the world will be a little better in the long run because of what we’re doing.”

Scarlet smiled, “I know we’re not specifically here for any kind of good will mission like you three are, but I like to think that every small part helps. Even if we’re just helping some astronomers update a star map, it’s still a chance to share some of our culture and gain an appreciation for some of theirs.”

A warm grin spread across Giovanni’s face, “It appears that we’re not all as different as it might seem. I am glad to have heard your own tales.”

“Likewise, it’s been… interesting.” Tyler mused. “Here we thought we’d have to be uptight and formal for this dinner, but you’re all normal people like us with friends and families.”

“We are just a small group that want to make a better world, in our own ways, be it big or small. People of all lands have gathered like this for centuries to share their own stories, and it’s humbling to know that even though we come from all corners of the globe, we are able to converse as if we are fond friends.” Cherry added.

Without much fanfare the servers returned with a cart full of steaming plates, clearly prepared quickly with some sort of magic. The group collectively eyed the cart, pausing their conversation for the time being.

Lucky turned towards the three astronomers, “I’d love to chat some more after dinner, if you’ll indulge me that is.”

Sarah nodded, “Not sure how much we can really say, but I’d love to talk some more.”

One by one the plates were set down in front of the group, who happily began to dig into their chosen meals. As Scarlet’s was laid down in front of her, she couldn’t help but eye the tarantulas with a look of both disgust and intrigue. She hesitantly broke off a leg and took a small bite. She paused and slowly began to smile.

Her eyes widened in bewilderment and she eagerly dug in, surprising herself in the process. It had been so long since she had eaten actual meat that she had forgotten how good the taste could be. It was as if she had suddenly discovered a part of her that was missing for the last year, a piece of her very being that was now rediscovered, and she couldn’t get enough of it. This is actually… kind of good! I’m eating a tarantula and liking it… Silver’s gonna freak out but I have to get him to try this sometime! She thought to herself as a devilish grin spread across her face. She would never just spring this on him without a fair warning, that would be needlessly cruel after all, but maybe she could ease him into trying it, surely he could get over it if she could show him how good it was. Those thoughts would have to wait however, she was too eager to enjoy this strangely good new food to think about anything else.

Scarlet pushed the large wooden doors open and trotted in, waving at a pair of equestrian technicians as she passed them, “Hey, Thunder! Hey, Sol! They got you two working overtime again?”

The gray night pony nodded her head, glancing towards the blue unicorn that sat off to the side. “Yep! Finishing up some unplanned maintenance, I guess they forgot to recalibrate it when they were working on it before. No sweat though, the extra bits we get for this are well worth it, isn’t that right Sol?”

“Mhmm, beats working back on that dock in the Crystal Empire that they had us at before.”

Scarlet smiled, “That’s certainly a nice perk. So are Tyler and Sarah in there?” She asked, gesturing towards the main observatory with a wing.”

The blue unicorn nodded, “Yeah, just came back from break maybe five, ten minutes ago? Nebula and Windseeker were helping them earlier, but clocked out when they all broke for their break.” She glanced towards Thunder and then back over to Scarlet, “Starting early again Scarlet?”

“None of the fun stuff yet, just the boring paperwork. You know, logging which quadrants we’re on, any anomalies with the existing maps, that kind of stuff.”

Thunder Smiled. “Sounds like a boatload of fun, I think I’ll let you handle that stuff and stick to the technical oddities.”

Scarlet smirked. “Not a fan of paperwork?”

She replied with a mock face of disgust, earning laughs from both Scarlet and Sol.

“Well I’ll let you two get back to work, have a nice night if I don’t see you before you break.”

Thunder smiled, “You too, Scar. See ya later.”

Scarlet trotted towards the interior doors and walked into the observatory proper. As Scarlet made her way over to her desk she smiled at Tyler and Sarah, who were already hard at work on their respective tasks for the night.

“Hey Tyler, Sarah. You guys have a nice day?”

