Worlds Apart

Chapters

First Contact
Reactions
Setting The Scene
Construction
Opening For Business
Dragon Bait
Making An Impression
Expensive Tastes
How's The Weather?
Power Play
Inspection Day Disaster
Repercussions
Moving On

First Contact

Ken Hayashi stepped off the airplane from Melbourne into the blazing heat of Alice Springs. Although dressed to cope with the expected weather, the man did not waste time getting into the air-conditioned terminal. After passing out of the secure area, he made his way to the Hertz Car Rental desk to pick up the keys to the car he had booked. By the time that had been accomplished, baggage had started coming out at his carousel and it did not take long for him to retrieve his suitcase. A short walk back out into the heat found his car, and after putting his bag into the back seat, he got in, started the engine, and cranked up the AC.

With Google Maps showing the way, he drove out of the airport and quickly made it onto the A87 a.k.a. Stuart Highway headed north. The Todd River soon came into view on his right and both the road and the dry watercourse squeezed through The Gap, one of the few places traffic could pass the MacDonnell Ranges and into the city of Alice Springs. Maps had him turn right almost immediately to take him to the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. It was not long before he was in his room, but he did not bother unpacking his suitcase yet.

Ken opened up his laptop case and pulled out a small box. Inside were two large blue gems made to look like costume jewelry but were much more. He took one gem to the full-length mirror and, despite the lack of any obvious glue, stuck it to the glass. He tapped a pattern on the gem, twisted it, and the whole mirror shimmered. Nodding in satisfaction, Ken stepped through the mirror without even making a ripple.

A kirin with a cream-colored coat, brown scales, and blue mane emerged from a mirror in a room filled with many others. Two alert Royal Guards – a unicorn mare and an earth pony stallion – watched Ken approach.

“Hi, Slingshot,” Ken said. “Could you pass on word to Prince Mark Wells that I’m here?”

The unicorn smiled and nodded. “Right away, sir.” Corporal Slingshot tapped a button on a device on the desk and spoke into it. “Mr. Healthy Forest has arrived at the portal room as expected. Please inform His Highness.”

Ken had to grin whenever he heard his Equestrian name. He had made the mistake of explaining the meaning of his Japanese name to some ponies who were having difficulty pronouncing it. Their quirk for needing descriptive nomenclature often tripped them up. However, they had latched onto the nickname like terriers. Fortunately, he didn’t mind it as it fitted him as comfortably as his kirin alter-form.

While Slingshot passed on the message, the other pony approached with a grin. “I heard you had to fly for hours to get to your destination before coming here. What does it feel like to travel further in seconds than however long in your aircraft?”

Ken shook his head with a lopsided smile. “It still boggles me every time I come over, Ground Quake.”

“Do you think you could persuade Prince Wells to let me go there and have a look around someday?”

“You could always apply for an Earth-side job at one of the Harmonic Composites branches. You’d get the opportunity to do a bit of tourist stuff.”

“I don’t suppose there are any openings at your place?”

Ken grimaced. “I’m afraid not. The Melbourne, Australia branch is fully staffed for now. However, that might change soon if our plans work out. I’ll mention it to Mark Wells later.”

“Thanks, buddy,” the earth pony said with a grin.

Ken liked Quake – the stallion was a very personable guy and one of the earliest friends he had made. Ken knew though that, despite his friendliness, when it came down to business, the Royal Guard was not to be trifled with. He had watched Quake train one day when the pony indulged Ken’s curiosity about his work. The man was left in no doubt about how appropriate the pony’s name was. They chatted for a short while before a green alicorn stallion and brown batpony mare with exceptionally large wings arrived.

“Hello, Ken. How was your trip?” the prince asked.

“Everything went as planned and the flight was smooth as silk. I hope you’re prepared for hot weather though. It’s really toasty today.”

Mark Wells grinned. “I have a bet with Penny here that I’ll be able to tolerate the heat better than her.”

The batpony smiled smugly. “I can here, and I can’t see why it would be any different over there.”

Ken was fairly sure that Penumbra had never endured an Outback heatwave as a human before. It would be interesting to find out who was right. As for him, he reckoned he would cope better than either. “Okay, if you’re ready, let’s get this show on the road.” He turned back to the mirror through which he had arrived and stepped into it once more.

Back in the Alice Springs hotel, Ken stood aside for the short dark-skinned man who followed him, fully dressed courtesy of enchanted clothing similar to that which Ken wore. Next, a woman of Amazonian proportions joined them, also appropriately dressed. Ken then deactivated the portal gem and the mirror became an ordinary looking-glass once more.

Mark looked around the room and then took in the view out the window of the sandy watercourse and the township beyond. “Nice. I might come here for a vacation someday when everything settles down.”

Ken nodded as he placed the gem back in the box and then stowed it. “I haven’t been here before, so I’m looking forward to having a bit of a walkabout before the big show starts tonight. I still find it amazing that you want to make official First Contact here in the middle of nowhere.”

Mark shrugged. “As I’ve said before, it’s well away from interfering superpowers, it’s in a politically stable nation, portals make distance meaningless for transport, and above all, it isn’t cliché! I’ve seen enough human movies to know that aliens pick Washington, New York, or Tokyo far too often.”

Ken chuckled in agreement. “Okay, let’s get going. Have you got everything you need?”

“Just let me grab a couple of things,” Mark said as he placed the small case he had been carrying on the bed.

A minute later, they headed out the door. When they reached Ken’s rental car, they piled in and he cranked up the air-conditioning to the maximum.

Mark said, “Just a reminder to take it easy. Penny and I don’t officially exist in this world, so drive defensively and don’t attract attention.”

“Got it,” Ken replied as he put their destination into Google Maps.

It was a fairly short drive to the Alice Springs Desert Park which, although interesting, was not their ultimate destination. The area east of it was undeveloped and only had a few rough paths passing through it. The three made their way over there, scouting for a suitable place. There were a few small hardy trees and lots of equally rugged bushes but still plenty of open ground. They selected a spot equidistant between two trees and close to one of the paths. The nearest houses were about five hundred meters away but would have a good view of the show later. They concealed two dimensional beacons to make doubly sure that they could find the place from Equus. Then they headed back to the park.

Ken noted with amusement that Penumbra was sweating up a storm. In her natural form, she had large wings to help her cool down, but as a human, she lacked that ability. Judging by Mark’s smug smile, he knew it too. Ken declined to mention it, however. He’d been on the end of the batpony’s snark before and knew not to stir the ant’s nest. Instead, he thought a break was in order.

“Anyone want some cool drinks and a bite to eat before we continue on?”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Mark responded. “Then we can play tourist for a short while before heading back.”

They refreshed themselves at the nearby Coolamon Café before heading off into the heat once more. The trio took the time to hit all the highlights of the area before going back to the hotel for dinner. There would not be anything more happening that day for a few reasons, some due to testing purposes but mainly because of time zones. Due to Alice Springs being on the other side of the planet from the Charlotte office of Harmonic Composites which was kept in synch with Canterlot, their daytime was night in Central Australia and Mark and Penumbra had essentially been up when they should have been in bed. They had taken a nap prior to coming over, but they needed a good full night’s sleep before the next stage of their plans.

The next evening saw Ken parked in his car near to the chosen site – far enough that his presence would not be suspicious but close enough to observe everything. At the appointed time, he got out his cell phone and dialed an international number. However, while that call went to an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was relayed through a communications portal to Canterlot, Equestria.

Prince Mark Wells tapped the speaker button on his phone with a hoof. “Hello, Ken. Are we good to go?”

“Everything looks clear, Mark. You can start anytime.”

“Great! Enjoy the show!” He looked around at those gathered for the event. His wife, Princess Trixie waited calmly. The consummate showmare regarded this as yet another performance, albeit one of huge importance to two worlds. As such, she had dressed for the occasion in her finest outfit including her most impressive crown. He himself had opted for a red vest with gold trim and royal crest sewn on it. Princess Twilight Sparkle might have been a bundle of nerves but for being focused on ensuring that the dedicated portal was working at peak performance and ready for action. Testing had successfully locked onto the beacons left in Alice Springs, and it was only a matter of powering up the link to open the portal to the other world. Mark’s primary bodyguard and herdmate Penumbra was coolly on the job, and his dragon daughter-in-law, Smolder, was standing by, ready to do her part. She was wearing a long blue gown of the type she favored for Court appearances. Her guard and husband, Gallus, a blue griffon, stood by her side in dress uniform. Prince Shining Armor was resplendent in his most formal uniform which lived up to his name. The players were in place, the infrastructure had been completed, and all the preparations that they could conceivably make had been done. It was time to formally let the inhabitants of Earth learn that they were not alone in the multiverse.

“Fire it up, Twi,” Mark instructed the purple alicorn mare.

Twilight nodded, pushed a button, and slid a lever. The portal on their side shimmered to show that it was active.

Mark put the phone back up to his ear. “How’s it looking over there, Ken?”

“Wow! That’s quite a light show. Is it supposed to be that bright?”

“Open-ended portals do let off a lot of energy, much of that as visible light. However, Twilight has tweaked this one to be extra luminous. The whole point of this exercise is to attract attention.”

“I also hear a soft thrumming noise.”

“Part of the same deal. That will be turned down when we’ve gathered the audience we require.” Mark looked over to Shining Armor. “Okay – you’re up.”

The unicorn nodded and then said to his sister. “Time to go stealth, Twilight.”

The alicorn cast a spell and Shining faded from sight. Only the clopping of horseshoes indicated him moving over to the portal and stepping through. Ironically, despite his outfit, he would not be seen for the moment. He had to establish a protective shield over the portal grounds on the Australian side, but he did not intend to make first contact, so he had to remain invisible until later.

“You’ve already caught the attention of a few of the neighbors,” Ken reported. “I think they were barbecuing in the cooler night air.”

“Good. The more that see the sideshow, the sooner that someone up the chain will become aware of us.”

After several more minutes, Ken reported that a couple of police cars had turned up. By then, a large number of people had made their way over to the site and had been stopped by Shining’s force field. After discovering the same, the cops chivvied the civilians away from it before trying to find a way around it.

“Mark! A news van just drove up! That was a bit quicker than we thought.”

“Excellent! Let’s hope our luck continues,” Mark replied. “They’ll probably have a reporter set up in front of the portal very quickly. Let us know when it looks like a good time to make our appearance.”

“Will do. I’m walking up to join the spectators now. Several are on their phones too, so I won’t stand out.”

The wait was beginning to get on Mark’s nerves. At last, he got the news he had been waiting for.

“The reporter is doing a live broadcast now.”

“Thanks, Ken. I’m going to hang up. You’ll see me in person in a moment.”

“Break a leg!” came the reply before Mark shut off the phone and tucked it away in his dimensional pocket.

“Okay – we’re up!” Mark called out. He smiled at his wife. “Time to make your debut, love.”

She smiled back confidently as she made the final adjustments to her resplendent cape and crown. “Trixie is ready to wow a whole world, Dowser. It’s Showtime!”

The alicorn mare then turned to the portal and stepped through, closely followed by Mark and Smolder. Then the rest of the team joined them.

The crowd gasped as Trixie made her appearance, and an excited babble started up as Mark and Smolder emerged to take their places on her right and left. Their amazement grew as Gallus and Penumbra then joined their spouses, one step back and to the side. No one noticed that Shining Armor did not step through the portal but instead suddenly faded into view, concealed by the first five and the luminous gateway. He stepped to one side, scanning for any trouble as the brightness of the portal was turned down by Twilight as planned.

After a long pause to allow the witnesses a good look at them and the reporter to get into position so that the camera lights illuminated them better, Trixie spread her wings, eliciting a loud reaction. With attention fully focused on her, she began her spiel.

“Greetings, people of this world! I am Princess Trixie Lulamoon and we bring you a message of peace and friendship from the world of Equus and the nation of Equestria!”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

The long-awaited open contact with Earth has begun smoothly, but will it stay that way?

Art by Nocti Draws.

Reactions

The manager of the Imparja television station was going slightly crazy. The small regional station had a local news service that only very rarely contributed anything to its national affiliate, the Nine Network. He had almost not sent out a team to cover the strange phenomenon on the southern edge of the township, but when more and more people had called in enquiring about it, he had decided it was sufficiently newsworthy. Now he was tearing his hair out trying to arrange a hook-up to the network’s Brisbane office in an effort to convince them that an Earth-shaking event was happening right then in the middle of the Outback. While he was doing that, he was also keeping one ear and one eye on the mind-boggling events coming from the field. The strange blue winged creature was still speaking in an impossibly loud voice.

“We, the peoples of Equestria, come seeking trade with other worlds which we find through the use of the portal you see behind Trixie. We offer goods, art, knowledge, and magic.” The alicorn gestured dramatically and her horn flared.

To gasps of amazement from the gathered witnesses, a huge holographic image of a magnificent city perched on the side of a mountain appeared behind the visitors.

“Our capital city, Canterlot, is the political and cultural center of our nation, and we are ready to receive your delegations. Undoubtedly, both our worlds stand to gain from what one has in plenty but the other does not.”

The mare gestured again and the scene changed to that of what was obviously a manufacturing complex, and yet oddly attractive in design, fitting into landscaped gardens.

“Our factories are able to rapidly scale up production to supply your needs in exchange for goods and services unique to your world.”

Another flare of her horn changed the illusion once more to a glamor shot of a crystal palace towering into the sky with snow-capped mountains in the background. Colorful decorations filled the streets of the city in the foreground.

“When formal relations have been established, we will also welcome tourists and cultural exchanges. To this end, the Lady Smolder to my left is our designated ambassador to your world. She will deal with all the formalities that you will require for fair and legal dealings between us. To my right is my husband, Prince Mark Wells, who not only is focused on the economic growth of our nation but also seeks ties of friendship between all species.”

One more change of scene displayed some kind of festival with a huge crowd of attendees of a multitude of races. There were more of the equine-like species, some with horns but no wings, some with wings but no horn, and others with neither. The sheer variety of colors that they came in was amazing. There even appeared to be zebras and some with insect-like wings. There were more of the beaked winged creatures with feline back quarters also in a multitude of colors. Two-legged beings with bovine heads towered over them, as did bipedal cats. Even more species wove among the crowd.

“Equestria hopes that you will join us in joy and Harmony. For now, Princess Trixie bids you farewell.”

The mare turned with a theatrical swirl of her cape and stepped back through the portal as the illusion faded. The green stallion stepped forward.

“I will now take some questions,” he said with a smile.

Mark Wells was very happy with how everything was proceeding so far. As Trixie was making her speech, he had been carefully observing the crowd. He was fairly certain that several of the people holding up their smartphones were streaming the event to friends, just as Ken was doing so for those back in Canterlot. The more the better; he didn’t want people in authority trying to put their spin on the First Contact. With multiple streams going onto the internet, the truth of the event would be undeniable. Now though, it was time to disseminate some popular facts about Equestria and its races. Not only would this whet the curiosity of an entire world, it would help to stymie what could possibly be their biggest hurdle. And it was not a world government or special-interest group. No, it was one young and vindictive woman named Ivana Kalchik. The former friend of his business partners’ daughter knew too much about Equestria, but if he told these eager listeners enough about his world, she would not be believed if she claimed foreknowledge of their existence. Her father might, but that was a problem for another time.

Mark looked at the police officers who were trying to hold back the crowd in concern for their welfare. “Please allow everyone to approach us. No harm will come to them. The shield is for their protection as well as ours. We will reduce its size to allow a closer look and easier conversing.”

Shining Armor took the cue to decrease the shield’s diameter so that the humans could approach to about a meter and a half before being stopped by the near-invisible wall.

Mark was amused that the first question that was blurted out by a teenage boy who had beaten the rest to the front was addressed to Smolder instead of him.

“Are you really a dragon?” he asked excitedly.

Smolder smiled enough to show her fangs. “I am.”

“Can you fly and breathe fire?”

Rather than reply, the dragoness spread her wings, flapped enough to rise about two meters, threw her head back, and belched a great gout of fire before settling back to the ground. Smolder had not flown high enough to touch the shield and Shining Armor had adjusted it to allow her breath to exit. She dropped to the ground, furled her wings, and grinned toothily. “Does that satisfy your question?”

“Oh, wow! Yeah!”

Mark thought it would also encourage any person seeing this demonstration to think twice before messing with Smolder. “Next question, please.”

Mark, and occasionally Smolder, spent some time answering lots of queries, sometimes more than once for latecomers. While he was happy to tell the people about virtually any aspect of the world of Equus and the nation of Equestria, he particularly wanted to disseminate knowledge of everything that Ivana had learned about in her brief visit to their world. If it seemed a subject would not come up, he led the questioning until he had an excuse to talk about it. He and all the others who had spent time with her in Equestria had carefully put together a list of subjects that could not be dismissed as a teenager’s fantasies. Once those were all covered, Mark drew the questions to a close, finishing with one of his own.

“We did not know what time of day we would arrive. It’s obviously nighttime but could someone tell me the actual hour?”

Upon being given the time, he nodded. “It would be best if we continue further talks at an hour more suited to both of us. We will return in approximately fourteen of your hours.” Mark lifted a short staff that he had brought with him. It had a large ruby clasped in one end and he plunged the other firmly into the ground before activating its enchantments. The gem began glowing brightly. “This is a beacon for our portal to link to so that we can return to this exact same spot. Do not try to interfere with it, please.”

