The Unknown Daughter's Reunion:Part 2

The flagship having traversed the distance to Equus, passed up the high orbit survey vessel that had spent four months here, and made synchronous orbit over Equestria.

Moon stared out the observation window. The dark coated mare seeing the place with her own eyes for the first time. It was a dream, and didn't seem possible to be really happening. But watching the clouds move across the lands against the winds, she could tell it was real. Weather ponies.

After spotting the mountain, she next sought the location of the Everfree, and the location of the castle she remembered so well.

She was overjoyed to be so close, and terrified at the same time.

'What have you been up to all these years? Had you raised families of your own? Quarreled and made up? Repelled enemies? I see that the Crystal Empire has returned, had they escaped tyranny?'

The door to the observation room opening, in walked Rolled Scroll, her envoys' speaker on her behalf.

"So this is it; Equus." She said with nervous anticipation.

"Indeed. Are you as nervous as I?" Moon asked her

"More. My mouth is dry, and my legs feel like they're filled with springs... As it is, I can't even stand to sit down." She tried to cover with humor

"Hmh"

Both of them stared out the window for a long while, watching the clouds.

"That mountain there with the dot on the side, that's where I'll be going?" Scroll asked

"mmm, yes. We'll observe some to get its name, as well as the local mood and customs. Do as much as we can to lessen the shock, for both you and them." Moon replied

"the more the merrier" Scroll whispered.

On the bridge, captain Solar Wind was in fine form. A captain for over twenty years, many in her highness's personal Space Flight Team.

"..and check the energy reserve cylinders, make sure there's no bleed-off effect caused by the planet." He ordered "..Status?"

"Orbit stabilized at nine-hundred, fifty thousand lengths, sir" navigator Trajectory reported

"Shields stable, gravity constant, captain." Diamond Cut reported

"Irradiated magic, reading thirty-one thousand MmJ's per second, eleven point two percent peak variance, sir." Warm Glow reported

"Eleven? I've never seen a number that low before. Surprisingly stable." the captain observed

Reaching over and tapping a couple buttons on the panel next to his chair, the view screen clearing of it's overlay.

"Would you look at that!" He said smiling "A planet of ponies we never seen before, and we're lucky enough to be born now and here to see it!"

"Some day, you'll be telling your grandfoals of this moment... Try to include how good looking and funny the captain was would ya?" He said brandishing a broad smile, The bridge crew breaking into laughter

'done, and done.' he thought to himself, still smiling.

An hour later, once the crew was confident the ship was nestled safely in its orbit, they switched gears to prepare observing the happenings in Equestria to report to the envoy ponies for study.

Beginning with one of the small villages near the mountain city, they focused their ships sensors.
Forwarding the feeds to the envoy ponies for study, they watched even the most mundane things for subtlety. Interactions between the tribes, telekinesis, chores performed, casual casting, ponies meeting, everything except voice.

After a day, they came to the conclusion that thing were comparable to any of the fledgling cities or colonies in the empire.

Resting early, they awoke four hours before dawn, to perform a 'borrowing' operation. Utilizing the transporters, they transported every book, four at a time, from a schoolhouse on the outskirts of the village. Quickly flipping through each one in a hurried fashion, they scanned the contents into data form for comparative study. As the bridge kept an eye on the townspoines, and the schoolhouse to alert them for when they ran out of time.

Over two nights, the second starting earlier than the first, they borrowed every single book on the shelves and returned them exactly as they were. Though the books were for foals, which made perusing them quicker and easier, many tiny puzzle pieces were filled in through them. One of those being the name of the mountain city, amongst other towns and villages across Equestria. This simple operation helped the envoy immensely.
They learned important ponies names, places, and some of how they saw the world. Some of the more unusual creatures of the world that they were yet unawares of, too.

The bridge crew chipped in on the effort, so her highness's envoy could dedicate their time to study.

What they became aware of, was that the school books made no mention of the princess sisters, and mentioned only one alicorn ruler, her name: Princess Wish Maker. Though they were correct in their assumption that the ruler resided in Canterlot, the mountain city.

Her highness was perplexed by this. Did her family retire? Why would alicorns that ruled for millennia retire? Were they deposed by a younger generation, outmoded?
She wanted to be offended that there seemed to be absolutely No mention of her family, but tempered her expectations by the fact that these were foals books.
Possibly a higher schooling taught more of Equestria's history?

'was I a fool for thinking that things would be unchanged after these many centuries?' she wondered

Monitoring the mountain city/Canterlot, proved to be an interesting venture. Composed nearly entirely of unicorns, it was a seemingly insular society, with quite a bit less interaction between the inhabitants than the village they had previously observed.

It made the envoy ponies a bit uneasy as over half of them weren't unicorns. Worried that their very composition might unravel the very introduction they were there to perform. Same with the Ceremonial Guards; less than half were unicorns...

"I support your concerns Rolled Scroll. Having this much of a shift, which clashes with the harmony and functionality of the nation we've already observed elsewhere, directly under the ruler-ship of the nation...makes little sense to me."

"Thank you your highness. While I could understand there being fewer earth ponies there, being so high up, I'd have to believe more pegasi would make up for the slack? The demographic is bizarre, even taking into account the lay-lines presence. Something else must be drawing more unicorns, and all but repelling the rest. Perhaps even doing just that? Perhaps the winds are annoyingly difficult, or it just plain stinks?"