Tyler turned away from the computer for a moment and nodded, “Yeah, I took a nice walk this afternoon and did a little fishing down by the pond. Not much else.”

“Did you catch anything good?”

He shook his head, “Nah, just some equestrian bass, tossed em back after. How about you? Did you do anything fun?”

She shrugged, “Not really, just meditated for a little while before dinner. I know this means nothing to you, but I almost managed to dreamwalk during it but got distracted before I could. I don’t think very many night ponies can do that back home. I only know two that have been able to actually do it with any regularity.”

“Sounds like fun. Real talk, I wish I could do that. Getting to make your own dreams and go off on some crazy adventures or maybe just hang out on some idealized beach.” Sarah added as she walked over from the telescope.

“What’d you do today Sarah?”

“Oh you know, much of the same. Stopped by the library and tried reading some of their books. Get this, they have their own version of Indiana Jones, Daring Do! And the story’s aren’t even half bad either. I’m honestly tempted to buy up the whole set and bring them home with me if they’ll let me.”

“I don’t see why they wouldn’t, books should be perfectly fine.”

“Well I guess we’ll find out, I think tonight’s pay night. So what’re you up to? Just stopping by early?”

Scarlet shook her head, “Nah, I figured I’d help you guys out with the mundane paperwork. I felt like I was starting to get too comfortable with not doing work, I figured I might as well get back into the swing of things and take some more notes on equestrian astronomy while I still can.”

“Not one for taking time from work? I thought you had a blast the other day at dinner?”

She nodded, “Oh I did, there’s just so much to do here and not enough time to do it so I don’t want to waste any of my freetime when I have the opportunity to use it to my advantage. I love vacations just as much as the next pony, but we’re talking about the unknown cosmos of another world here!”

“How’d that cave tour go by the way? Tyler and I didn’t get a chance to stop down there.”

“Oh it was awesome, It’s hard to explain but I just felt so cozy there. I even got to pick up a few souvenirs for my husband and foal and got to meet some more night ponies. Overall, it was interesting to say the least, and it really made it clear how different they are compared to their earth counterparts.”

“Well it sure sounds like you had a fun time. We appreciate you helping out with the boring work by the way, it really helps cut down on the workload.”

To the casual observer it might seem that the group had been hard at work for the better part of a few months, but in actuality it had only been a few weeks since the group had arrived to Equestria. As resourceful as the trio had become, they were only a small part of the larger team, and after this week they would be gone, leaving their work for some future group to pick up.

Maybe someday she could find her way back here, but that probably wouldn’t happen any time soon. As much as Scarlet enjoyed the outpost and Equestria as a whole, she missed her family and couldn’t wait to get back home to them. Perhaps she could bring them along for the next trip if there was ever that possibility, she’d have to ask the Princess the next time she had the chance to.

She shook her head and returned to the task at hand. Equestria had so many more stars left to map, and not nearly enough time left to map them as she wanted. Still though, the opportunity to even be a part of this was more than anything she could ever ask for and she was happy to be a part of it, even if only for a short while.

“So what’s the plan tonight Sarah?”

The human looked away from the large telescope in the center of the room, “Not much, just finishing up the stars in the quadrant five, moving onto six, seven, and maybe eight if we have time to get to that tonight.”

“Ah, so the less prominent stars then?”

She nodded, “I’m glad you said less prominent instead of less important. So many people back home seem to disregard ours like that. They might not be as prominent as some of the more visible stars and constellations, but they’re still out there, even if people don’t see them.”

“I couldn’t have said it any better myself,” Tyler added, “If you want to jump in early feel free to do so, I know the paperwork’s a bit boring and I wouldn’t fault you if you wanted to get to the real fun stuff.”

Scarlet smiled, “I’ll think about it, someone’s gotta get this done though and I’d rather knock it out before my shift really starts so I can get more out of it.”

Tyler shrugged, “Hey you do you, we really do appreciate it though, so thanks again.”