The two beacons that he and Ken had hidden earlier in the day had been surreptitiously retrieved by Shining Armor while all the humans were distracted. There would be no evidence that the Equestrians had been here previously.

With that completed, Mark and Smolder turned and stepped through the portal, closely followed by Gallus and Shining. Then the portal disappeared.

“Well done, everyone,” Mark said with a grin. He stepped up to a computer monitor that was showing Ken Hayashi’s stream. “Come over when you’re ready, Ken,” he said into the microphone as he looked at the view of the night now lit only by phones and the camera crew’s light.

“Will do, Mark.”

The alicorn then addressed the mare and changeling seated behind the bench where three other monitors had several websites displayed. “What’s the verdict, ladies?”

The unicorn and her bond Companion both grinned hugely. “The internet is exploding!” Allura replied. “The daytime side of the planet especially.”

Lacewing completed the thought. “By the time you return to Earth, there won’t be many humans who won’t know about this event.”

“That’s exactly what we’re counting on.”

“When do you think the Americans are going to respond?” Gallus asked.

Mark laughed. “I’d be highly surprised if the spooks over at Pine Gap aren’t already being stirred up.” The U.S. radar station eighteen kilometers southwest of Alice Springs undoubtedly had CIA operatives among the personnel there. “However, I believe that the Australian Prime Minister will be our first official political visitor. I hope he hadn’t gone to bed yet.”

The Prime Minister had a very busy job, so he appreciated being able to go to bed at a reasonable time. He was very much irked to be woken a couple of hours later. That rapidly changed when he learned the reason why, even if it was the middle of the night. The hour-and-a-half difference in time zones between Alice Springs and The Lodge in Canberra couldn’t be helped.

After making several arrangements including an RAAF flight first thing in the morning to the Outback town, he went back to bed.

“What was that all about?” his wife asked, woken by the disturbance.

“How’d you like to meet some fair dinkum aliens, love?” he replied.

“Are you sure this isn’t a hoax?” the President of the United States of America asked with a frown.

“Too many corroborating witnesses,” the Secretary of Defense replied. “Besides, there’s the artifact that they left behind.” He showed a photo of the staff with the glowing gem upon it.

“So what? Hollywood makes that kind of crap all the time.”

“Yes, but they can’t put an invisible force field around it so nobody can touch it.”

The president scowled. “Why the hell would aliens make First Contact in the middle of nowhere? And why do most look like they belong in a zoo?”

“We have people going over every minute of every recording we can get our hands on trying to answer those and many other questions. The only answer we have right now is from a question put by one of the bystanders. She asked why they had come to Alice Springs and the one named Mark Wells didn’t reveal exactly how the portal worked, but said that opening one into a new dimension was pretty random, and they then had to focus on the nearest indication of civilization.”

“Sounds like a load of hooey to me, but if this isn’t the first dimension they’ve visited, it could explain why there are so many different species.”

“Yes sir, and why some of them are unicorns and dragons.”

Ivana Kalchik’s jaw dropped and eyes widened at the feed on her socials. Then fury started to boil her blood. “DAD!” she screamed as she tore out of her room. This time, she was going to be believed and vindicated!

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

I write these chapters in my spare time, which usually means on the weekend. I'm not sure when the next instalment will come out because life is a bit hectic for me at the moment.

Setting The Scene

ALIENS IN ALICE!
* * *
INTERDIMENSIONAL INCIDENT
* * *
OUTBACK OUTRAGE
* * *
FURRIES INVADE AUSTRALIA
* * *
SHOCKING OUTBACK ENCOUNTER
* * *
ALIEN BEINGS ASK FOR TRADE
* * *
UNICORNS AND DRAGONS STUN WORLD
* * *
PETTING ZOO POLITICS
* * *
TRANSDIMENSIONAL RENDEZVOUS

Ivana thrust her iPad under her father’s nose as he was eating breakfast. “Look, Dad! I was right all this time!” She scrolled through the headlines and pulled up images. “There! That’s Prince Mark Wells, and that’s his wife Princess Trixie.”

The half-awake man scowled at his daughter. “Have you not learned anything, child? Your fantasies have gone too far this time. You think I don’t know about generative AI?”

But the young woman wasn’t paying attention. She snatched up the remote control for the huge television set mounted on the wall and turned it on. To her total lack of surprise, a special breaking news report was ongoing with scenes from the First Contact in Alice Springs in central Australia. Pundits were breaking down the event and offering their analyses. Ivana stabbed her finger at the screen as more of the odd beings were shown.

“That dragon is Smolder and the griffon in armor next to her is Gallus. The pony with bat wings is Penumbra, Mark’s other wife. I don’t know who the unicorn is but do I really need to name every one of those damn ponies that I have been telling you are real for years?” She slammed her hands down on the dining room table. “They’re pretending to visit Earth for the first time but I know better. We need to do somethi—”

“Shut up, girl!” Anatoly Kalchik snarled. His attention was focused on the green one who was presently speaking. He knew that voice. His scowl deepened. He had been deceived and his daughter ridiculed. No one made a fool of him and did not live to regret it. He pushed aside the remainder of his meal, got up, and headed out of the room. Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he dialed a contact. When he was answered, he said, “Boris – change of plans. We have to pay a visit to somebody who needs to learn the consequences of crossing the Kalchiks.”

The “FOR SALE” sign and the obviously empty house told Kalchik that Phillipe Martine and his daughter were no longer resident there. It also showed the man that they had anticipated him turning up upon learning the news.

“No matter – we know where he works, and we will find the girl.”

Unfortunately for Kalchik, the security at Harmonic Composites was ready for him, and he was not allowed access. Demands to talk with the Martines fell on deaf ears and intimidation failed utterly. He made arrangements to have the plant watched and his quarry followed to wherever they now resided. Then he made some more phone calls to start tracing the whereabouts of the Martines’ daughter.

At dinner that evening with the Wells Herd in Canterlot, the Martine family members were all present, and they were the topic of conversation.

“How are you settling into your new digs?” Mark asked.

Phil Martine replied, “We moved the last of our stuff into the palace suite a few hours ago. Rosa is still fussing over the layout though.”

The griffoness glared at her husband. “What works for mi pequeño marido unicornio does not always suit his much larger wife!”

Phil grinned. “I told you we wouldn’t need much of that furniture here.”

“My suite is great!” Yolanda declared. “I’ve got tons of room if you want to get rid of anything I might need.”

Rosa nodded. “I suppose you and Verdant could use a head-start now that you’ve decided to settle here rather than Earth. When you give us grandchildren, it will be handy.”

“Mom! We aren’t even married yet!”

“And when are you going to propose? You know it’s the mares who do it here.”

“When I think we’re ready,” Yolanda replied defiantly. She turned to her coltfriend. “Right, Verdant?”

Mark’s batpony son blushed. “Umm… I’m ready when you are, Yoyo.”

While his daughter was lost for words, Phil chuckled and said, “I think we’d better send some furniture to the apartment we’re going to rent on the other side of town from our old house. We still need a legal residence to socialize with people outside of business, even if we actually live here and commute to work by portal. Good thing that Miguel got that hoofball scholarship so that we could make the move.”

“Vanhoover Polytechnic has the best team in the Coastal League! It’s what I always dreamed of!” their teenage unicorn son enthused.

Rosa frowned at him. “I only agreed on the condition that you keep up your grades on your Earth-based studies. We didn’t hire a tutor for nothing.”

“Yeah, yeah, Mom. Still worth it.”

Chrysalis said, “With your move here, that will make the job of my ‘ling agents a lot easier to keep you safe. I already have had one report of Mr. Kalchik visiting your former home and office. I have no doubt that he will not give up easily.”

“I didn’t think that it would take Ivana long to stir him up,” Penumbra commented.

“The man has a long memory,” Mark agreed. “So, keep alert for shenanigans.”

The Australian Prime Minister and his wife woke early to prepare for a direct flight from Canberra to Alice Springs. Although the appointed return was a little vague, he was confident that they could be in place to greet their visitors well before time.

The PM spent the flight being updated on the interdimensional incident. The public’s reactions, the local response, the deployment of federal resources, and everything else that his various department heads had felt desirable in the face of a unique situation. And, of course, he had to write a speech. He barely had a moment to relax before the RAAF flight touched down at the airport in Alice Springs. A car was waiting for them, as were several military vehicles. Hope for the best but prepare in case events went sour. They were quickly en route to the portal site.

MAGIC MEETING
* * *
WE ARE NOT ALONE
* * *
PONIES FROM SPACE!
* * *
MEETING WITH MYTHS
* * *
DEMON HARBINGERS OF DOOM
* * *
FIRST CONTACT FURRIES!
* * *
TAYLOR SWIFT INVITES PONIES TO JOIN WORLD TOUR
* * *
WHICH ALIEN RACE IS YOUR LOVE TYPE?
* * *
KIM KARDASHIAN PROPOSES TO GREEN PONY

Princess Trixie raised an eyebrow at the last headline she had read aloud from the laptop in front of her. She looked up at her husband. “As headmare of Herd Lulamoon, I hereby decree that you are not adding her as your seventh wife!”

Mark merely rolled his eyes and did not deign to give that a response. Instead, he turned his attention to his daughters who had been monitoring the contact site. “How goes it, ladies?”

Allura replied, “As expected, there’s a military turn-out. Nothing major – it appears to be precautionary rather than aggressive.”

Lacewing giggled. “Yes – they’re wary of the demon harbingers of doom!”

Allura gave her bond Companion a firm nudge. “Be serious, Lacy.”

“Aw, c’mon Ally – you have to admit some of those headlines are way over the top.”

Mark said, “Wait until the crackpots start turning up in droves. Then you’ll really know the meaning of bizarre.”

Shining Armor put down his coffee. “By that time, I hope we’ll have relocated to a much more secure area.”

Mark nodded. “Yeah, but I think the Australian soldiers will keep the crazies away from us until then.”

“Speaking of,” Allura interjected, “it looks like the Prime Minister is arriving with his escort.” She frowned in concentration, a hoof held to her ear to focus on the audio being relayed to her earbud. “Yep, it’s him. He’s pretty early.”

Mark looked back to Shining. “Are you ready?”

“I’m fortified with coffee and my mana power pack is fully charged. Judging by the drain I put on it last time, I’m good for at least an hour and a half, probably a lot more depending on the size and strength of the shields I’ll need to create. Oh, and as we discussed earlier, unlike last time, my shield will be fully transparent.”

Mark nodded. Only alicorns had the huge reserves needed to tide them over in the mana-poor universe in which Earth resided. Any other visitor from Equus would need similar mana batteries if they wished to use a lot of magic over there. He turned his attention to the others at the table.

Smolder said, “Gallus and I are ready.”

Twilight Sparkle said, “I’m eager to meet some new friends.”

“Give Trixie’s regards to the Prime Minister and his wife.” The policy of always keeping one Triarch safe in Equestria meant that Mark’s spouse had to stay behind while the Princess of Friendship did her thing. “Remember that you promised Trixie that you would not extend your visit beyond my Night Court session.”

The biggest disadvantage to Mark’s strategy of making First Contact in such a remote area was the time difference. Although there was always a slight drifting due to the different temporal rates of their respective universes, right now, 10:00 AM in Alice Springs was almost 7:00 PM in Canterlot. Smolder had indicated that she was indifferent to the schedule that would see her working well into the evenings. Mark’s nights weren’t going to be much better until he got to the point where he could delegate tasks and go back to his normal routine.

Mark waited another ten minutes to allow the Prime Minister to be briefed and get into position, then let him sweat a little longer so that the Equestrians’ arrival was not too coincidental. At last, he said, “Everyone got their emergency portal gems? Good. It’s time.”

Twilight nodded and activated the portal. She left it in charge of her changeling science colleague, Crispberry, before taking her place beside Mark. She then cast the invisibility spell on Shining once more and he stepped through the portal to establish the protective shield.

Smolder and Gallus took their place next, and when the Royal Guards, Dusty Dreams and Bright Beam, took their place behind them, Mark looked over to Chrysalis. “Are we good to go?”

“My agents report nothing of concern.”

Allura added, “Ken says they’re ready for you.”

Mark nodded and stepped through the portal, Twilight by his side.

The Prime Minister was getting antsy. Intellectually, he realized that it was not possible to synchronize this kind of thing, but events of this nature were normally orchestrated to the minute. The wait was killing him. He had reached the point of wondering if this was a cosmic joke on the part of the aliens who intended to leave him dangling when the portal finally came with a burst of light and sound. It was with great relief that he watched two creatures that he had been informed were called alicorns step out into the floodlights, followed quickly by a dragon and a griffon. Three guards were the last to emerge but he only recognized the white unicorn when the stallion stepped from between the others and telekinetically retrieved the beacon. He identified Prince Wells from the recordings shown to him, but not the purple one. He might have to adjust his speech for later.

Australian soldiers filed up to form a guard of honor before the Prime Minister approached the gateway with his wife by his side. They were closely followed by the highest-ranking member of the Australian Army. The aliens moved forward to meet them at the head of the guard of honor, smiles on their faces. The humans did not notice passing through the shield that had been adjusted to allow them entry.

The PM stopped about six feet from the visitors and returned their smiles. “On behalf of the peoples of Earth, I welcome you to our world. I am Anthony Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia, the country in which you arrived, and this is my wife, Elena. I’d also like to introduce Lieutenant General Stuart, Head of the Australian Army.”

Mark spoke up. “Thank you for your welcome, Mr. Gillard. I am Prince Mark Wells, and this is Princess Twilight Sparkle. Together with my wife, Princess Trixie who is not here today, we are the Triarchs of Equestria. To my right is Lady Smolder, Duchess of Canterlot and our appointed ambassador to your world. With her is her husband, First Lieutenant Gallus of the Equestrian Royal Guard. And to my left is Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Principality who is serving as our Chief of Security.”

Twilight said, “In my role as Princess of Friendship, I extend greetings and well wishes on behalf of all the races of Equestria. Lieutenant General Stuart – I am happy to say that you will have little need to interact with us.”

“I am pleased to hear that, Your Highness,” Stuart replied gravely.

Gillard said, “We have arranged a reception for you, if you care to join us?”

“It would be our pleasure, Mr. Gillard,” Mark replied. “Guards Bright Beam and Dusty Dreams will remain to watch the portal.”

“One moment, please,” Twilight said. She spread her wings and took the air to gasps of amazement and delight from the spectators. She came to a hover about ten yards off the ground in clear view of everyone. The air shimmered slightly around her, evidence of the otherwise unseen magic shield. Then, with the benefit of the Royal Canterlot Voice, she addressed the crowd.

“I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, and I thank everyone who came today to witness the beginning of a wondrous new era for both our worlds. On behalf of all Equestria, I wish you and all your loved ones much joy and Harmony!”

Twilight landed and smiled at the PM. “We can proceed now.”

Gillard blinked for a moment before he found his voice. “May I ask how you can possibly fly? I’m no expert on aerodynamics, but your wings look far too small in comparison to your body size, and you flapped much too slowly to get lift.”

Twilight smiled indulgently. “Flight magic, of course.”

“There’s no such thing as magic.”

“In our home world, every creature needs magic to thrive,” the alicorn replied before frowning. “Although, come to think of it, mana seems to be in extremely short supply here. Why is that?” She looked at the PM with an air of innocent curiosity despite knowing the answer.

Gillard shook his head. “It would seem that we have even more to talk about than I’d originally thought. Perhaps we can discuss it further later. Shall we go?”

Mark nodded to Shining who dropped his shield to standby mode. The green alicorn headed down between the line of honor guards with the PM alongside him and everyone else falling in behind them – Elena with Twilight, Stuart with Smolder, and Shining Armor bringing up the rear. The Equestrians waved to the spectators as they were led to a row of Commonwealth of Australia vehicles.

The PM said, “We did not know exactly how many or even what species to expect. I hope you will find these acceptable.”

Mark chuckled. “No need to worry. Believe me, we’ve encountered far worse than this in our explorations. These will do nicely.”

Twilight, Smolder, and Gallus climbed into one car while Mark and Shining took a second. The Prime Minister and his wife were in a third and they led the way under heavy police escort to the hastily prepared venue where Mark knew a heavy media presence would watch and hear everything that happened. He smiled with satisfaction. Earth would soon learn what he had been planning for so many years. If everything went well, two worlds would be better for it.

# # # # # # #

Construction

The reception went much as Mark expected for something thrown together at short notice. They held it at the Alice Springs Convention Centre, also as anticipated. He ensured that no event was scheduled for their planned appearance date for that reason. Given the very brief preparation time, what had been put together impressed him. On the other hoof, this would not be an extended business convention. Mark was there to meet with the Prime Minister and whichever members of his government he had brought along. Besides introductions, they would make preliminary arrangements to set up a formal embassy in Canberra which is where Smolder would be doing most of her work with the humans before expanding to various other nations.

Of course, it was also an opportunity for the Press to get a closer look at the visitors and report to the world about the intentions of the Equestrians, and what they were like. The PM had initially suggested limiting the number allowed into the convention room, but Mark insisted that as many as could be squeezed in be admitted. This was a media event as much as a formal meeting.

The entourage was offered snacks and drinks, although the caterers did not know what the aliens could safely consume. Mark made a show of casting a spell to check its safety and declared everything to be healthy for ponies, despite already knowing that it would be. He sincerely doubted that anyone conspired to poison them yet. It did give him the opportunity to pull a prank though.