Moon barking out a laugh "Oh, my apologies. I was not expecting that"

"You're welcome your highness" Scroll smiled

Getting as much as they thought they could from the population of the city, the bridge officers focused on the castle itself. Though late in the day, they began monitoring the movements outside and in. The staff maintaining the palace, few ponies coming and going, guard patrols.

Detecting high magical concentration on a single alicorn, they presumed it to be the Princess: Wish Maker. Making for a large room in a wing of the castle, presumably her chambers, for the night.

"There doesn't seem to be much going on right now..." The captain mused "What the hey, begin scanning the castle interior. It'll give the envoy a chance to familiarize themselves with the place, and they'll be the first to step hoof in the castle. It has to be more picturesque than what they've been reading at any rate, more interesting for us too."

"True, though her highness doesn't see much activity at her castle in the late evening either" Comet's Trail added

"Speaking of, maybe she'd like to see the new generation of ruler for herself? She'll be talking with her eventually." Walking over to the comm, he called for the empress. Appearing on the screen, he advised her what they were up to on the bridge.

"Oh, I'll be up in a little while, captain. Tell me, do you always spy on mares in their chambers?" she asked with a sly grin

The sight of the intrepid Captain Solar Wind, his muzzle red, sputtering, had the entirety of the bridge crew howling.

Her highness having arrived some time ago, was directing one of the ensigns in viewing the palaces interior. Her having never been there before, it was all a new experience. The scans having been turned back into visual images, she virtually walked into the palace and explored it's halls, tapestries, artwork, and sculptures. For the longest time she wondered how the ponies felt walking down the halls of her castle, now she was starting to know the wonder they felt, even if this was through a screen.

One thing was for certain, this ruler liked herself very much. A lot of the works featured herself in grandiose poses.

"Isn't this kind of gaudy?" Warm Glow commented, eliciting chuckling of agreement.

"I certainly hope my castle doesn't inspire, whatever this is supposed to.." Moon said pointing to a painting of the ruler with her hoof on her own flank.

"Ugh, reminds me of my early days" Warm Glow spoke, then regretted it.

"Its always the quiet ones..." Comet's Trail mused

Mirth subsiding, they decided to move into the next hallway. Moon taking a sitting position next to the ensign.

The artwork being more regal in nature, but mostly a similar theme, a few guards portraits, more of the ruler.

"Okay, I'll say it. This princess is rubbing me the wrong way." the captain burst "I can't put my hoof on exactly why, but I wouldn't bring her home to meet my family, so what kind of a ruler would she be?"

A nod here and there, but they mostly kept virtually walking the hallway towards what they expected to be the court and throne room.

Passing to the other side of the door, it was an auspicious room, with not much in it. A bust here and there next to pillars, carpet leading to the throne, stained glass depicting herself..

"It never ends. Like the halls" Moon mused studying the images in the glass

Rotating the image around, they looked at the throne. It was big and ornate as expected. Looking up, an odd bust, detailed and lifelike, depicting....

The earth pony ensign she was sitting next to, flew out of his chair, made it about three lengths, and lost everything in his stomach.

This was no bust, this was a trophy.

Moon was silent, her eyes, huge.
Around her, the other ponies coming to the conclusion that she and the ensign did.

"no, it can't..." Warm Glow squeaked

"How could a pony do such a thing?" Comet's Trail asked

Moon just sat there stock still. For an eternity of moments she just sat there.
And then slowly, her rear legs hoisted her up into a standing position.

She turned, and without a word, exited the bridge. Walking fast, down the hall and towards the lift, not even paying mind to her journey. All that was going through her mind being: 'I need to get down there. I need to get down there, Yesterday'. Approaching the lift, it's doors opening.
Once inside, she said one word "Transporter"
The lift responding to the command, closed the doors and proceeding four decks below to the deck it was located on.

Meanwhile on the bridge,
The ponies, finally snapping back to their senses, looked at each other. "Where is she going? She didn't say anything, not a word. She just..."

As if being hit with an epiphany, Captain Solar Wind punched the comm panel: "Transporters!" he shouted into it.
It now having connected him with the transporter rooms, he warned them: "The empress is likely headed your way. Do what she asks, or get out of her way! I don't know what's going to happen, but I think she's going down there." pausing for a moment, he added; "Stars help the fools that dare stand in her path..." He lamented, thinking of the ponies down on Equus.

"Sir, do we alert the guard to go with her?" Comet's Trail; His second in command asked

With a sigh, he replied "No. I think they'd just slow her down... ...Don't tell them I said that." after a moment he clarified "I mean no disrespect, but I've never seen the empress like this. Nor do I know much about alicorns. All I know is that if I were in her shoes, and had waited centuries for this moment, just for This..." He gestured to the screen "I'd tear their whole castle apart, and that'd just be the start..."

"She's very powerful, and she has the worst of motivations right now,"

Slumping, and with a sigh, he went on "We'll just monitor the situation as best we can, Comet. And we'll be here for her when she returns."

The mood on the bridge turning somber, a sense of foreboding in their hearts. Hoping they had not just lost friends before they had even made them.