As Scarlet walked around the outpost she couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. On one hoof, she was excited to get home and see her family again, on the other she was sad to say goodbye to her new friends and all the interesting wonders that Equestria’s night sky had to share. The end of their trip would be here in only a few hours, and already she had received a flurry of emotional goodbyes from some of the permanent staffers that she had come to see as close friends during her short trip to Equestria.

She had already carefully packed away enough notebooks to easily fill in her small bookshelf back home and couldn’t wait to properly organize all of her research. For as much as she had learned on this trip, she had only barely scratched the surface of everything that Equestrian astronomy had to offer. Her collected volumes of research and notes would still make for an interesting read for astronomers back home, and she had decided to start properly curating it all into an actual book. She didn’t expect it to be anything that would make waves in the industry, but hobbyists and others who couldn’t make the trip on their own would probably find it interesting enough to buy a copy which would at least help fund some of her own work.

There was one more pressing matter that she wanted to address before she left, thanking the princess for even letting her be a part of the team. She approached the large observatory doors and knocked a few times, waiting until the princess called her in. With a confident smile Scarlet began to trot towards the princess, who greeted her with a smile of her own.

“Good evening again Scarlet, Crescent has told me that there was something you wished to speak with me about?”

She nodded, “I just wanted to thank you again for letting me be a part of this. It really means so much to me.”

Luna nodded, “It was my pleasure to help a pony that appreciates the night as much as you do. You are returning to Earth soon, correct?”

She nodded, “Yeah, I don’t know when or if I’ll ever be able to come back here again, but I wanted to just give you a personal thank you before I left. There was another thing too, it’s about my notebook.”

The princess let out a small laugh, “And which one would that be? I couldn’t help but notice that your saddlebags are filled with far more than what you arrived with. Do you plan to share some of the research on our stars with Earthly astronomers?”

A smile began to spread across Scarlet’s face, “Yes actually, we don’t really know a whole lot about Equestria’s stars back home, I kind of figured that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to organize and publish my notes— if that’s alright with you that is.”

Luna smiled once more, “I would never stop somepony from sharing a love of the night with others, please go ahead, and share what you’ve learned here.”

Scarlet excitedly nodded, “Thanks Princess, for everything. I hope that I’ll be able to come back for another visit someday.”

“I wish you the best of luck wherever you may go, if you should find your way back to this world again, I would be delighted to hear of what has transpired with your endeavours.”

Scarlet smiled and trotted out of the Observatory, running into Thunder and Sol on the way out, “Oh hey guys.”

The gray night pony looked up from her desk and smiled, “Hey Scarlet, I suppose this is probably the last time we’ll see each other?”

Scarlet nodded solemnly, “Yeah. We’re out of here in a few hours, I just wanted to say a few goodbyes before we board the train.”

The blue unicorn gave a quick nod, “It’s sure gonna be quiet around here, I don’t think any other astronomer save for the princess herself, has spent so much time in here.”

Scarlet let out a laugh, “I hope I didn’t bother you guys too much, this has been a once in a lifetime opportunity, I didn’t want to waste a single moment of it.”

“It’s been different, but fun. We’re really going to miss you three, even if we’ve only known each other for a month now.” Thunder added.

Sol nodded, “It’s crazy how fast a month flies by. One minute three strange aliens are stepping off into your home, the next you’re saying goodbye to new friends.”

“It’s weird. I feel like this place has become a second home to me, even if I might never get back here,” Scarlet mused.

Thunder shrugged, “You never know, anything’s possible. So many ponies have come here to study or research the stars, and out of all of them I think you three might be the most memorable.”

“It helps that you’re also the first aliens here, that’s definitely memorable.” Sol added with a smile.

Scarlet nodded, “Look me up if you guys ever make it over to Earth, I’d love to show you around our observatory sometime.”

Thunder smiled, “For sure. Take care Scarlet.”