As the PM took a drink of water, Mark asked, “Will we get to meet your other wives in Canberra?”

Anthony Gillard choked on his drink and water squirted from his nose.

Inwardly, Mark congratulated himself on his timing. Penny would be pleased. Outwardly, he looked on solicitously. “Are you okay, Mr. Gillard? I only asked because I know someone in your position would surely have several in your herd. It’s understandable that only one could accompany you on short notice though.”

When the PM regained his composure, he explained that humans were generally monogamous. Mark nodded and replied that monogamy was acceptable too, but his tone said that he found it to be a little strange, explaining why having multiple wives was common among ponies. His ulterior motive was to precondition the humans to cultural differences such as that.

Twilight held a brief demonstration of magic to convince their hosts that it was indeed real and capable of extraordinary feats. Of course, merely lifting glasses with their hooves was enough to boggle some of the watchers. Shining Armor’s ability to produce force fields of varying size and capabilities impressed everyone, but Mark insisted that his co-ruler limit her presentation to flashy but inconsequential magic. He did not want Earth to know how overwhelmingly powerful she was, not to mention keeping several techniques secret.

POLYGAMOUS PONIES PERTURB PM
* * *
YOU’RE A WIZARD, HARRY PONY!
* * *
DRAGONS PARTIAL TO COOPERS PALE ALE
* * *
MISSISSIPPI PREACHER DECLARES WAR ON DEMON VISITORS
* * *
IMAM PRONOUNCES FATWA ON UNHOLY BEASTS
* * *

“Well, that didn’t take long,” Celestia declared after reading the headlines the next day, a stack of Terran newspapers to her side. “I don’t believe that even I managed to have two holy wars invoked upon me simultaneously during my reign.”

Mark shrugged. “Earth is full of religious nutcases. I would have been more surprised if nobody said anything. Most of those humans are nothing but talk though. We just have to keep a lookout for the odd one that takes it to the extreme. It’s no accident that I did not want to reveal ourselves in America. Lots less risk starting off here.”

“So, what happens next?” Penumbra asked.

“The government of Australia will try to find us a suitable site to build our embassy, and of course, to be able to keep a close eye on us alien ponies, dragons, and so forth. They may be eager to do business, but they aren’t going to have blind faith in us immediately. Once they’ve decided on a spot, they will plant the beacon we gave them, and we’ll come visit soon after. In the meantime, we’ll check in daily at the Alice Springs site.”

“Trixie foresees many businesses visiting Alice Springs well before the official embassy is up and running,” Mark’s wife said confidently.

The green alicorn nodded. “And one of those businesses will be Harmonic Composites. By coincidence, they have an employee on the spot. How lucky is that?” he asked with a grin and a wink at the kirin seated across the table from him.

Ken chuckled as he exchanged a knowing grin with his wife who had flown up to Alice Springs to join him. “I’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse!”

Celestia said, “Knowing bureaucracy as I do, I suspect it will take a while for the Australians to settle on a place for the embassy.”

Mark replied, “That’s fine. It gives an excuse to set up a ‘temporary’ office in Alice. I did get to meet the mayor of the city and he offered to find us a suitable site. He might not realize that we intend to make it a permanent hub for our Earth operations, but he definitely senses an opportunity.”

“Oh, absolutely, darling,” Rarity said. “An isolated town like Alice Springs mostly relies on tourism for growth. Not only would an Equestrian enclave cater to that, but he can practically smell the business potential.”

Smolder waved a portfolio in the air with a smirk. “And I’ve already prepared an irresistible offer. We’ll be building there long before Canberra makes up its collective mind.”

The talks with the mayor went very productively. With a clearer view of what the Equestrians intended, he tasked his underlings to assess a few potential sites and put together a preliminary report on each for Smolder to appraise. One place stood out for its proximity to the main highway and services while still being located far enough away from residential and preserved areas to allow for a lot of future expansion. There was some negotiation for the initial construction on the site with Mark insisting on an Equestrian crew putting up the first temporary building. The permanent structures would be built by locals, although the firm contracted to do the job would get permission to hire Equestrian labor if desired. Mark suspected it would.

Ponyville Reconstruction Enterprises was legendary for its ability to undo the damage incurred by various disasters visited upon the town in a ridiculously short amount of time. With the huge boom in growth due to Harmonic Composites, the School of Friendship, and various other associated businesses, the company had not only prospered but grown along with Ponyville. Mark hired P.R.E. to erect the Equestrian’s temporary office as soon as permission was granted. Its design closely matched the Harmonic Composites buildings in the United States – a few desks in private suites attached to a warehouse with a portal, plus the associated facilities.

To say that the mayor was shocked that it was ready to move in within two days was an understatement. Smolder assured him that it met Equestrian standards, exceeding requirements for temporary premises. She also informed him that the structure would be torn down once the larger permanent facility was built. She led inspectors through their on-site review, complete with an extended interview with the earth pony foreman, Thorough Groundwork. She knew that it would pass due to the firm having a copy of the Australian National Construction Code beforehand. Certain adaptations had to be explained to the inspectors, but it would have been too suspicious if everything looked exactly like Australian practices.

The notoriety of having Earth’s first interdimensional business cut through a lot of bureaucracy. Power and water were connected as soon as the Certificate of Occupancy was issued. Smolder signed a contract with Telstra to supply communications services. The local company, Red Centre Technology Partners dropped off PCs and network gear the day the power was turned on. The Equestrians made a point of needing to familiarize themselves with the foreign equipment, hiring a human to teach them how the Terran computers worked. In fact, she was Ken’s wife, Mariko Hayashi who had “met” Smolder during her husband’s business meeting with the dragon. Having a tutor on site allowed the Equestrians to not appear already familiar with PCs and business software.

All this was financed with gold from the Royal Treasury. Australia’s major banks fell over themselves trying to get in on the ground floor, and they eagerly exchanged gold for Australian dollars. And so, to no one’s surprise, Equestrian Foreign Enterprises was ready to begin business well before the politicians passed legislation to legitimize their operations. Smolder had patiently supplied parliament with all requested information from her temporary office in Canberra during the construction in Alice Springs. Even the most cynical of the politicians could foresee the enormous commercial and political gains from this pact, and only the reluctance of the opposition party to hand the incumbent party a gigantic boost to their status slowed down the process. When Smolder requested separate meetings with each major party “to understand and appreciate the views of all Australians,” the slowdowns magically disappeared. Mark cheekily pointed to this as a demonstration that Equestrians could indeed bring their magic to Earth. Meanwhile, every authority turned a blind eye to what was happening in Central Australia because it was technically illegal for the Equestrians to even be there, let alone signing contracts and building facilities.

At last, parliament passed legislation that legalized commercial and political ties between the two nations, and a formal ceremony was announced. This time, it would be done with full pomp and protocol and thus would take a few days to prepare.

Elsewhere, other people had different plans.

In a quiet back alley, a tall man dressed in camo pants and a black hoodie ambled up to a weedy-looking man leaning against the hood of an old Ford Falcon. He said, “Got a package for me?”

The shorter man nodded and opened the trunk of the old gas-guzzler.

The taller man whistled. “That’s a big gun.”

“Uh-huh. When I was a kid, my classmate said his dad used it to take down elephants. I doubt it’s been fired since then, so you’ll have to service it and get ammo if you need more than twelve rounds.”

“Nah, that should be enough to get the point across. I’m glad your friend was so accommodating.”

“… So, are you gonna buy it or not?”

“Yeah, yeah, fine. Why did the price go up to fifteen hundred?”

“You get to keep the car.”

“Five hundred for this pile of rust?” After a short silence, the taller man handed over a wad of bills in return for the keys. “You know what? Since it runs, that’s a bargain any way you slice it. Is the title in the glovebox?”

“Sure would have been nice if it was. Pleasure doing business with you.”

# # # # # # #

Opening For Business

Smolder had been kept busy with more than just political requirements. In the many days prior to legalizing the Equestrians’ presence and right to trade, the dragoness met with the representatives of many companies. Some desired to sell their goods to a new market, while others were more interested in finding out what Equus had to offer. Several lucrative agreements were drawn up and Smolder passed them on to Flim and Flam for vetting.

The twin unicorns were glad for the challenge of dealing with the complexities of an entirely new commercial law system. Their work within the Equestrian government had become a little too effective. No one dared nowadays to try to game the system with those two looking over their shoulders constantly, waiting to gleefully pounce on any hint of malfeasance. The brothers were getting bored and Mark reckoned that was not a desirable condition. As a result, Flim and Flam had spent the last five years poring over Australian legal codes, business law rulings, and even pending parliamentary legislation.

Several of the agreements were sent back to Smolder to have aspects either clarified or renegotiated. When everyone was finally satisfied, they were set aside until parliament finally passed the legislation that enabled the Equestrians to formally sign them as legal contracts. As expected, Mark kept very busy finalizing the deals the following day, but he was ecstatic with what they had achieved so far.

On the date that the official ceremony was to be held in Canberra, all stops were pulled out to make the occasion spectacular. After all, the whole world would be watching. A motorcade was arranged from the temporary Equestrian embassy to Parliament House where Prince Mark Wells, Princess Trixie, and Smolder would ceremoniously sign the treaty between the two countries. Naturally, security was high and traffic was blocked in key areas. Royal Guards flanked the path to the front gate where Australian police took over. The royals, the ambassador, and their personal guards climbed into the vehicles provided and the motorcade commenced.

They had only been driving for about five minutes when a large truck driven at high speed burst through the barrier at an intersection. Screams of fear from the onlookers turned to gasps of shock as the heavy vehicle came to an abrupt halt as it smashed into an invisible wall. Before anyone else could react, Crimson Boulder and Penumbra practically exploded out of their cars, leaving behind Shining Armor who kept up his shield around the VIPs. Crimson ripped off the crumpled driver’s door like it was made of tissue paper and hauled out the dazed and bleeding man. The stallion threw him away from the truck and onto the asphalt and placed a hoof on his back. With the man immobilized, Crimson scanned him for weapons before shouting, “Clear!”

Meanwhile, Penumbra dealt with the passenger, who despite being battered, was alert enough to wave a pistol through an open window in the batpony’s direction. She easily dodged the first two shots before getting close enough to throw her foreleg inside the cab. Her hoof connected with the man’s face, smashing his nose and shattering his cheekbone. She swept her leg down to disarm him before dragging him out through the window and onto the ground. Upon securing the would-be murderer, she shouted, “Clear!” just as the police converged on her and Crimson.

Under normal circumstances, everyone involved would be detained for questioning while the scene was cleared up. This was far from normal though, and the motorcade recommenced almost immediately, but not before listening to screams of “Death to the infidels!” from the driver who had recovered lucidity even as he was being hauled away.

“Have enough fun?” Mark asked Penumbra.

“Nah. They need a better class of assassin,” she replied. “Way too easy.”

“At least it isn’t as boring as you said this would be,” the alicorn pointed out.

“True. I suppose it would be too much to hope for a suicide squad to attack us in Parliament House?”

“I don’t think that’s likely,” Mark replied, wondering what their driver was making of their conversation.

As Penumbra feared, the event was dull despite the glitz and impressive speeches. She had to fall back on her Royal Guard training to remain stoically alert during the ceremony, even when Trixie livened up her address with some amazing illusions.

The return to the embassy was unremarkable, and only a message from the Australian Federal Police asking for an interview with Crimson Boulder and Penumbra awaited them. Mark sent a reply saying that the two would be available the next morning. He was pleased that the world saw that ponies were not just cute aliens but a force to be reckoned with.

The tall man frowned as he watched the news replay the attempted assassination. His pencil wrote out demonstrated capabilities and feasible countermeasures. Then he started ranking the countermeasures by ease of implementation, probability of effectiveness, and amount of forewarning the prey would have. He was going to have to be very careful about picking the time and place for offing his target if the same fate was not going to happen to him.

In an ultra-secure meeting room in a top-secret American facility, the Head of Operations slammed down the last of the reports that he had been reviewing. He looked up at the people gathered around the table and frowned. “All I have got from all of this is that something stopped a fast-moving multi-ton truck somehow in its tracks. I could have learned that just by watching the six o’clock news! Technology that can do that can’t have been slipped under a coat! And yet not one of you can provide me with an explanation of how the Equestrians did it.” He shot a glare at one person who started to reply. “And the first to say magic is going to be booted so hard, they won’t land until next Tuesday! Those creatures are hiding something – something that is an existential threat to the security of the United States. Redouble your efforts to find how they did that and all the other physics-defying feats, and don’t come back until you do!”

“I can’t find the girl.”

Kalchik glared at the private investigator. “What do you mean ‘can’t find’? Latisha Tyson is Yolanda Martine’s best friend. There’s no way that there wouldn’t be a trail a mile wide leading to her!”

The P.I. frowned. “Ostensibly, there is. I found out that she moved to Texas to take up a position at the Dragonlands Reptile Sanctuary, and I managed to… acquire their phone number. However, the receptionist informed me that their employees could not take personal calls while on duty, and only people on the emergency contacts list were exceptions. They agreed to take a message asking for her to call me, but she never did, unsurprisingly. I asked a female colleague to try, but with the same result.”

“So – go there yourself! I’m paying all your expenses, after all.”

“I know, and that’s what I planned to do, but no amount of searching gave me anything except a single website that had some generic reptile rescue and rehabilitation information. It did not even list an address beyond saying it was located in Texas. A search of the public records at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation plus every county government website comes up empty. As far as I can tell, it does not exist.”

Kalchik fumed. Both young women had apparently disappeared from the face of the Earth as well as the Martine’s son, and that probably meant that they were in Equestria which was currently out of his reach. He thought for a while before addressing the investigator once more. “Forget Tyson – she’s another dead end. Go back to trying to find where the Martines live. I don’t care how long it takes.”

The P.I. nodded. “Will do.” He got up from his seat and left the office.

Kalchik swept the papers off his desk in a fit of pique before slumping back in his chair. The Martines were clever, but sooner or later, he knew that they would slip up. They could not spend all their time in another world and that would be their downfall.

Mark flopped onto the sofa with a sigh of relief. Rarity joined him and pulled the stallion into a comforting hug.

“Thanks, Rares,” Mark said. “As much as formal ceremonies are part of the job, they don’t get any less tiring and tedious when dealing with humans.”

“Not to mention, darling, that you’ve been putting lots of extra hours into the formal treaty between our worlds. As you have needed to point out to me on occasion, you have to step back and take it easy for a change.”

Trixie said with a flat expression, “And your wives are missing your attention in the bedroom due to your late nights.”

Despite knowing the peril of annoying his senior wife, Mark shook his head. “I’m sorry, ladies, but it will only be for a couple more days while I deal with the deluge of work that will come in now that we’re 100% open for business.” He held up a hoof to forestall argument. “There are some things that only a triarch can deal with at this point, and because this is my project, that means me. I’ll turn over everything to Smolder and her team just as soon as I can. Believe me, I want to get back on a regular schedule too.”

“The Great and Patient Trixie gives you until the end of the week, Dowser.”

Mark knew an ultimatum when he heard one. “Gotcha, love. Frankly, I’ll be looking forward to it.” He turned his attention to his daughters who were stationed in front of a computer screen as always. “How are the news channels treating the incident?”

Allura giggled. “They must have replayed the truck smash incident from a dozen different angles every hour. The actual formal ceremony barely rated a quarter of the time.”

Lacewing added, “Same thing internationally although a few of the nations are putting more emphasis on the significance of Australia being the formal gateway between our worlds.”

Mark nodded. “That’s not unexpected. Equestria may have to offer some assistance to Australia’s national security due to that, but that’s just one of the many things to be addressed in the future.”

“Speaking of security,” Allura said, “We’ve tracked more attempts to find Latisha Tyson. Of course, they failed.”

Lacewing grinned. “I doubt that Mr. Kalchik has the resources to find Latisha at her workplace in the Dragonlands. She loves her job as the director of the clinic there, and she’s already submitted several research papers to Canterlot University for her doctorate. She won’t be visiting Earth too often.”

“No, she won’t,” agreed Mark. “However, Kalchik will continue to be a thorn in our sides. However, Penny, Rosa, and I have come up with an idea that might convince him to finally give it a rest.”

# # # # # # #

Dragon Bait

“If you don’t mind me asking, how is it you speak such good English?”

Mark paused looking over the documents that the latest businessperson had brought in and smiled. “The same way I hear you speaking such good Equish, Ms. Callahan.”

The woman blinked. “I… don’t?”

Mark laughed and tapped the necklace he was wearing. “Translation device. Everyone I talk with hears me in their native tongue. I had a representative from an Indian company here earlier and he heard me in perfect Hindi.”

“That’s truly remarkable. It explains why you have an Australian accent like mine.”

“And that’s how I learned I sound like an Aussie rather than an American,” Mark told his family later.

“At least to Australian-born humans,” corrected Allura.

“True, but I had not realized even the local accents were emulated as well. It’s a good thing because it means that people won’t wonder why an alien pony speaks with an American accent.”

“So, Callahan was the first to point it out?” Trixie asked.

“Yep. Several others mentioned the language before but never that.”

“Trixie is pleased to hear that news. Her Great and Awesome shows are best enjoyed when her audience hears and understands her clearly.”

“I think you’ll be even more pleased to hear that I’ve finished everything needing my personal touch. Smolder has been given full responsibility in partnership with the Martines to handle business from now on. She will only need to consult with us occasionally on matters of policy and such.”

Chrysalis smirked. “That will be unlikely, husband. I believe she is more well-versed in the task than even you. She is truly in her element now.”

“Oh, there are going to be some shitstorms ahead as we upset some businesses. I’m betting on the diamond and gemstone industries being the first. However, as long as Smolder sticks to my guidelines, she has my full confidence.”

“Then we finally have our stallion back, darling?” Rarity asked.

Mark chuckled. “Just one more task to accomplish. Today, Ivana Kalchik is going to get her wish.”

Ivana exited the fashion store with another couple of bags of clothes that she probably would wear only once. Still, the trip was a success because it resulted in more selfie videos that would soon turn into the latest HauteIvana YouTube upload and likely two or three workable TikTok shorts. Her walk turned into stomps. While the videos from this latest editor had a much higher production quality, channel growth didn’t match her expectations. Being “good” just wasn’t good enough. This month’s goal was to break into the top eighty fashion YouTubers. If this editor couldn’t do it, she’d find someone who would.

Ivana made her way to the parking garage and opened the passenger side door of her orange supercar. She gently set her purse and the bags onto the seat. The latter were still needed for “around the pad” shots, even if it happened to be her dad’s pad. That was just a formality. She was his only child and would someday inherit everything. After closing the door, she saw a beige-skinned, black-haired woman staring at her from the other side of the car. The blue jacket made Ivana groan internally. “Fucking again?” she thought.

She dashed around the car. “Get lost, rent-a-cop! My handicap tag is good because—”

“Ivana Kalchik,” she interrupted, “how would you like to get your Equestrian pearl back?”

Ivana blinked and gaped. “How… how do you know about that?”

The woman inclined her head. “Come with me and we’ll talk.”

The two walked deeper into the parking lot and the strange woman resumed the conversation.

“I’m an employee of Harmonic Composites and I’ve learned many things the rest of the world doesn’t know – some things the bosses didn’t like me finding out, so I’m on thin ice. I want to get out while I can before they mess with me.”

This was exactly what Ivana needed on the Martines, so she was hooked already. “And how does that get me my pearl?”

“I know a way that guarantees you getting it back. In return, I want you to tell your father to give me a job at his company at twice the pay I’m getting now. Hell, for a bonus, I’ll even tell him everything he wants to know about Harmonic Composites.”

Ivana well understood self-interest – it made more sense to her than people doing things out of the goodness of their hearts. “Okay, we can go see Daddy right now.”

The woman shook her head. “Nope. Gotta go get the pearl right now. This may be our only opportunity before I get booted out.”

“But… alright. What’s the plan?”

“We go back to your car and I’ll tell you where to drive.”

Ivana frowned at the woman. “This sounds more like an elaborate kidnapping to me.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Girl, kidnapping you would be both easier and stupider than what I plan to do. I’ve heard rumors about your father and I’m not about to mess with him. I’m not that greedy.”

Ivana had heard more than rumors and knew the woman had cause for concern. Even so, she wanted more reassurance. “Show me some proof you’re not lying.”

The woman sighed and pulled out a badge from her pocket. She handed it to Ivana. “There. That’s who I am and that’s where I work, at least for now.”

Ivana examined the badge. It identified the woman as Monika Falsch, an acquisitions agent for Harmonic Composites. Satisfied, she passed it back. “Okay, I’m convinced. Let’s go!”

The two made their way back to the front of the mall where they climbed into Ivana’s car. Ivana piled the bags onto the woman’s lap which didn’t provoke any backtalk. Monika directed her to drive on a route that Ivana knew was in the general direction of Harmonic Composites’ facility, but was a little confused when she was instructed to turn off the main road into a housing estate under construction.

“Why are we going here?”

“You don’t think we’re getting past HarCo’s security with you driving up in your car, do you? We’re swapping into mine which I left here. I didn’t want it seen at the mall.”

“How did you get there then?”

“Uber. Told the driver my car broke down.”

They pulled up behind a grey Ram 1500 pickup truck and got out of the sports car.

“Leave your stuff in your vehicle,” Monika instructed before she unlocked the pickup and pulled out a couple of jackets with the Harmonic Composites logo on them. She handed one to Ivana. “Put that on and get in the truck.”

Ivana held up her cell phone. “I’m keeping this.”

“Why? You won’t have reception soon after you exit the gateway.”

The young woman opened the camera app and switched to video mode. A two-second selfie verified that feature still worked fine. She then locked the phone before stuffing it into a jacket pocket. “My own protection. Proof of where we’re going. Whatever. I’m taking it with. Period.”

Monika shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Ivana did so and Monika got in the driver’s seat. As she started the engine, she said, “Next stop – Harmonic Composites. When we get there, make sure the logo on your jacket is clearly visible to the gate guard, but keep your face turned away. I’ll be pretending you’re carpooling with me. Got it?”

“Of course. Think I’m an idiot?”

Monika did not answer that but drove off instead.

Not long afterward, the Ram pickup pulled up at Harmonic Composites and Monika wound down her window to show her badge. The gate guard looked at it, glanced at the passenger, and nodded. “Go ahead,” he said.

Monika drove to the staff parking lot and the two exited the vehicle.

“What now?” Ivana asked.

“My job takes me through the portal to Equestria on occasion, and sometimes I need to take along a helper. You’re going to be that helper. Just keep your mouth shut and follow my lead.”

They entered the foyer and Monika nodded to the receptionist before using her badge to get through the security door. As soon as Ivana followed her through and the door closed behind them, the receptionist tapped the intercom. When acknowledged, she said, “They’re here.”

“Understood,” came the reply.

Monika led Ivana to an office where the woman reached into a desk drawer. She pulled out a retractable badge clip reel with a green badge attached. In large black letters, the badge read CLEARED VISITOR. “This will get you into the portal room along with me. Put it on and don’t say anything to the guard when we get there.”

Ivana nodded, both nervous and excited at getting this far. She followed Monika to the window of the security office where the woman showed the guard her badge.

“Me and my helper need to go to Acquisitions.”

The guard gestured for Ivana to step forward. “Let me see your badge.”

Her hands shaking a bit, Ivana showed it to him and almost collapsed with relief when the man nodded. He pressed a button and a buzzer sounded. Monika pushed open the door next to the window and Ivana followed.

“One moment while I activate the portal,” the guard said as he led them around a corner that completely concealed the trans-dimensional gateway.

As soon as Ivana saw the mirror, she knew what was coming. She had to pretend that she was familiar with it, so as soon as Monika stepped through the silvery surface, she confidently followed. The moment she passed through, she looked at her arm – bronze scales and talons. All her clothes were gone which was reinforced when she heard her cell phone and badge clatter onto the ground, but she just didn’t care. She was a fucking dragon again! She started grinning before she looked up and her smile faded. Facing her were several beings who, despite the years since she had been in Equestria, were very familiar to her. Among them were a batpony mare, a blue male griffon, and a green alicorn stallion that she hated to the core.

“Did you really think you could sneak back into Equestria without us knowing, Ivana Kalchik?”

Ivana sneered. “I got here, didn’t I, Prince Mark Wells!”

“Ah, yes. Sneaky of you to use a traitorous employee to get access. That was very naughty of you, Monika.”

“Sorry, Your Highness. It won’t happen again,” the woman said before green flames engulfed her, revealing Queen Chrysalis. “Because we won’t need to use that ruse once more,” she added with a smirk.

Ivana’s eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped. Then she shook herself and snarled. “So, this is a kidnapping after all.”

“By no means, youngling,” Chrysalis said. “I promised you a way of getting your pearl back. What you do afterward will be up to you, even allowed to go back home.”

The dragoness eyed her suspiciously. “What’s the catch?”

“Ah, yes, the catch. I’ll let our guest explain that. Ember – care to elucidate her?”

A blue dragoness twice Ivana’s height stepped into view, carrying her staff of office. Upon recognizing her, the human-turned-dragon quailed before whirling around and diving for the portal.

“Halt, Ivana Kalchik!” Dragonlord Ember commanded, the bloodstone scepter flaring its magic.

Ivana froze, rooted to the spot.

“Turn around and face me, child.”

Ivana did so, her body trembling.

Ember held out her hand and opened her talons, revealing a huge pearl. “Is this what you have been seeking?”

The pearls she, Yolanda, and Latisha had been gifted were all of differing hues, but she could never forget the predominantly yellow one. It was definitely hers. Ivana’s trembling lessened and she nodded.

“Speak up, child!” Ember commanded.

“Yes! Yes, that’s mine! Queen Novo gave it to me. Prince Wells had no right to take what’s mine!”

“I understand he merely forbade you to take it out of Equestria. Is that not the truth, Your Highness?”

Mark stepped forward. “Yes, Dragonlord. Queen Novo’s gift was an unexpected generous gesture and one for which I was not prepared. I could not allow such priceless items to be taken back to Earth because their presence couldn’t be explained away, and that would put the entire Martine family at risk. Nevertheless, Ivana, just like the other two girls, would have been free to retake possession of it at any time she visited Equestria. However, she not only disobeyed that order but also stole her friends’ pearls. As punishment, she was banished from this world and her pearl put into safekeeping, which is how it came into your possession.”

Ember turned back to Ivana. “Prince Mark Wells acted rightfully, but the pearl is yours to take back – under one condition.”

Ivana gulped. “And that is?”

“You will remain in the Dragonlands until you learn self-control and humility to my satisfaction.”

“What?! You can’t keep me here!”

Ember smirked. “I won’t have to – that is your choice to make.” She stepped closer, holding the pearl right in front of the smaller dragon’s face. “If you choose to stay, this will be only the barest beginning of your hoard.”

Ivana licked her lips nervously, her eyes fixated on the pearl, the urge to grab it rising. “But… how can I… what about my dad?”

Mark said, “We will deal with that. He won’t even know you’re gone.”

Ivana scarcely heard him as the pearl’s shine stoked her desire to possess it. Her willpower and intransigence warred against Ember’s promise of even more treasure – treasure to make her beautiful pearl seem insignificant. With a snarl, Ivana snatched it from Ember’s talons and clutched it to her chest.

Ember stepped back and her scepter flared. “The decision is made! Ivana Kalchik – you will come with me to the Dragonlands and stay there until you are granted permission to leave.” She then turned and headed for the door.

“Yes, Dragonlord,” Ivana said in a monotonous tone as she hastened to follow.

When they were gone, Gallus took off his Royal Guard helmet and said, “What if Ivana had chosen to go home, Dad?”

Mark chuckled. “There was never a chance she would knock back the pearl. She’s a dragon through and through. Her greed was strong enough to disobey me and steal the other pearls, and that has not changed one bit in the years since.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. So – what have you arranged to cover her absence?”

Chrysalis levitated Ivana’s cell phone and badge to herself. “One of my agents has been studying her for a long time and can emulate her more than satisfactorily for the few days before ‘Ivana’ decides to move out of Daddy’s house. He’s been trying to get her to do so for a while, so her absence won’t be missed. I will be taking my agent back to Ivana’s car shortly. I quite enjoy driving my Ram truck.”

Mark grumbled, “You couldn’t have settled for something a bit more inconspicuous, O Mistress of Subtlety?”

Chrysalis held a hoof to her chest. “Surely you’re not suggesting that your Queen deserves anything less?”

The alicorn sighed. “Try not to get pulled over by the cops and come back in one piece.”

Penumbra added, “You don’t want to jeopardize the whole charade either. After all, it was played out for the benefit of any security cameras outside the shopping center. Ivana will be seen leaving with ‘Monika’ and then returning not long afterward. There are no cameras in the housing estate where they swapped vehicles, and Ivana was concealing herself at Harmonic Composites, so there’s no record of her ever being there.”

Gallus rolled his eyes. “These mind games are too much. Give me the straightforward duties of a Royal Guard any day.”

Mark grinned. “Wait until you see what we have in mind for Mr. Kalchik!”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

That's one problem taken care of. How many more though?

If you're enjoying this story, please consider leaving me a tip.

Making An Impression

“Ms. Wells, are you certain? That this Mark Wells doesn’t remind you in any way –”

“What? You think my grandparents were Shetland ponies or something? Get your head out of your ass. They were Clydesdales! Didn't my long-flowing mane of white hair clue you in?” The middle-aged woman followed this by running fingers through her short, decidedly grey hair.

The second dark-suited man spoke up. “Ma’am, our employer believes that these Equestrians have magic that can change a person’s species.”

Kaitlin Wells put her hands on her hips and stared the much taller man down. “My brother went missing years after I stopped having anything to do with him. Haven't seen muzzle or tail of him since.” She gasped theatrically and brought a hand to her lips. “Oopsie! Was I not supposed to say that?”

The second man didn’t sound in the least upset as he pointed at his outstretched tablet. “So, we’d like to know if this pony’s style of speaking, word choice, or body language is in any way familiar to you.”

“No, I can categorically say that my brother never had a green coat, wings, six wives, or an Australian accent. Are we done here?”

The first man nodded his head. “We are. Thank you very much for your time, Ms. Wells.” After the woman slammed the door in his face, the first man took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I think that’s it for missing persons born in North Carolina. Who's next?”

The second man’s fingers danced on the tablet. “One more, then we’ll start on South Carolina. Marcus Stanley Wellsburg. Born January 13th, 1953. Two tours in Vietnam. Dishonorable discharge in 1973. Homeless and living in Boston when he went missing in 1976.”

The first man shrugged as he put on his glasses. “Guess I'm OK with visiting Legal Seafood so long as someone else is paying for it.”

Invitations to make official visits from the governments of several nations quickly followed the formalization of political relations with Australia. Naturally, the United States of America was the highest on Prince Mark’s list. The sooner Equestria signed agreements with the U.S., the easier it would be to formalize business ties with his existing company and establish new ones. Of course, that’s when ‘red tape’ raised its ugly head.

In the Equestrian Embassy in Canberra, Mark frowned at the pallid man sitting across the table as he rambled on. Next to him, Smolder flicked a claw over her tablet, her eyes scanning the text rapidly. She had called in a favor to deal with the official, mostly because she couldn’t make heads or tails of his mumblings.

The badge on the man’s jacket proudly proclaimed United States Department of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service even as buttons strained mightily to keep the owner from bursting out of it. “Just be glad that your country of origin is exempt from testing for dourine and glanders. There is simply no alternative than a 42-hour quarantine and after testing for equine piroplasmosis and equine infectious anemia.”

Mark cut him off. “Mr. Ray, my country of origin is Equestria, not Australia. Also, do these look like the appendages of any earth-bred equine? Our biology is fundamentally different.” The alicorn tapped his horn with one hoof while extending his wings.

The official didn’t look up from his paperwork. “Yes, yes. There will also need to be germplasm submissions from all equine species.”

Mark jumped. Did that mean what he thought it meant?

The man prattled on. “After filling out the VS 17-129 application form, please schedule an inspection at an approved USDA Animal Import Center.”

Just before Mark objected to the assumption that Equestrians were coming to the United States to be part of a breeding program, Smolder stabbed her claw into the tablet, causing a small tink sound. “Inspector Ray, isn’t it true that regulations handle cases of temporary entry for thirty days or less differently?”

For the first time, the man brought his spectacled eyes up from his paperwork. “Oh! Were you talking to me? Yes, that is a separate case.”

After extracting her talon from the tablet, the dragoness pointed, carefully, at a different part of the screen. “That requires only a certificate from a licensed veterinarian certifying that the equine is in good health and does not carry any disease transmissible to people, correct?”

"Well, yes.”

Smolder stood, followed quickly by Mark. She gave the man her winningest fang-filled smile. “Splendid! I’ll ensure that paperwork is all in order and … uh …” She looked at the alicorn.

“Faxed.”

“Ah, yes. ‘Faxed’ to the USDA phone number on your card. Have a splendid afternoon, Inspector Ray.”

In the hallway, Mark grinned at his ambassador. “You’re absolutely getting the hang of this.”

In response, Smolder handed over her tablet. “Thank you, Your Highness. Would you please arrange for more tablets?”

Mark observed the spiderweb of cracks radiating from the center of the screen. “Should I get an IT person on site who can repair them?”

“Might be a good idea. That was my third tablet this week.”

That obstacle overcome, Mark organized a program of public appearances all over the country. Trixie arranged several teams featuring a mixture of species to attend the rallies. At least one of the triarchs or Smolder would show up at the time of the event via portal so that no region would feel slighted.

If the morning talk shows were anything to go by, the citizens of Hawaii were intrigued to be playing host to the dragoness. After an enthusiastic meeting in Honolulu, Smolder asked to be given a tour of Mauna Loa, in particular the currently active lava flow. While the officials warned her of the danger of approaching too close, they nevertheless accommodated her. Soon after arriving at the designated location, Smolder spread her wings and took to the air. She ignored the shouts of warning and confusion as she threw off her dress and dived toward the deadly stream. Cries of horror came from the onlookers as she folded her wings and disappeared into the lava with a large splash. A team of reporters covering the major event with every resource including a drone camera was treated to the mind-boggling sight of the dragon lazily swimming upstream in the lava. There was still a lot of nail-biting done before Smolder finally emerged unscathed. She fanned her wings to cool down to a tolerable degree before she gathered up her dress and rejoined the others.