The group walked back into the Crystal palace, feeling as if they had just done the opposite only yesterday. Scarlet was unsure of what the future would hold for her or if she would ever get a chance to come back here, but she was grateful for the experience nonetheless. The group was oddly silent as they walked towards the portal room and through the security checkpoints. Without asking them directly, Scarlet could only assume that they were thinking the same as she was, silently reflecting on the trip they had all taken and bonded over, and wondering what the future would hold.

By the time they had reached the portal and had been cleared for passage, a looming sense of sadness could be felt hanging over the group, Starry included.

Scarlet looked towards their guide turned friend and embraced him in a tight hug, “Thanks for everything. This has been an amazing month, and I’m really going to miss you. You’re a good friend Starry;- please give my regards to Starshine too, I know we didn’t talk much but she’s a very lucky mare.”

Starry smiled, “I’ve spent the last year wondering how inviting Earth astronomers would impact our operations. I wasn’t sure if you would be more of a hindrance than a help, but you three have really shown that it’s the latter. We’re going to miss you, too.”

“I’ll have to talk with Sapphire and see if there’s any easy way to keep in touch. My offer still stands by the way, if you’re ever out my way Silver and I would love to host you in our city. It’s not much now, but I think it’d be cool to show you what we’ve done, especially after this trip.”

The Equestrian night pony nodded, “Perhaps I’ll cash in a few of my vacation days as you put it, and make the journey down there myself.”

Tyler looked towards the portal and back towards the Equestrian, “I hate to leave so soon, especially after making so many new friends… It’s been a real pleasure, Starry,” He held his hand out towards the pony, “I know I’ll remember this forever.”

Sarah smiled, “If you do make it to Earth, look us up too, maybe we could all meet up somewhere and hang out. I’m sure Scarlet wouldn’t mind hosting us too… right?” She asked with a grin.

Scarlet nodded, “Absolutely. If you two ever have trouble filling the hours give me a ring, I’d love to hire you on full time. We’re looking at upgrading some of our equipment and I could use a few talented astronomers to help run everything.”

“Well, we can’t delay this forever, as much as I’d like to. It’s been a joy spending time with you three, and I’ll definitely try and keep in contact as best as I can.” Starry reached into his saddlebag for a moment, pulling out a small bag, “It’s cheesy I know, but I would be remiss if I didn’t offer you something to remember your visit by.” He carefully opened the bag and slid out the three metal medallions that he had custom ordered from Mystic Ember.

“Starry, you didn’t need to do this—”

He cut scarlet off with a warm smile, “The front has the sigil of the outpost, the back has your names transcribed in Equestrian on them, I know it’s not much but think of this as a way to commemorate our achievements here. Mystic Ember was right when he said that an object’s true value is the story it tells us, and these tell a story that I hope you’ll all share with your friends and families back home.”

Scarlet carefully held the offered medallion, smiling as she read the front of it. From Equestria to Earth, and the endless cosmos up above, the memory of this adventure shall live on as long as we live. Thanks for being a part of the journey, - Starry

She held out her hoof in thanks, grinning as Starry returned the gesture, “Thanks again Starry, this means a lot.”

“It was my pleasure, now if we’re all done being sentimental, I believe you have a world to return to.”

Tyler nodded and slowly stepped towards the portal, looking towards Sarah, “Well, I think work’s sure gonna be boring after this.” With a smile he stepped through, leaving the other human alone with Scarlet.

Sarah turned towards the portal and paused, “Goodbye Starry, it’s been great.” She turned back towards the portal and followed in Tyler’s footsteps, leaving Scarlet alone for a few more moments.

Scarlet walked towards the portal, gazing at the strange gateway that had been the start of one of the most interesting adventures of her life. She took a few hesitant steps towards it before pausing and turning back towards Starry, “Goodbye friend, until we meet again.”

Starry smiled, “Farewell.”

Scarlet turned back towards the portal and stepped through, ending her Equestrian adventure and returning to the life she had temporarily left back on Earth.

Scarlet trotted off the plane and towards the arrival gate, thanking the flight attendant on her way out. The flight home had been silent and full of peaceful reflection.