“That was refreshing,” she said with a smile. “I’ll have to see about opening a dragon spa here. I quite enjoyed the aroma and texture of your lava.”

Not knowing exactly how to respond to that, the state officials agreed to look into the possibility.

Smolder received emails from seventeen vulcanologists that day alone.

The powers-that-be decided upon the Denver City and County Building as the best location to introduce the citizens of Colorado to the Equestrians. Wide steps led to a large elevated platform where humanity’s newest friends could be seen by the throngs filling Civic Center Park. By happy chance, the occasional professional sports team championship season meant the city pulled out a freshly updated set of procedures to keep every being safe at the event. Sharing this plan with the security personnel of a different nation was not unprecedented and resulted in a few updates to close unforeseen vulnerabilities. For example, an effective means to sweep all underground areas before and during the event had not been considered feasible until the Equestrians came along.

The McNichols Civic Center Building parking lot provided an unobstructed view of the stage from barely four hundred feet away. Of only minor curiosity was the nondescript black van parked across two spaces in the roped-off area. The name of the electrical company printed on both sides of the van did not exist in any Colorado government record. The van’s position allowed the van to face the stage directly and, perhaps coincidentally, also the large cardboard box strapped to the roof rack.

Inside, the driver turned to the van’s other occupants. All three wore white Henley shirts and bib overalls devoid of any logos. “They’re sticking to the planned schedule. In ten minutes –” He was interrupted by the roar of hundreds of thousands of citizens, deafening even inside the closed van.

After the noise abated, the woman in the passenger seat touched her ear. “Repeat.” A few seconds later, she gave the thumbs up while mouthing the word "Now.”

The driver continued. “OK. Our beloved local sports star may not take as long with the introduction as we expected. Chris …. Chris!”

The man in question jerked in his seat. “What? What?”

“Can’t you stay awake for fifteen minutes? It’s showtime!”

The slimmer man waved a hand dismissively while another worked the mouse next to his laptop. “Whatever. You try staying up for two days straight getting the hardware switched out and software upgraded in all this junk from the previous century B.C. Then let’s see you stay up while Grandpa Elway riles up the crowd.” While Chris had been talking, the thin man’s eyes scanned over the numerous displays of electronic gear populating both sides of the van’s cramped space, leaving him only a three-foot-wide corridor through the center. That finished, he returned his eyes to the laptop’s display and stacked dual monitors centered behind the driver’s and passenger’s seats.

A few glances at the screens confirmed his earlier checks. His voice lost its sarcastic edge. “All secondary equipment is on and shows green. Everything is go for full spectrum capture. Remember, I only got enough drives hacked in to provide sixty-four seconds of recording time, so tell me when.”

Behind him at the back of the van, a tinny voice said, “When!”

All three humans jumped in their seats. The driver and passenger reached for their hip-holstered pistols only to realize that the way they had been seated prevented any kind of smooth draw. Chris nearly jumped headfirst into the monitors before catching himself and looking behind him. He then burst out laughing, doubling over. “Oh, my god! That was fucking perfect!”

The driver and passenger kept their hands on their weapons as they glanced at each other and then at the van’s unexpected occupant. A yellow insectile, pony-sized creature smiled back at them.

Chris recovered first and thrust out a fist. “That was awesome. I’m Chris. You’re a changeling, right?”

The compound eyes centered on the technician and he gave the offered fist a tap with one hoof. “Crisp Berry. Pleased to meet you and all of your ridiculously expensive technology in here.”

“Expensive? Yeah, I guess it is. Not my problem. So, you’re Crisp Berry, huh? Maybe we’re related.” The two shared a laugh.

The passenger took her left hand off her pistol grip and picked up her cell phone. A few thumb flicks later, she pointed the camera into the back of the van. At her raised eyebrow, the driver did the same, cursing inwardly at the lack of foresight to provide even one transistor worth of recording equipment aimed inside the van itself.

The technician explained the function of various components until a flash of light made everyone look outside. A mare’s voice cut through the air, “It’s SHOWTIME!”

Chris smiled and pointed to a large red button connected by a USB cable to the laptop. “Time to learn how magic works. Push that red button for me, will you?”

Crisp Berry nodded. “That’s funny. I’ve been trying to figure that out as well. The red one marked ‘easy’?”

“Yeppers. That kicks off the master automation script. Now keep your eyes on the third display. Rhode and Schwarz FSW50 that I hacked to maxed it out with 128 GB of RAM. Second display is the equivalent Keysight Spectrum Analyzer – I forget the model on that one because we just upgraded. Plus, all the software packages have been enabled on both. That’s what I recommend you start with so you can have your own set of toys.”

“Because each system does some things better than the other. Got it. Should be fine to pick those up; I’ve got a bottomless expense account. I bet all the software costs more than the hardware it sits on.”

Chris shrugged. “Eh.”

The two nerds looked at each other and shared the same grin. Together they chorused, “Not my problem!”

While they laughed, the driver and passenger shared another look, silently agreeing not to interfere in this human/Equestrian geek session. Not that they would have anything to contribute anyway.

The human pointed to both screens with a finger “So the spec-ans capture the entire spectrum up to fifty gigahertz, thanks to the antenna almost cleverly hidden in the cardboard box overhead. And look at all that damn EM traffic! What would you recommend to filter out all the background crap?”

The changeling narrowed its eyes and tapped a hoof to its chin. “I would … no. All that software has to be good for something. Let it categorize everything. Then subtract out the analysis results from five minutes before all my buddies arrived.”

“Got it in one! Just press the ‘easy’ button again.”

As the two continued to discuss analysis results, equipment features, and favorite snacks, the passenger leaned closer to the driver. “If we need a backup techie when Chris gets sick, I know who I’m recommending for the spot.” The driver frowned until he realized she was subtly trying to tell him something important.

The Head of Operations listened to the report given by the driver.

“… about thirty minutes after the Equestrian’s show concluded, we heard a knock at the rear doors. One of their batpony Royal Guards opened it and greeted us. I believe it was their Captain Penumbra wearing aviator sunglasses. She informed Crisp Berry that it was time to move on to their next destination. The changeling accepted our technician’s backup personal phone as a gift and the aliens flew off together.”

After no more words came out, the veins on the older man’s neck began to bulge, and his face got redder.

Before the inevitable explosion, the driver continued. “Sir, there’s no question the changeling and our technician bonded over the course of that hour. Specifically on how technology can be used to study the Equestrian’s … abilities. The changeling analyst was, if anything, more enthusiastic about getting his own lab full of equipment set up to study the same.

The Head of Operations gaped. “So… the aliens are going to figure out for us how their… magic works? And relay that knowledge back to our technician?”

The driver nodded. “As long as we keep our operative in contact with the changeling and encourage them to do more research at subsequent events; exactly, sir.”

The Head of Operations held his head in his hands. “Just… go.”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

This episode was mostly Airy Words' work except for the Hawaii scene.

Expensive Tastes

“We have had accusations of fraud regarding the gemstones that you have contracted to supply to the market,” the Minister for Natural Resources stated.

Smolder raised an eye ridge and gave the woman a skeptical look. “How so, Madame Minister?”

The minister was slightly unnerved facing the dragoness, but the situation was too sensitive to leave to an underling. She swallowed before replying, “Rio Tinto’s Australian operations are the suppliers of almost all pink diamonds in the world. Although not the rarest, those diamonds still command an enormous price. Red and blue diamonds are even more so. The DeBeers Company has joined with Rio Tinto in questioning the size, quality, and quantity of those you’ve said you can supply, not to mention the more common colorless ones.”

“I see. What would our motive be in committing this fraud?”

“They claim that you are trying to crash the market so that you can sell your offerings.”

Smolder gave an irritated sigh and a puff of smoke wafted from her nostrils. “In your world, diamonds are useful for only two things – industrial applications due to their hardness or for decorative purposes, whether that be on a garment or jewelry. Their inflated expense hurts both the industries that require their level of hardness and the pocketbooks of people who have been convinced that they don’t really love their fiancées unless they buy them the biggest diamond they can afford. Our colorless diamonds will bring down the cost for the ordinary citizen, but the colored ones are aimed at the rich. We’ll be undercutting your world’s diamond producers by a considerable margin, so of course they’re going to squeal. But that’s just supply and demand, not fraud.”

The minister swallowed. “It is if your gems do not live up to your claims of size and quality which, you must admit, are pretty outrageous.”

“Oh? We did show some samples to our buyers, but I suppose I’d better arrange a more public viewing to demonstrate the quality of our goods. Don’t you agree?” She smiled broadly.

The minister nodded, not daring to question that broad toothy grin.

Representatives from some of the biggest diamond producers in the world gathered in a large meeting room at Parliament House. Experts from Rio Tinto, Anglo-American, DeBeers, and Arctic Canadian Diamond Company were included besides the sharpest executives from each. They were disconcerted to find that, rather than the normal closed-door way of doing business that served them so well, this meeting was going to be public. In fact, it was a media circus. The world was still fascinated by every new revelation by the Equestrians and this would merit at least a couple of minutes on the evening news.

Protests that this meeting should be considered “Commercial in Confidence” fell on deaf ears though. With the Equestrians quite willing and ready to defend their claims, the consortium was left with no alternative than to go ahead and try to prove them false. Smolder brought along a couple of experts of her own from both Equus and her customers’ companies to keep the consortium honest. She doubted they would be needed.

“Shall we look at the colored diamonds first?” the dragoness asked. “We have been accused of inflating our claims of their size and quality. So, to be sure that we are comparing ours to yours accurately, can I see your samples?”

One of the executives who had a very sturdy briefcase handcuffed to his wrist laid it on the table and unlocked it. Opening it revealed a black velvet lining in which were inlaid several diamonds each of the red, blue, pink, fancy yellow, and colorless varieties.

“Each of these is the finest in cut and clarity in their respective colors. They range in size from about six to fifteen carats. This is the standard that you claim to match at an absurdly low price.”

“Ooh! They are quite lovely!” Smolder exclaimed. “Absolutely delicious, I might expect.”

The consortium members looked at each other, wondering about that turn of phrase. The gathered crowd chuckled, partly at the suited men’s discomfort and partly at Smolder’s nonchalance when faced with what were supposed to be overwhelming riches. The dragoness lifted a briefcase of her own.

“Now, before I show you our samples, I will point out that we are not selling finished gemstones like those. Our customers will be cutting and polishing them. We will be supplying diamonds that are only roughly faceted, but they have been graded using the 4 C’s system that you use. They are all flawless and of the finest color of their type.” She took out a cloth bag from the briefcase and emptied its contents onto the table. Half a dozen pink diamonds at least quadruple the size of the consortium’s samples were revealed. As the experts gaped, Smolder brought out more bags that contained similarly sized diamonds in blue, fancy yellow, and red.

Upon being given permission to handle them, the experts began examining the diamonds. They took their time testing the stones, trying their best to find something wrong with them, but eventually, they had to concede that they were genuine.

One of the scowling executives got up from his chair, leaned over the table, and asked with a snarl, “Have you trotted out all your biggest diamonds just to impress us?”

“Oh, no. Those are just samples of the smallest ones we will be selling. We won’t be bothering with the little stuff. We have other uses for them.”

The executive sat down with a thump, aghast at the news. Smolder began gathering up the gems and putting them back in their pouches. When it came to the blue diamonds though, she frowned.

“One of these is missing. Did you drop it?” she asked the experts. When they shook their heads, Smolder asked them to stand up and look beneath them. The audience chuckled as they frantically tried to find the errant diamond.

“Perhaps it fell into the pocket of one of the executives?” she suggested to loud laughter from the onlookers. After she got irate glares in response, especially from the bigwigs, Smolder waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind – we've got plenty more.”

The representative from Anglo-American angrily said, “You have shown us plenty of the colored stones, but what of the Class D colorless diamonds you claim you can supply by the thousands?”

“Right, I left those out, didn’t I?” She picked up a large sack from her briefcase and spilled its contents in front of him. Hundreds of colorless diamonds of about three or four carats each glittered in the lights as the audience oohed and aahed. “Every one of those is Class D. Go ahead – pick any you wish and test them.”

The experts almost desperately started doing so, aware that their bosses were counting on them to discredit the dragon. However, one by one, they gave up and declared the diamonds to be exactly what she claimed.

The executive from the De Beers Group slammed his fist on the table. “You must be manufacturing them somehow!” he accused in his South African accent. “But even you could not match the wonder of a natural diamond of a size you cannot hope to replicate!” He placed a small briefcase on the table and unlocked it. Inside was just one very large gemstone. “This is the Millennium Star Diamond weighing 777 carats. It is worth two billion Rand. This is true beauty! This is a true treasure! Could your factory-made stones ever hope to match such as this?”

Smolder pursed her lips in disapproval. “I didn’t know we were having a cock-waving competition. I came woefully unequipped.” She paused as laughter came from the spectators. “Anyway, while we have rock farms for many gems, we don’t make them in factories. We dragons do like nice big diamonds or rubies though. I have one with me, in fact.” She reached into her handbag and pulled out an enormous colorless diamond with the simplest of facets. She held it up for everyone to see clearly. “Two thousand, three hundred and seven carats, I’m informed. Feel free to inspect this one as well.” She passed it to the nearest expert.

The man examined it before giving it to a colleague who did the same. All the experts wanted to have a good look at the incredible stone. After consulting with one another, the lead expert stated that the rough faceting prevented a full evaluation of clarity but it rated at least VVS1 with the possibility of only very slight inclusions. Likewise, the color rated at worst as G – Nearly Colorless.

The man finished saying, “I would like to work on the diamond’s facets to provide a more definitive evaluation. I promise that I will not need to remove more than twenty percent of the stone to do so.” He handed it back to her, with a disbelieving shake of his head. “That gem, even if slightly imperfect, is absolutely amazing.”

Smolder grinned. “You call it amazing. I call it lunch.” She lifted it to her maw and took a bite out of it. Crunch!

Cries of horror came from the experts and one fainted. The consortium executives gaped like stunned fish. The silence from the equally flabbergasted audience was only broken by the sound of Smolder chewing her meal and the chuckles of her Equestrian guards.

Smolder looked around and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I was getting a bit hungry because these guys took so long.” She then took another multi-million-dollar bite.

NEW RECORD SET IN WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE MEAL

Smolder put down the newspaper next to the large pile of others from around the world with a similar theme. She smacked her lips then shrugged. “Eh, I’ve had better.”

# # # # # # #

How's The Weather?

The time for the first official visit to Equestria by humans finally came. Prince Mark wanted to ensure that relations were firmly established with Earth before they opened up Equus to visitors. He instructed Smolder to use the excuse of a quarantine period to ensure that no virulent disease or deadly contamination might be brought back to their world. When asked about the reverse situation, Smolder explained that their interdimensional exploration protocols prevented that from happening. In reality, it was a two-way street, but they did not mention that fact.

Now though, the Australian Prime Minister; his Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Wright; and Trade & Tourism, Mr. Carter; their assistants; and a small cadre of select journalists were about to embark on their history-making visit. They gathered at the Canberra embassy and a pair of green-jacketed ponies escorted them deeper into the building. Every delegate had to pass through an extra layer of security before arriving in the portal room. Once inside, they saw one wall covered in metal polished to nearly a mirror surface. On all sides, the metal was framed by an impressive array of cables, blinking lights, and mysterious boxes encasing unknown devices emblazoned with model numbers and strange names such as “Trans-Linear Stabilizer, Type 2” and “Hyper-Void Inverter”. However, it was all for show. The Equestrians had no intention of letting anyone from Earth know that setting up a major interdimensional portal was as simple as enchanting a mirrored surface.

This portal was designed for multiple destinations, so it did have a few extras added to it, not to mention another layer of security. At a nod from Smolder, a unicorn behind a transparent barrier activated the gateway. Lights flashed and the surface of the metal shimmered, then the dragoness addressed the group.

“To pass into Equestria, simply step through it as if the wall isn’t there. You will feel something strange as you pass through the interstice between dimensions, but I assure you that it is harmless. Lieutenant Gallus will now demonstrate how easy this is.”

The griffon took his cue and walked into the wall without hesitation. There were murmurs of amazement from the watchers before Smolder spoke up again.

“You may pass through when ready. You do not need to go one at a time. I only ask that you move away from the portal as soon as you pass through to allow others to follow.”

The Prime Minister nodded in understanding and he and his ministers had the honor of being the first humans to travel to another world… as far as they knew.

Despite a little uneasiness about bashing his face into a wall, Anthony Gillard met no resistance and stepped into a brightly lit and airy structure. He was not sure what to expect, but an opulent garden was not it. He had the presence of mind to step away from the portal before pausing to take in his surroundings. He realized he had emerged inside a pergola where a gateway had been set up with unobstructed views of trees, shrubs, and tens of thousands of flowers. Most breathtaking of all was the magnificent castle in the background. He was so bedazzled by the striking colors and heady perfume that he almost missed the three alicorns who were waiting to greet him as well as the honor guard assembled behind them.

Princess Trixie refrained from smirking at the gawking visitors as the rest of the group emerged. When they were all present, she spoke up. “On behalf of my fellow Triarchs, Trixie welcomes you to Canterlot, capital of Equestria. We hope that you enjoy your visit to our fair city. We have much to show you of our beautiful world.”

Anthony Gillard stepped forward, gave the Triarchs a short bow, and shook Trixie’s hoof before replying. “My colleagues and I are honored to be here. I can safely say that Equestria has already exceeded my expectations. I look forward to seeing more.”

The two ministers also approached and exchanged bows and hoofshakes.

Princess Twilight Sparkle spoke up. “We have arranged a short tour before luncheon. We will be happy to answer any questions about anything you see along the way.”

Prince Mark Wells added, “Please leave business until after we dine at the castle. Right now, you are friends paying us a visit, and we can’t wait to have you start enjoying your stay. Please follow me.”

The alicorns refrained from chatting to allow their guests to take in the sights. However, they readily responded to questions.

“Do these gardens belong to the castle?” Gillard asked.

“Yes, they do,” Twilight replied. “However, 90% of them are open to the public most days. They’re only closed or restricted access for special events. Because we did not want you to be mobbed by curious ponies, we’ve closed the gates until lunchtime today. Otherwise, the citizens are free to enjoy them as much as we do.”

Ms. Wright said, “We seem to be right up against a mountain on the left, but I see no sign of anything beyond the gardens on the right.”

Mark responded, “Have you seen any photographs of Canterlot? The city is located on the side of the mountain. Most other structures are lower than the castle. You’ll see for yourself when we reach the garden wall.”

It took several more minutes of unhurried strolling to reach that wall. The humans let out gasps of amazement, looking beyond the city’s rooftops and outer wall to a huge valley bounded by distant mountain ranges. The alicorns let them take as much time as they wanted, pointing out several landmarks to the curious.

Mr. Carter looked up and an eyebrow lifted. “Those clouds are behaving rather strangely. Are there odd wind currents in this location?”

Twilight shook her head. “That’s just the Canterlot weather team moving rainclouds into position for tonight’s scheduled showers.”

That drew incredulous stares from all the visitors.

“Scheduled showers?”

“Weather team?”

“Moving clouds?”

“Oh, yes. We have a fine team of pegasi here in Canterlot. They made sure that your visit today would be pleasantly warm and sunny.”

“Are you seriously saying that they control the weather?” Gillard asked.

“Well, not just them, but yes. There are teams throughout Equestria that are coordinated by the Cloudsdale Weather Factory. Farmers get well-timed rain and sun, outdoor event organizers get guaranteed good weather, and citizens plan around inclement conditions.”

“Do you have any idea how invaluable that would be to our country, let alone the rest of the world? Australia is constantly wracked by drought, cyclones, fires, and floods. They cause untold damage and misery. If we could control the weather—”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Prince Mark interjected, holding up a hoof. “I fully understand your problems, but you do not comprehend the magnitude of what you would inevitably ask of us. As Princess Twilight mentioned, there are weather teams located throughout Equestria. It’s only by working in coordination that they can so precisely control the local conditions. A single team in just one location would be hard-pressed to disperse storm clouds or provide reliable rainfall. As your meteorologists can tell you, weather is extremely difficult to predict because of the sheer number of variables. The teams located on the border of our sphere of influence have a harder time controlling the local climate because they are affected by the untamed weather outside of Equestria’s area of effect. There are literally tens of thousands of pegasi working in weather teams and, since the growth of the empire, there has been a constant need to recruit more.” Mark sighed. “I’m sorry, Mr. Gillard, but at best, we could only possibly supply an emergency response team to mitigate a disaster. We simply do not have the resources to give you control over your weather.”

The Prime Minister shook his head. “No, I understand. It was wishful thinking on my part. However, the possibility of an emergency team bears following up.”

“Of course, but that can be discussed with other business after the luncheon,” Mark replied.

“And Trixie is dying to show off our magnificent city,” the blue alicorn said to get the visit back on track. “We have carriages waiting to take you on a tour of Canterlot.”

The humans did not expect to see ponies hitched up to the carriages that normally conveyed other ponies around, but the lack of any obvious automation presumably necessitated it. As the delegation was taken through the streets, waving to the excited ponies, changelings, griffons, and other citizens, Gillard could not help but wonder what they did for small talk when the day’s weather was off the table.

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Juxtaposing the amazing with the mundane. I suppose Earth's meteorologists might still learn a thing or two from the Equestrian weather experts.

Power Play

“I have a lead on the Martines.”

“About fucking time,” Anatoly Kalchik snarled. “What have you got?”

“They’re holding a staff party at their home,” the private investigator replied. “I overheard two women from Harmonic Composites discussing celebrating the big contract the company had scored with the Equestrians.”

“Ha! Not hard if you’re in cahoots with them. Go on.”

“Aside from irrelevant subjects such as what they planned to wear to the party, I did get the date – this Saturday – but not the time nor the address. However, I’ll be able to tail one and get an associate to tail the other. With your approval, I’ll hire a third to watch for anyone going directly from their workplace since Harmonic Composites started weekend shifts.”

“Granted. Hire more at your discretion. I’ve been waiting for this break for too damn long to waste it.”

The private investigator nodded. “I know where those two live, so it’ll be a simple matter of staking out their homes early and following when they leave for the Martines.”

Kalchik smirked. “Sounds perfect. Once you’ve confirmed the address and that the Martines are definitely there, I want you to call and inform me. Then you can leave. If everything works out, then our business will be done and you’ll get that promised bonus.”

“I’ll let you know if any further information comes to light in the meantime,” the P.I. said.

“Good. You know what to do. Now, get lost!” Kalchik said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Sophia Alderson looked in the mirror and nodded, satisfied with her appearance. She grabbed her purse and car keys and headed to the garage. Shortly, her Toyota Camry was en route to the Martines’ party, oblivious to the black Honda Civic following several car lengths behind. Her GPS guided her to the address that she had been given and found that parking was already at a premium. Unsurprisingly, many people had arrived before her, but a woman was not ready until the final touches were done. Nevertheless, it was a short walk to the house.

Music at a pleasant level drifted out the windows, as well as light from the open curtains. The hosts of the party promptly answered the doorbell. They welcomed her with smiles, their faces illuminated by the front porch lamp. The occupant of the black car parked illegally in the driveway opposite the house also smiled. His camera zoom clearly identified his objectives. He took a couple of photos and sent them in a text message to Kalchik, along with the address. He quickly received a reply:

“Got it. Go and leave the rest to me.”

The P.I. sent a one-word group text to the rest of his team (“Done”) and was happy to depart the scene. He did not want to know what was going to happen. He had done his bit and he was going to be handsomely rewarded, and that was all he cared about.

About fifteen minutes later, two cars rolled up and disgorged several burly men in hoodies. Kalchik emerged into the midst of the group, obscuring him from possible nosy neighbors and security cameras. They moved as a whole to the door where they paused.

“Why don’t you knock, Boris?” Kalchik said with a smirk.

The huge man nodded before body-slamming the poor door which practically flew off its hinges. The group then hustled inside to the screams of some of the occupants of the house. Guns were drawn from concealment and were waved threateningly. Boris fired a shot into the ceiling and Kalchik shouted for everyone to shut up. Then he spotted his quarries and gestured toward them.

“You two – come here. I’ve been waiting too long to have a little talk with you.”

A voice behind him said, “Ah, Mr. Kalchik – I see you got our invitation.”

The man whirled around and recognized who had spoken. He snarled. “This must be my lucky day. I have something for you, boy.” His arm swung out to pistol-whip Mark Wells, only to have his hand pass through Mark’s head as if it was not there.

Mark grinned. “Oops. That won’t work. You see, I’m not human; I’m a pony. Trixie, love?”

A moment later, an illusion dropped, revealing that every person in that room bar two was a pony of some kind. Kalchik looked down at the green alicorn who stood well below the head height of his illusory self.

“Want to try that again?” Mark asked with a smile mocking the man for believing him to be human. The alicorn wanted Kalchik to think that he had always been a pony in disguise.

With a snarl, Kalchik tried to aim the gun. However, his movement was abruptly halted as he found himself paralyzed. A magic glow surrounded his weapon which was removed from his grasp and floated into Mark’s hoof. He yelled, “What are you waiting for? Shoot the bastard!”

However, nothing happened. As Mark casually walked away from him, Kalchik found that he could move again. Glancing behind him, he saw that every one of his goons was on the floor and unconscious.

“As I said earlier,” Mark spoke up once more, “you got our invitation to the party and arrived promptly. That was considerate of you. You see, we want to have a chat with you too that doesn’t involve public indiscretions or murderous intentions. Since you were already doing your best to find Phil and Rosa, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get you to come to us without revealing our presence.”

Kalchik frowned. “Are you telling me that this whole party was a ruse just to get me here?”

Phil Martine nodded. “We were fully aware of your private investigator’s efforts to find us. We were quite prepared to ignore you and let things slide until you started interfering with Harmonic Composites’ operations. You truly are a vindictive man.”

“No one messes with me or my daughter!” Kalchik spat. “You haven’t seen the half of what I can do to you yet!”

Rosa Martine shook her head and scoffed. “You don’t realize how badly you have screwed up. Eres un gran idiota!”

Mark said, “All you seem to understand are displays of power, so we’ve arranged a little demonstration. Congratulations! You are going to be one of the lucky few to visit Equestria.”

“You’re going to kidnap me?” He laughed humorlessly. “What do you think the American government will think of that?”

Mark looked over to the Martines. “It’s funny how you Americans seem to think your nationality makes you more special than any other.”

Phil shrugged. “No argument.”

Mark turned back to Kalchik, this time with a frown. “All we have ever wanted was peaceful trade with Earth. It’s people like you that threaten that goal, so I’m going to convince you why that’s not a good idea. Follow me.”

Three ponies, all Royal Guards, herded the protesting man into an adjacent room. A mirror sat in the middle of the floor surrounded by esoteric machinery which lit up when Mark touched a button on the control panel. It was all for show, of course, but the Equestrians intended to maintain the fiction with everyone, Kalchik included.

“Step on through,” Mark instructed.

Kalchik glared at him. “So I will smash face-first into it and look like a fool like you did with my daughter?”

Mark chuckled. “While that was a genuine mirror, the machinery hidden behind it was turned off. This one is active. Sergeant Clover, please demonstrate.”

The pegasus stallion walked up to the mirror and stepped through.

“Your turn, Mr. Kalchik,” Mark said with a genial smile.

Despite the confirmation, Kalchik hesitated before following the pony. However, he met no resistance and stepped out into the Canterlot training grounds. Looking around, he realized that it was filled with hundreds of heavily armed and armored ponies, griffons, and several other species. Many of the winged ones were airborne, but every single one of them were focused on the portal… no, on him! And they did not look happy.

Clover pulled him away from the portal to allow others to follow. Only then did he notice some humans to one side, all dressed for the party that he had crashed. By the smirks on their faces, he guessed that they had all been lures; only one of which the P.I. had detected.

Mark soon joined Kalchik, as did the Martines, his bodyguard Penumbra, and a few of the Royal guards. Unknown to the man, Trixie stayed behind to use her power to cover up the removal of the goons by the remaining guards while maintaining the illusion of the party continuing. In fact, no neighbor had seen or heard anything beyond two cars with tinted windows parking near the house.

Prince Mark waited for the party-goers to return to Earth before he faced Kalchik. This time, his expression was completely serious. “When we last met, you denigrated me for being, as you supposed, an insignificant African prince despite being informed that I ruled a nation on another world.” He deliberately omitted the fact that two mares co-ruled with him because he knew he was dealing with a patriarchal type that considered females as being lesser. “Your prejudice made you fail to see that you are not in the position of power that you presumed yourself to be in. Even counting the illegal enterprises that we have uncovered, your business is still trivial compared to Equestria’s. Your wealth is insignificant; my ambassador ate a diamond worth tens of millions of dollars in your world for lunch, and there are plenty more where that came from. You command a pack of thugs – I have an army!”

Mark swept a hoof around, indicating the gathered soldiers and Royal Guards. “These are a mere fraction of those at my beck and call. Any one of them could take on several of your goons at once. However, using the heavies is only one of the ways you like to attack people. You made the mistake of screwing around with Harmonic Composites, and by doing so, you not only attacked me but also my dear friends, Phil and Rosa Martine. So, now you’ve made this very personal. You forced my hooves, so I have to ensure that you’re neutralized. Neither you nor your daughter will be allowed to hinder either the goodwill between our worlds, or the fair commerce we are building.”

While Kalchik was many deplorable things, he was not a coward. Although his present position was intimidating, he nevertheless glared defiantly back at the alicorn. “You will leave Ivana out of this, you filthy animal! Don’t you dare harm her!”

Mark smirked. “We don’t harm anybody without good reason, and we haven’t done so now. Your daughter will not be causing us trouble though.” He looked to one side and addressed someone there. “Right, Ivana?”

Kalchik jerked his head in that direction as a bronze dragoness walked forward. She spoke up. “That’s right, Your Highness,” she said with her head bowed respectfully.

“I… Ivana?” Kalchik choked out.

The dragoness looked at him. “Yes, it’s me, Daddy. I told you that I turned into a dragon when I entered Equestria. I got my pearl back, see?” She opened the talons on her right paw to reveal the huge pearl.

Despite the change in timbre due to her different body, Kalchik still recognized her voice. “You’ve got your pearl and you’ve proved your story – come back with me.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m not allowed.”

“Not allowed?” Kalchik turned on Mark and roared, “How dare you hold my daughter hostage!”

Mark shook his head. “I have done no such thing. She made a deal to get her pearl back and remaining on Equus is part of it.”

“You don’t have the authority to hold her to that!”

Another voice joined the conversation. “That is debatable, but even if he doesn’t, I do.”

Kalchik looked around and then up at the blue dragon that towered over him, his retort dying in his throat as she leaned down with a terrifying toothy grin on her maw and wisps of smoke leaking from her nostrils.

“I am Dragonlord Ember and Ivana is now one of my subjects of her own volition. By my command, she will remain in Equestria until I see fit to allow her to return to Earth. If she still wants to by then.”

“Don’t you dare harm her,” Kalchik said with a lot less fervor than previously.

“Are you threatening me, puny human?” She puffed a breath of red-hot air in his face, singeing his hair and eyebrows. “You mean nothing to me, but I will see to it that your daughter learns to be worthy of being called a dragon.” Ember then turned and strode away, saying, “Come, Ivana Goldclaw.”

“Yes, Dragonlord. Bye, Daddy.” Ivana obediently followed Ember out of the training grounds.

Mark stepped back to address Kalchik once more. “As you have just seen, Ivana is in good hands, even if they are dragon talons. We just have to deal with you now.”

“Are you going to keep me here too?”

“No. Not only are you very unwelcome here, but your disappearance would cause problems. You will return to Earth and go on with your normal legal business. But don’t believe for a moment that you won’t be watched like a hawk. And you will never know who to trust if you choose to think otherwise.” Mark gestured and several undisguised Canterlot changelings came forward, startling Kalchik who had never seen their kind. Mark continued, “You will never know if someone is who you think they are. They could be your maid…”

A changeling changed into the woman. “Your suit is back from the dry cleaner, sir,” she said in Ekaterina’s accented tones.

“They could be your secretary…”

Another changeling assumed that form. “There’s a message for you, Mr. Kalchik,” she said in an unmistakable voice.

“They could even be Boris.”

A third changeling became the spitting image of the stony-faced man who silently nodded.

Kalchik gaped. Even if he figured out that someone was a doppelganger, he could never guarantee that another was not looking over his shoulder or at the other end of a phone call. He was out of options, and all he could do was seethe and glare malevolently at the alicorn.

However, Mark was not quite done yet. He reared up, getting in Kalchik’s face. In a dangerous tone, he said, “But if despite all that you ever piss me off again…” He whirled around and loosed a mighty thunderbolt at a dummy tied up to a pole in the center of the grounds. It practically exploded and the remnants burned fiercely. Mark turned back. “…remember that I need neither a gun nor a hitman.”

Kalchik barely heard Mark’s words as his ears were still ringing from the thunderclap. He did manage to piss himself though.

Mark looked down and nodded. “I see you understand.” He returned to all fours and gestured toward the portal. “Go home, Mr. Kalchik. I never want to hear about you again.”

The man stumbled toward the mirror but Mark had one more thing to add.

“Oh, and we’ll be sending you the bill for the damage that you did to the Air B&B we rented for the party. Do pay promptly!”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

If only it was that simple to deal with all their problems.

Art drawn by Nauyaco.

Inspection Day Disaster

“We’ve finished commissioning the new portal facility, Your Highness” the project engineer said. “All that’s left to do is get the Australian inspectors to certify everything and it’ll be ready to go. I’ll have a crew doing the finishing touches in the meantime. Those will be completed in two days, tops.”

Prince Mark Wells gazed at the floorplan of the new building that had been constructed adjacent to the existing Alice Springs office and portal. The facility had two interdimensional portals, one on either side of a control station. One would handle outgoing freight while the other would handle incoming. This eliminated the bottleneck that developed when the rapidly increasing shipments caused delays due to the single original gateway. That one would now be reserved for priority and emergency transfers. The construction of the new building allowed easy expansion for two more portals, if that ever became necessary. For now, though, the new ones could cope well enough, and the layout of the yard enabled a free flow of the trailer loads to and from the transfer and inspection facility located outside of the Equestrian Exclusion Zone.