As much as she already missed Equestria, she was more than happy to be back home with her family. She couldn’t wait to just talk with Silver on the ride back home and see Orion again. Silver had already lit up the comm with dozens of questions and messages, and she had happily told him that they could talk once they were back home, face to face.

It wasn’t a long walk to the baggage claim area, and before she even had a chance to look for Silver, he had ran towards her, catching her by surprise with a tight embrace and nearly knocking her over in the process.”

The very exhausted looking Stallion pulled her into a tight hug while Orion excitedly ran up to her, bringing a smile to her face. “Scarlet, I’m so glad you’re back home! I missed you so much!” He said as if he was relieved that she was back.

“Silver— what’s gotten into you?” She questioned in a daze, the sing songy quality of her voice standing out more now that she was back on Earth.

“I just missed you. I knew taking care of a night pony foal on my own would be hard, but man, it’s a lot harder than I thought! Your voice sounds beautiful by the way, is that a hint of Equestrian I’m hearing?”

She returned the embrace and held him close for a few moments, glancing down towards Orion who was excitedly jumping around, “Well… I’m glad you had some time to really appreciate the miracle of fatherhood… So how was it? The house isn’t a wreck I hope?”

He broke the hug and let out a nervous chuckle as he looked down at Orion, who had a large grin on his face, “Yeah… about that… He’s uhh… well you missed his diablo phase— but I think he’s over that now!”

She let out a sigh and shook her head, worried at what the response would be, “Silver…”

He began to gesture around with his hooves, “Don’t worry though, I figured out how to keep him calm and It’s only a few holes in the wall!.. and some broken dishes here and there— don’t worry, I cleaned up the glass right away and no one got hurt! And uhh… oh, he also kind of got into the pantry and figured out how to climb up to the top shelf— we’re gonna have to fix those too. Oh, and the TV’s broken…”

She quickly cut him off, “Okay, how about you tell me what isn’t broken? I feel like that’s going to be a lot easier.”

“Well the windows are good, and he didn’t break the other TV… Oh and I got the most adorable pictures of him snuggling up with Cosmo and that plush your grandmother made for us… So uhh.. How was your trip?”

Unsure of how to react to the news, she simply let out a flurry of laughter, catching him off guard entirely, “Silver, it was great. I’ve got a few souvenirs for you two and I’ve got enough notes to write my own book… Sounds like Orion really gave you a run for your money though.”

Silver let out a few nervous chuckles and waved her towards the exit, “Yeah… we can talk about that over dinner, why don’t you tell me all about your trip on the ride back? I’m Sure Orion’s dying to get some attention from you too.”

Scarlet looked down at the excited colt and smiled, “Is that right now? Well how was your month little buddy? I’ve got some presents for you that I think you’re gonna love!” She reached into one of the bags she held at her side and pulled out the spider plush, earning a nervous glance from Silver.

Orion excitedly jumped over towards the plush, pulling it close and holding it tightly, earning a happy cheer from Scarlet. She glanced over towards Silver, walking towards him with a grin, “I know you’re gonna hate this, but I’ve got a new recipe that we have to try sometime… baked tarantula— I know you don’t like spiders but it’s meat we can actually eat and you don’t know what you’re missing, trust me!”

She felt a twinge of guilt as the color seemed to drain from Silver’s face for a few moments, “Yeah… uhh there’s one other thing I forgot to mention… Orion kinda tried that out on his own, too, and I think he’s a fan…”

She raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean by that… he didn’t get into too much trouble, right?”

“He uhh, well he ate a spider, but Wayne said it was okay and actually suggested trying it myself… I guess I know what’s for dinner then?”

Scarlet let out another series of laughs and shook her head, “I feel like your month might have been just as exciting as mine.”

Silver nodded, “Oh you don’t even know the half of it… It’s great to have you back home though, I think I need another vacation after this, maybe we could take a trip to the lake when we get back?”

Scarlet smiled, “I’d love that, we’ve got so much to share with each other.”