Mark nodded in satisfaction. “Good work, Sturdy Frame. I’ll schedule the inspection immediately. I anticipate that they will come out early next week. I’ll inform you when it has been arranged.”

“Very good, sir.” The stallion gathered up his documents and bade the prince farewell.

Mark checked the time on Earth to ensure that it was suitable. There was only a small degree of time drift between the worlds, so it crept up on you if you weren’t careful. Noting that it was office hours in Alice Springs, the alicorn placed the first of several calls before going back to his other work.

The tall man opened the door to let in his acquaintance. Leaving the guest in the living room, he went into the kitchen to fetch a couple of cold cans of beer from the fridge. He passed one to the visitor and sat down before asking, “Did you get the vehicle, mate?”

“Yeah, yeah, Barry,” the man replied as he popped the top of the can. He took a swig before continuing. “I told you it would be easy. Keeping it out of sight is the tricky part.”

“It won’t need to be for long. The Equestrians have booked the inspections for next Tuesday. Their ambassador announced their intention to hold a public opening ceremony immediately after they’re completed. Will your men be ready?”

“No problem. You worry too much.”

Barry glared at him. “Listen, Jeff,” he snarled. “You’re not taking those unnatural creatures seriously enough! I’ve been studying them for months and their security is ridiculously good. Between their demonic magic and hyper-vigilance, it’s practically impossible to get through them. They don’t even let any drivers take their trucks into the Equestrian Exclusion Zone – their earth ponies hitch a dolly up to the trailers parked in the freight transfer yard and they pull them to the portal. The few humans who get in there are thoroughly checked out. If I’m going to get to the horned demon, you and your men have to go in hard.”

“If their fucking security is as good as you reckon, what makes you think you’re going to get in at all, let alone kill the bitch?”

Barry put down his can and got up from the chair. He opened a nearby cupboard and lifted out a cardboard box. From it, he removed the elephant gun that he had acquired and showed it to Jeff. “Think you can off one or two of them with this?”

Jeff whistled. “That’s some gun,” he said with a grin. “Those beasts are going to have a real bad day, I promise you.” He then looked up at Barry. “That still doesn’t explain how you’re going to get to the main target.”

Barry smirked. “That’s already taken care of. I’m counting on you to provide enough distraction for me to do the deed. Here’s the plan…”

The tall man explained the details and Jeff grinned.

It was a foregone conclusion that the new gateway building would pass inspection with flying colors, so Mark had told Smolder to arrange a press conference to announce the official opening of the facility. The local Imparja television station had a small crew of trusted people who regularly covered Equestrian events and were allowed into the exclusion zone along with a few hoof-picked reporters from other major news outlets. Besides the normal Gateway crew, Mark, Chrysalis, and Smolder were present for the event, along with their bodyguards. They portaled over as soon as one of the facility’s staff had informed them that the inspection had been completed.

Chrysalis provided extra security for the event in the form of several changeling guards who would monitor the emotions of the visitors. She confirmed that everything was in place with the facility’s security officer before rejoining Mark and Smolder. Smolder made a short opening speech thanking all the locals who had assisted in the construction, then the inspectors signed the official paperwork in front of the cameras. Prince Mark began his speech extoling the benefits of the new facility, but just before he could declare it officially open, an ambulance with lights flashing and siren shrieking raced into the freight transfer grounds and was only brought to a halt by the guards at the gate of the Equestrian Exclusion Zone.

“What the buck is going on?” Mark demanded, looking toward Chrysalis for answers.

“No one has reported an incident requiring an ambulance,” she replied. “Either someone has called one in to harass us or—”

The changeling queen did not need to finish her sentence because the driver of the ambulance and the passenger both jumped out and began firing at the security ponies. The suspicious and well-trained guards already had their shields up and the bullets were stopped dead, falling harmlessly at their hooves. Other guards were already moving in when the back doors of the ambulance opened to allow three more men to emerge. Two aimed at the approaching guards while the third took advantage of the covering fire to move up to the gate, carrying his huge weapon.

Jeff raised the elephant gun and fired it at one of the guards. With a pained cry, the changeling’s shield shattered and he fell to the ground. The man’s follow-up shot was deflected by a unicorn soldier who dived in the way before likewise collapsing in agony as her shield imploded. Before Jeff could complete reloading the massive gun, he was tackled by a griffon diving from the sky.

In the meantime, the bodyguards immediately placed themselves between the action and their charges – Penumbra and Gallus manifesting enchanted shields designed to stop firearms. Mark threw a spherical shield around the four of them and the reporters in front of the stage while calling back to Chrysalis to protect the inspectors and facility staff members behind them.

The changeling queen nodded and used her hive link to instruct her changeling bodyguard Whisper Wing. He moved to his queen’s left and they both raised shield walls. While neither could make a spherical shield large enough to cover all the bystanders, between the two, they blocked all lines of fire. Chrysalis reassured the humans that they were completely safe. Then she frowned. Something was wrong. Despite the chaos of emotions coming from the gate area, another hostile feeling was coming from… She whirled around a moment too late and cried out in pain as something struck her at the base of her neck, penetrating her natural armoring. She saw one of the humans holding a mini crossbow. He was already moving to place another bolt in the weapon when she blasted him with a magic bolt of her own. A changeling guard was upon him a moment later.

Around the ambulance, Equestrian troops yelled out, “Hostiles secure!”

Only then did Chrysalis drop her shield and turn her attention to the crossbow bolt. Mark came up to her, attracted by the commotion and with worry etched in his face.

“Sally! What happened?!”

“Would-be *argh* assassin among *ack* inspectors,” she grunted painfully as her magic tugged at the bolt.

“Get a doctor, now!” Mark yelled at the facility staff.

A unicorn mare said, “I’m on it!” and teleported away.

Mark turned his attention back to Chrysalis. “Maybe you should leave that in place until the doctor arrives.”

“No, it isn’t a fatal wound and I can begin healing myself with it out.” She cried out in pain as she pulled at it again. “But it seems to be stuck. Help me, husband.”

Against his better judgment, Mark complied. He winced when she shrieked as the bolt tore its way out of her. She then swallowed and focused her abilities. The wound started to scab over but then her magic faltered.

“Something’s not right,” she gasped. “My magic is not responding. The area is going numb. I’m… feeling dizzy.” The changeling queen’s legs collapsed beneath her.

Nasty laughter came from a few yards away where Barry had recovered from the blast and seen enough to appreciate his work. “She’s a goner! That bolt was coated with a neurotoxin. The demon will die within minutes,” he crowed triumphantly.

Mark turned to him with horror on his face. “What?! Are you insane?! Why have you done this?”

“Do you think we wouldn’t recognize evil when we see it? That demon dared reveal herself to us and you, her unnatural thralls, do her bidding. God told me to kill her before she spread her influence over Earth.”

“You bigoted fool!” Mark screamed at him before looking around helplessly. “Where’s that doctor?!” He turned his attention back to Chrysalis. Not knowing if his efforts were achieving anything, nevertheless, he persisted with the strongest healing spell that he knew.

Eventually, a unicorn mare turned up at Mark’s side. “I’m Mercy Dash, a paramedic. What’s the situation?”

“Chrysalis was wounded with a crossbow bolt coated with a neurotoxin,” Mark replied. “Her magic is failing, she’s feeling numb, and she’s just started struggling to breathe.”

The mare blanched. “Sweet Celestia!” She picked up the crossbow bolt in her magic and passed it to the unicorn guard who had fetched her. “Give this to the apothecary in Canterlot Castle. Report back with anything they find or any antidote, especially if it is broad spectrum.”

The mare teleported away once more.

“You have to do something!” Mark said desperately.

The paramedic’s horn lit up with a powerful spell. “Without an antidote or knowing the exact toxin used, the best that I can do is reinforce your healing spell with my own.”

Both ponies sweated with the intensity of the effort that they put into the spells, but as the minutes ticked by, they could tell that the changeling queen was not responding. Chrysalis’ breathing started coming in gasps and her slit pupils dilated to practically fill her eyes. She reached up with a trembling hoof.

“Mark, are… you there? I… can't see.”

The alicorn took her hoof and she gripped it weakly.

“Ah, there you are… my stallion. Know… know that you kept your promise… and never neglected me… or our children.” She paused as she struggled to breathe. “Know also that… I am filled with joy... my love.” Then the last of her breath left her with a sigh and she ceased moving, her eyes staring unseeing at the clear blue Australian sky.

“NOOOOOOOOO!” Mark screamed in anguish, his eyes filling with tears. He slammed his hoof into the ground and several beings nearly overbalanced as the shockwave shook them like an earthquake. The alicorn turned to face Barry, fury etched on his expression. His horn lit up and his magic grabbed the man and hurled him halfway across the yard.

The man landed hard, unable to do more to save himself due to the manacles on his wrists and ankles. He sat up, spitting out the red Outback dirt, sneering at the pony.

Mark advanced upon him, snarling. “Do you know what you have done, you miserable man?”

“I rid the world of a demon like I swore I would,” Barry replied with satisfaction.

“No! You took the life of the Queen of the greatest changeling hive in Equestria. You deprived her children of their mother. You. Murdered. MY. WIFE!”

Even while his ears were still ringing from that shout, Barry smirked back. “I think humans will see otherwise. I’ll be sure to let the world know the truth even if those cameras don’t do the job for me.”

Mark glared at him. “So, you’re not satisfied with killing my beloved and intend to spread your hate further?”

The man laughed. “I’ve surrendered, not resisting arrest, and entitled to a fair trial. Everyone will hear what I have to say. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Mark paused before smiling maleficently. “You think you’ve figured it all out, but you’ve forgotten something. You committed your crime on Equestrian territory, therefore you’re subject to Equestrian law. And do you want to know who has ultimate judicial authority?” He spread his wings and lightning arced between them and his horn, building in intensity. “It’s the Triarchs. I, Prince Mark Wells, Triarch of Equestria, for the crime of regicide, sentence you to death!”

Smolder called out, “Father! Think of the consequences!”

“To Tartarus with the consequences! Let the sentence be carried out!”

Barry’s eyes went wide and he turned away, covering his face with his arms in a futile effort to protect himself. The enormous lightning bolt that Mark unleashed not only killed the man but also left his corpse blackened and shriveled.

Mark turned away from the body and went back to Chrysalis. Picking her up in his magic, he then carried her toward the facility to return to Equestria, tears pouring down his cheeks.

Penumbra said to Smolder, “I have to go with them. Can you handle this mess?”

The dragoness nodded. “It’s my job. Go! He needs you more than ever.”

The batpony hastened to join Mark as Smolder turned her attention to the chaos. She raised her voice. “Ladies and Gentlemen – I require that you all leave this facility immediately and promptly. No questions will be entertained at this moment. Portal shipments will be suspended until this tragic situation is dealt with. Guards – please escort all visitors off Equestrian territory and bring those five terrorists to the portal. They will face trial in Equestria for their crimes.”

Jeff and his cohorts all quailed in fear after seeing the result of Equestrian justice. Smolder had no intention of reassuring them.

As everyone hastened to comply with the dragon’s orders, Smolder sighed, knowing that the repercussions of the day’s events would reverberate for weeks. In the meantime, she had a herd-mother to mourn.

Princess Diadem tearfully took possession of her mother’s lifeless form and carried it into the hive that she would now rule as their new Queen. Her connection to her mother through the hive was unhindered by passing through an interdimensional portal and she felt the moment that Chrysalis had died. It was sudden and traumatic for the young royal changeling, but she had every one of the hundreds of Canterlot changelings there to share her grief and give her support. The younger changeling princesses, Sybilla and Esperanza, grieved even as they realized that they would have to grow up faster without their matriarch to guide them.

Mark, despite being the titular King of the Canterlot Hive, could not share that support. However, he had his herd. Trixie, Penumbra, Celestia, and Steady Flight all comforted him as best they could even as they too mourned the loss of their co-mate. Rarity soon joined them after she was informed, and Loopy was woken from her sleep in her universe to complete the herd. Their children also did their best to help their father, but it was Lacewing who empathized the most. As both a changeling and as one of Mark’s immediate family due to her Companion bond with Allura, she experienced the overwhelming grief of both sides of her heritage.

Mark was excused from royal duties for a few days. That left it up to Trixie, Twilight, and Smolder especially to deal with the aftermath. With no extradition treaty yet signed between the nations, Smolder politely declined official requests to release the conspirators into Australian custody. Mindful of the last exchange between Mark and the assassin, the dragoness likewise refused to turn over the murderer’s remains. The killer’s grave would not become a pilgrimage for like-minded humans.

Because the crimes took place on Equestrian territory, the prisoners would be incarcerated in a Canterlot jail until they went on trial for their roles in the murder of a member of Equestrian royalty. Fortunately for them, both guards shot by the elephant gun survived. While their shields had shattered, they had done enough to slow the bullets to prevent the wounds from being fatal. On the other hand, the accused all faced multiple charges of attempted murder. After witnessing what happened to the one person who succeeded, none of the humans were in a hurry to get tried and sentenced.

Smolder held a press conference two days after the assassination. She announced that the five would likely get life sentences without parole. She declined to release their names as she did not want them used as martyrs for their bigoted cause. However, she was unable to do anything about Barry Fletcher.

It did not take long for investigators to learn that the man had been on the inspection team, and they traced him back to the government department where he had worked. After questioning his co-worker, they determined that Barry had bribed a colleague to take his place on the inspection team, taking advantage of a tiny flaw in the Equestrians’ security. When asked what reason Barry gave for wanting to do the job, he had been told that he “wanted to meet them up close and personal”. The colleague shrugged and said, “I did last time, so it seemed reasonable to me.” He was subject to internal discipline but, because he had no direct involvement, was not charged with a crime. Soon, every detail of Barry’s past activities and social media posts were dug up and broadcast, stirring up controversy in communities across the world.

As Smolder had feared, Barry Fletcher became the poster child of the humans who saw the Equestrians as an existential threat to the world. This attracted every muck-raking reporter and sensationalist blogger on Earth. Smolder was busy with damage control for several days and gave multiple interviews responding to many of the same questions. The much-practiced self-control that she had developed for her role as ambassador had worn quite thin by the time she ended up doing an interview on Megan Nightly for the Truth First Network.

The host, Megan Mandel, began innocuously enough with some of the common questions, but then abruptly switched tracks. She demanded that the conspirators be allowed to speak to her “so that the real truth can be told”. Smolder coldly informed her that since the crimes took place on Equestrian soil, they could tell their “real truths” to an Equestrian judge.

“And will they be executed like Barry Fletcher when he tried to surrender?” Megan asked snidely.

“Fletcher did not surrender – he was captured in the act.” Smolder frowned. “How do you expect someone to react when his mate is killed horribly in front of his eyes and her killer boasts about it? He admitted guilt – he received just punishment. His actions were carried out on Equestrian territory and his fate was legal under Equestrian law.”

Megan persisted. “Even the accused have a right for their opinions to be heard.”

Smolder leaned closer to Megan and bared her teeth. “That's really why you’re upset, isn't it? Prince Mark Wells robbed you of the chance for a ratings boost from interviewing that piece of filth. And you don't care about the consequences at all, do you? Such as the two copycat murders soon after your channel’s 'exclusive interview' with the Adelaide Strangler.”

“That has nothing to do—” Megan began.

Smolder cut her off and stood up. “Fuck off, Megan. This interview is over.”

Over the next few weeks, "F*ck off, Megan" was the buzz phrase that took over social media, calling out BS at every level.

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

This one wasn't easy for me to write. Chrysalis had found her place in life and had become such a positive force in Equestria. Above all, she found true love and gave as good as she got.

Repercussions

Prince Mark Wells remained depressed for the remainder of the week but, when the weekend came around, the promise that was made to Steady Flight to be a mare for him was kept. However, the change of form brought with it an abrupt change in emotional viewpoint which hit her hard. She bawled her eyes out for an hour or more while her husband provided unstinting comfort. Nevertheless, this brought the final catharsis that Mark needed and she and Steady spent the remainder of Saturday being quietly intimate.

That evening, the herd dismantled the nest at the foot of their bed that Chrysalis preferred to sleep in. While doing so, they discovered small items of memorabilia that the changeling had incorporated into the nest that highlighted special moments between her and her husband. The mares chose to keep an item each as a keepsake of their lost herdmate.

The following morning, Trixie stood next to the bed, clearing her throat louder and louder. The emotionally exhausted Princess Mark Wells continued to sleep, drooling on Steady Flight’s back.

“Bark Parallels!”

“What? What?” Mark looked around wildly until his eyes settled on her first wife. Steady Flight jolted once then rolled off the bed.

“Ah, are you awake now? Splendid. Hold out your right foreleg, please.” She held out a gold chain with one small rectangular charm attached. Mark saw that a similar chain and charm adorned Trixie’s foreleg. Squinting, he looked closely at the charm.

Mark gasped as he recognized where and when he had seen its like before. “This is the tradition from our first shared dream!”

“Precisely. Trixie’s subconscious mind is as great and brilliant as her waking one. As you observed then, this will ensure that our herdmate will always be with us.”

Silently, Mark held out a shaking foreleg and Trixie’s magic fastened it in place. Trixie pulled Mark into a hug. “As leadmare of our herd, it is my responsibility to ensure she is always remembered, no matter how many centuries we live.”

After they broke apart, Steady Flight shuffled on his hooves. “Trixie? I… I would like one as well.”

The blue mare lifted an eyebrow. “That was not part of our dream.”

Mark poked her flank with a hoof. “Come off that high horse, dear.”

“I should have anticipated each of our herd would want to partake in Trixie’s Great and Powerful genius. Very well. I shall have more created.”

The pegasus stallion nodded his head. “Cool. Until then, let me take a look at yours, Mark. What can you tell me about it?”

As Trixie turned to leave, Mark talked animatedly about how the symbol of the Canterlot Hive came about. Mark’s voice was filled with the vigor Trixie hadn’t heard for nearly a week. Smiling, she entered the hallway and closed the door to the herd’s chambers behind her.

On Sunday, a public commemoration for Queen Chrysalis was held in the castle gardens. The non-changeling portion of the attendees turned out to be far greater than anticipated and included several of the nobles. While most had clashed with her on occasion, many nevertheless respected her. And, to be honest, it was good form to show up for the event. The turnout was a good indication of how much the perception of Chrysalis had turned around in the years that she had spent as a member of the Royal Herd.

Mark insisted that he was ready to resume his Court duties on Monday. This brought up a problem though. He needed a new advisor. Queen Diadem was quick to offer to replace her mother but her father shook his head.

“You still have a lot of work ahead of you with reorganizing the hive, and that’s on top of your mage studies. Your ambition to be one of the top magic users in Equestria should not be put on hold for this. I will find someone suitable; don’t you worry.”

“What about Sybilla?” Diadem suggested.

“Your sister will need to focus on learning hive matters. She’s now heir to the hive throne, after all. And before you suggest Esperanza, she’s too young and inexperienced for the job. However, I might ask Sybilla to head up the hive network to keep the flow of intelligence going, if you feel she’s up to it.”

“She is, Dad – she’s a bit like I was when I came looking to you for direction in life. Also, Sybilla often tagged along when Mom interrogated our agents and maintained her intelligence network. I think she would enjoy the job.”

That still left the role of Advisor open, so Celestia said she would take it up again until a suitable candidate was found. Mark was grateful but wished that Starlight Glimmer was available. He needed someone who was slightly adversarial to his opinions to keep him on the level, and Celestia was just too darn agreeable and diplomatic!

“The Equestrians have canceled further meetings between the changeling, Crisp Berry, and our researchers,” the agent informed his boss.

The Head of Operations slammed his fist on his desk. “Damn it! That cursed assassin has fucked up everything!”

As much as he hated to admit it, the research into the so-called ‘magic’ had been going well. The death of the changeling wife of the prince had changed everything. Security had been beefed up considerably all around, making their job much more difficult. And after the events of that day, it had become imperative that America learn as much as they could about their strange trading partners.

Reviewing the news footage of the events had been eye-opening. Witnessing people trying to maintain their balance after that small winged pony had slammed his hoof down was amazing. How much physical strength was needed to make a mini earthquake was incalculable. But when Prince Wells executed the assassin with a massive lightning bolt, it had left him gaping in stunned disbelief. That a living being could generate lightning at all was incredible, but the sheer magnitude of it was ridiculous! People and animals were killed by lightning all the time, but none of them were left as charred corpses as Fletcher had been. The execution had been massive overkill, but it had shown the world just how dangerously powerful these beings could be. More than ever, they had to find out what made these creatures tick, and how to counter them.

Tonight on Fox News in our series ‘Eyes On Equestria’, we take a hard look at these visitors from another world who claim to champion friendship among species, but callously kill a human without remorse. Have they inadvertently revealed the dark truth about themselves?

Smolder sighed. They were going to have to move up plans for Equestrian tourism to counter the negative press that they were getting from several quarters. Not that it would completely appease conspiracy theorists. And the added security was going to complicate efforts too. Now that one nutcase achieved their goal, others would start trying. Were they going to have to do thorough background checks on everyone who wanted to come to their world? They did that for all the Harmonic Composites employees who had been let into the secret of their link to another universe, but what was done for a mere few was not easily scaled up to hordes of visitors. Somehow, she did not think Princess Twilight would agree to that level of investigation to every new potential friend to the Equians.

Negotiations had been underway for a long time with several nations to place an interdimensional portal in their countries. While this obviously had a lot of advantages, Mark had been greatly reluctant to agree to that for the very reasons that he had decided on Outback Australia in the first place – security and control. The solitary known portal complex allowed access to Equestria only at a single point. Local international portals made it possible to ship quickly between countries. Unfortunately, the latter required mana to operate, and that was an extremely limited resource in that universe. The problem was only solved by linking the local portals to the interdimensional one to channel mana through it. On the surface, it was a good solution but several magic experts were concerned about the drain on Equestrian resources, even if just local to the Equus facility. Not enough time and studies had happened to determine if there were any risks, which made multiple interdimensional portals the safer bet in the short term. However, the assassination had changed everyone’s outlook. Security had become paramount and plans for new portal facilities were shelved for the indefinite future.

It did mean that lobbying for more international portals gained momentum. The need to draw mana from the Alice Springs portal meant that all the local connections would need to travel via there as a hub. The politicians in Canberra rubbed their hands in glee at the thought of all the income they would get from administrating international shipments, let alone the base fee for the use of the portals. Fortunately, Mark and his staff had made plans long ago with this in mind, and it was not long before work began on a huge new sprawling facility that had been designed for the efficient flow of trucks.

Then the coach industry caught on. While private vehicles were generally not permitted, a busload of tourists was an exception. Why spend most of a day flying around the world when you could be at your destination within an hour? The bus operators were practically salivating at the idea of being able to offer that service for a fraction of the price of the airlines. Of course, the latter were in an uproar. Smolder spent some time dealing with the blowback of this massive upheaval, pointing out that it would take years to set up the network, and it would only be serving major destinations. Plenty of time for the companies to pivot their services to the new paradigm.

“Your two o’clock appointment is here, Ma’am,” Smolder’s changeling assistant said over the intercom.

“Send them in, please, Ajax,” she replied. Smolder reviewed the appointment – representatives from some entity named EQCON desiring permission and facilitation of administration for guests from Equestria. Smolder blinked and raised an eye ridge. Whenever Ajax provided such sparse details, he knew that she would be intrigued immediately and ask for relevant information herself. This promised to be interesting.

Her office door opened and three people entered – one female and two males. Smolder got up from her chair and gave them her best closed-mouth smile – no need to intimidate them. She invited them to take a seat before sitting down herself. “Welcome to the Equestrian Embassy. I’m Ambassador Smolder. How may I help you?”

The woman spoke up. “My name is Florence Gatewell; you may call me Flo if you wish. These are Arthur Yee and Johanne Bauer. We are trying to organize a convention that celebrates Equestrian notables, its varied species, their art, and music. We want permission to use aspects of your world and to facilitate obtaining guest speakers and performers. There are a rapidly growing number of humans who are fascinated by your peoples and cultures and we want to bring that to them in a way that won’t step on your toes – or hooves or claws for that matter.”

Ajax had been right. This looked like an excellent opportunity to bring some much-needed positive publicity. Smolder leaned forward over her desk and smiled again, this time showing a tiny amount of fang. “You’ve got my attention – tell me more.”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Life goes on... with speed bumps.

Moving On

The first that Prince Mark Wells realized that he had a visitor to his office was when his concentration was shattered by a pile of folders slammed on his desk. While he still maintained an open-door policy, the fact that his secretary had not announced the person was telling – only a very limited number of important Equians or family members had immediate access to him. Looking up, he saw it was both.

“What brings you here today, Smolder?” he asked his daughter-in-law.

The dragoness pointed to the stack of forms. “Those are just some of the official requests for Equestrian residency by humans who wish to move to our world for various reasons.”

Mark frowned. “I thought we decided to defer such submissions for now?”

“Not exactly. While Princess Twilight and Mama Trixie agreed to put them off for a while in light of Mama Chrysalis’ assassination, we all believe that it’s time to start processing those requests.”

“I’m not comfortable letting humans into Equestria just because they want to stay here. Isn’t that the lesson that we learned from that awful day? Humans are so good at hiding their true intentions that they even fooled my wife until it was too late.”

The dragoness sighed. Patience did not come easily to her kind but she’d had plenty of practice. “Father, you know we will have protocols in place specifically to deal with that. Besides, you also know very well that the overwhelming majority of humans that deal with us were as horrified by that day’s events as we were. And what about all the humans that we were already interacting with before that? And it’s not as if ponies are all perfect either, let alone dragons like myself. Are we not as big a threat to them?”

Mark pounded a hoof on his desk. “We’re not going to murder anyone!”

“They don’t know that for certain. Aren’t humans suspicious of what they consider to be our excessive altruism? Aren’t there already paranoid stories circulating on the internet about our ‘true’ motivations? It’s not as if they’re completely wrong. Don’t we actually have covert operatives on Earth gathering intelligence on all the governments that deal with us?”

Mark’s scowl deepened. “That’s only to keep Equestria safe and you know it! I know our motivations, but I’m also very familiar with those of humans. How can I protect our ponies from that?” The alicorn stared the dragon in the eyes. “How can I protect my family? Humans are dangerous!”

Smolder glared back, uncowed. “Are you going to tell that to Uncle Phil at the next Stallions Night? How will Yolanda and Rosa take the news? Or Caleb? Perhaps, it’s time to deport him to Earth if that’s the way you truly feel.”

Mark looked away and slumped in his chair. After a short silence, he murmured, “I just don’t think I could bear to see another tragedy like Chrysalis.”

“You’re an immortal alicorn, Father – you’re going to see most of us die sooner or later. Mama Chrysalis’ passing may have come too soon and under terrible circumstances, but she was just the first. You have to be strong for the living and not let fear motivate you against those who also want to make the best of their lives and that of those they love. It’s time to let humans become a part of Equestria too.”

Mark gave her a crooked smile. “How did you become so wise?”

She grinned toothily. “Learned it from my weird family. Now, do you want to have a look at some of these applications?”

“You’re going to lecture me until I do, aren’t you?”

“Yep.” She picked up the top folder. “This one is pretty much a no-brainer.” She opened the folder ostensibly to read it although she already knew its contents. “Harold Thornwell, male, 29 years of age. He’s a technician who has been installing cell phone equipment in Baltimare and wants to move permanently there.”

“Why?”

“A mare, of course. He and a unicorn tech named Air Waves who was working with him got the hots for each other.”

“Like Caleb and Willow?”

“Just so. I had a changeling check them out and the feelings are genuine on both parts. Additionally, we would benefit from having his professional expertise. Therefore, I see no reason to deny him his application.”

Mark chuckled. “Can’t stand in the way of true love. Cadance would have my hide if she found out.”

Smolder smiled. “And I would be the one to tell her.”

He gave her a flat look. “Nopony likes a tattle-tale.”

“I’m not a pony,” the dragoness replied smugly.

Mark rolled his eyes. “Next!”

Smolder picked up the second folder. “Marika Klein, female, 27 years of age. She works at the Charlotte headquarters of Harmonic Composites. Her job required her to commute between there and Equus, so she became quite familiar with the Equestrian lifestyle. She made so many friends in Canterlot that she decided she’d prefer to live here.”

“Heh! Gone are the days when I knew everyone who worked at Harmonic Composites. Can’t say I blame her for preferring living where all her friends are. If you approve, I’m not going to say no. I suppose that also goes for any other H.C. employee who is in the know.”

“I suspect that there will be more,” Smolder agreed. “The next one is Lars Olsson, male, 22 years of age. He wants to study magic with a view toward integrating it with classical physics.”

“A pure scholar, hey? Better not tell Twil….” He trailed off before giving the dragoness a hard look. “She knows already, doesn’t she?”

Smolder just smiled wider.

“Of course, she wants him. Not that it’s a bad idea anyway.” He looked at the remaining folders. “You’ve vetted all of these already, haven’t you? Are the rest of these going to be practically a fait accompli?”

“Pretty much,” Smolder replied without remorse. “But we still want your approval to open up completely to permanent residents. As Princess of Friendship, Twilight is eager to begin the program, but Mama Trixie won’t override you. As this decision requires the approval of a majority of the Triarchs, you need to give the go ahead.”

Mark grimaced. “I see that I’m holding things back, so I give in. So why don’t you take that stack of applications and get to work processing them.”

The dragoness smiled as she gathered up the documents. “Thanks, Father.”

Mark mock-glared at her. “And the resident visas are for three years only! If they truly belong here, they can apply for citizenship or go back to Earth!”

Smolder chuckled. “I know, Father. I remember what we decided before all this started.”

Mark nodded. “Good. Now, let me get back to my work and grumble about smart-ass kids.”

She walked around the desk to give her father-in-law a hug before departing.

Mark leaned back in his seat and let out a sigh. He realized that much of the tension that had been haunting him had now gone. As usual, it had taken a figurative kick in the rear to get his head straight. But that was why he had people like Smolder and his wives to keep him on the level.

He picked up his discarded paperwork. “I suppose I had better stop dragging my hooves on the tourist plans too.”

A week later, Mark entered the Throne Room and paused. Unexpectedly, Princess Nyx waited for him at the side of the throne instead of Celestia. As Day Court was due to start very soon and he wanted to review the session’s applicants, he was concerned about his advisor’s absence.

“Where’s your Auntie Celestia?” he asked the alicorn mare as he trotted up to the dais and settled onto the throne.

Nyx smiled, her slit-pupiled eyes beaming at him. “She’s not coming. I’m your new official Advisor. Here’s the list of petitioners.” She passed over a clipboard in her magic.

Mark ignored it for the moment and frowned softly. “What’s this about being my Advisor? Nopony told me about this, young lady.”

“It was Mom’s idea. I’ve been training with her with Auntie Celestia’s help to be Mom’s backup Advisor, but she reckons that you need me more than she does. And I love that I get to be in such an important position already.” She did an excited little dance on tippy hooves, reminding Mark very much of Twilight.

Mark looked at her skeptically. “So, without even consulting or warning me, I’m supposed to hold a full normal Day Court session with an inexperienced Advisor?”

Nyx’s smile died and her ears drooped. “You don’t want me?”

Mark winced at the young mare’s hurt expression. “It’s just that I’ve never worked with you before. You’ve always just been Twilight’s daughter to me.”

“Exactly!” she replied defiantly. “Who do you think taught me so much about being a princess? And with Auntie Celestia’s lessons, I say I’m up to the task.”

The prince looked around for any sign that his wife was watching surreptitiously in case Nyx needed help. He then cast a quick spell to reveal any hidden heat sources which would expose the breath of any invisible observer. Not seeing any, he canceled the spell and decided to have faith in Celestia. “Okay, it’s sink or swim time. Let’s get this show on the road.” Looking over to the main doors, he spoke up. “Sergeant-At-Arms – let the public in.”

Mark had to admit that Nyx had handled the job well, especially for her first time. While she did not have the supreme confidence of Chrysalis nor Celestia’s vast depth of experience, she had done her homework well and he had not lacked the information needed to deal with each petitioner fairly and expeditiously. When the final citizen left and the Throne Room doors closed, the stallion got off his throne and gave the mare a hug.

“Well done, Nyx. With a bit more experience, I can see that you will make as fine an Advisor as any of your predecessors. Just remember that it’s also your job to point out other possible solutions rather than just support what I say. That’s why you’re called an advisor, not an assistant.”

Nyx nodded, relieved now that she had completed the session without making a goof. “I’ll remember that, Uncle Mark.”

“And don’t be afraid to glare at the obnoxious petitioners and show your fangs. Your Aunt Sally was particularly good at that.”

Nyx giggled. “Yes, sir!”

“Good. Now let’s go have lunch and tell your mom and Auntie Celestia all about this morning. I bet they’re dying to hear about your debut.”

While Prince Mark had drawn up the plans for introducing humans to Equestria, it was up to Smolder to implement those policies. However, the dragoness had more than enough on her plate to occupy her time already, so she had to delegate responsibility for that job to another department. The position needed someone who not just had experience with authority, but also the disposition to deal with hordes of strangers. Much to her relief, that had been easy to fulfill. She reached out to one of her former School of Friendship classmates.

“Ready for your first day, Director Silverstream?” she asked the hippogriff who was smartly dressed in a business jacket.

The mare grinned. “More than ready! I’m so excited to be able to meet these humans!”

Queen Novo had sent Silverstream to represent hippogriffs at Twilight’s new school and, after the outstanding success of that endeavor, she had been grooming her niece for bigger and better things. The position that Smolder had offered seemed like an excellent career move to both the Queen and Silverstream. Not only was it a prestigious position but it also put hippogriffs in the forefront of relationships with their new interplanetary friends.

While Silverstream had a staff to deal with the anticipated high volume of applications, the mare intended to perform the residency interviews herself. She liked to meet new people and she had fine instincts for their character, honed by extensive experience with all the races on Equus. Although the vast majority of visa applications would be for tourists and thus not required to meet such stringent standards, anyone planning to live permanently with the multitude of species that made up the Equestrian Empire would need to prove to her that they would fit in.

Armed with a sheaf of folders filled with print-outs of the application forms and background checks, she practically pranced into her embassy office and sat down at her desk. Opening the folder for the first interview of the day, she quickly reviewed it before using the intercom to ask for the applicant to be sent in. This was going to be fun!

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Life goes on, and so does the task of governing Equestria. What do you think of Nyx's and Silverstream's new positions?