To say that the Equestrians in the room were confused would be an understatement, they all had dozens of questions swirling around their minds about what in the name of Celestia just happened, who are these creatures? Is that another alicorn? Where did they come from? How did they get in? Was that a portal? Should we start preparing for a welcome party?

"Enough of this." Midnight lit her horn and teleported the three of them into a standing position merely two feet away from the group of ponies and dragon, with Grogar on her right and Cosmos to her left.

"Greetings, we are extradimensional travelers who have left our home world in search of refuge, our goal is to find a new home in which we may be able to continue existing peacefully in. I am Midnight, the Forger of Stars." said Midnight as she smiled and dipped her head.

Grogar stepped up and followed after her, "I am Grogar, Embodiment of Oblivion."

"And I'm Cosmos, Avatar of Impossibility." Cosmos concluded with a smirk and wink.

Midnight stepped closer to the smaller alicorn at the front of the group and extended a hoof, this action snapped Twilight out of her trance, and she tentatively shook the larger alicorn's hoof, "U-um, Yes! Er, hello as well, I-I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, it's nice to meet you." she said followed by an awkward smile.

Twilight's title immediately pulled Midnight's attention, her eyes seem to widen, "A princess, you say?" she then took a step back, bowed down, and extended her wings close to the floor, "My sincerest apologies your highness, we did not mean to intrude upon your domain, we will accept any and all punishments you deem just for our transgressions."

The sudden shift in Midnight's tone and demeanor utterly baffled Twilight along with her friends, the two other beings in the room weren't as shocked as the ones in front of them, but they did share a look of concern with one another.

"Wait! There's no need for anything like that! Um, you said you didn't mean it, right? It's just an accident, a-and since you're sorry about it I've forgiven you! Just... You don't need to bow, please?" Twilight frantically assured Midnight.

Midnight stood up again and looked at the princess, "Truly? It cannot be that simple, your highness."

"No no, it's alright, I won't punish you just because of a mishap, I'm not that kind of pony. Oh! And please, there's no need for titles, just call me Twilight or Princess Twilight if you really want to be formal." Twilight said as she stepped closer towards Midnight with a kind smile.

Midnight was amazed by what she saw, how could this royal be so... humble? In the billions of revolutions she spent as a Guardian of Skyros, she had never met beings of high authority who were as humble or forgiving as the little alicorn princess in front of her, "I... Thank you, Princess Twilight, you are a very forgiving ruler." she replied, returning the smile.

"Oh, and these are my friends!" Twilight said as she took a step back to allow her friends to introduce themselves.

First came in Rainbow Dash, she flew up above her friends and struck a pose, "The name's Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria!"

Then followed by Pinkie Pie, who popped out between Cosmos and Midnight, causing them to flinch in surprise, "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! I'd love be friends with you!"

They looked back at the group to find Pinkie still among them, then looked back between them only to see her gone, neither detected nor sensed any form of teleportation remnant from where they stood.

"Heh, a little wallbreaker, that one" Cosmos muttered.

Next was Applejack, who tipped her hat, "Howdy, my name's Applejack, I'm an apple farmer on Sweet Apple Acres, nice to meet y'all."

Then Rarity stepped up and flicked her mane, "My name is Rarity, I am a fashion designer and seamstress, as well as the proud owner of Carousel Boutique. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Following Rarity was Fluttershy, "M-my name is Fluttershy, a-and I like to take care of animals." she said softly as she hid behind her mane.

"And I'm Spike The Dragon, Twilight's number one assistant!" Spike exclaimed proudly.

Grogar looked at the assorted creatures in front of him and smiled, "We too, are happy to meet you all, such kind beings."

"Again, we're sorry about the whole 'dropping out of a portal in your private property' thing." Cosmos added.

"It's fine, really." Twilight assured her.

A moment passed in silence, either party not knowing what to do next. Then, Twilight spoke up, "Erm, could you please excuse us for a moment? I need to discuss some things with my friends." she pointed towards the door.

"You need not ask permission from us, princess. This is your domain; you can take as much time as you require." Midnight told the smaller alicorn.

Twilight nodded and gathered with her friends outside the room, closing the door as they made their way out.

After the doors closed, Cosmos pulled Midnight in a one-armed hug and noogied her, "Atta girl! And that's why we always have you doing the speaking!"

Grogar looked towards them, "I must say, I've never seen royalty be so... nice, before. It's quite surreal to witness."

Midnight pulled herself free from Cosmos and smoothed out her flowing mane, "Indeed, I was very surprised when she said she had forgiven us, I know many a ruler who would have thrown a fit knowing their palace had been intruded, even if it were an accident. What an odd individual, in a good way, of course."

Cosmos looked around the room, "So..." she drawled, "what do we do now?"

"For now, I believe we should wait for our hostess to return." Grogar said as he looked towards the crystalline thrones.

Cosmos followed his gaze, "Dang, must be for meetings with other rulers or something," she walked towards the center of the room, "with a big 'ol crystal holo-map."

She looked back towards Midnight, "Hey Middy, maj or tek?"

Midnight walked closer to the map, put her forehooves on its surface, and ran a scanning spell, "It is magical in nature, there are complex crystalline structures nested below the smooth surface, directing magical energy from..." she ran the spell again, "hm, an unidentifiable source, to project images of the surrounding landmass."

Cosmos let out a low whistle, "Some real fancy stuff. Must be rich as hades since she's able to afford all of this."

Putting a finger on her chin spine, Cosmos thought of an idea. She snapped her fingers and large gold box appeared next to her hooves, she opened it and took out two crystals, one was colored green and silver with the word "Necrum" elegantly engraved on one if its sides, while the other was a darker green with sploches of red, blue and yellow with the word "Urk" roughly engraved on it. Once she was done, she zapped the box with a beam from her horns and caused it to disappear.

"Hey Grogster!" she called out to Grogar and threw the green crystal at him, which he promptly caught, "Battlemace fifty million while we wait for the princess?"

Grogar looked at the crystal floating in his telekinetic grasp, "I highly doubt she'd leave for long, Cosmos. And don't you think this is disrespectful to her property?"

"Eh, she doesn't seem like the type of being who's gonna shout at us for messing around with her holo-map, and we can just keep the crystals in stasis in hammerspace if we can't finish." Cosmos assured her friend.

He thought about it for a moment and sighed, "Very well, but if she asks anything, you're doing the explaining."

"Sounds good to me!"

Midnight watched her friends play their little holo-game in amusement, the two of them were always so passionate about it. She never truly understood how or why they enjoyed it as much as the mortal alicorns did back in Skyros; she, along with her siblings and fellow Guardians were never very fond of the forms of entertainment the mortals invented, they found it frivolous and a waste of time, and Midnight was no exception to that way of thinking. However, seeing her friends happy also makes her happy, and that's all that matters for her.

The Equestrians made their way into the dining hall to begin discussing their 'guests' in private, once they were all seated, Rainbow Dash was the first to speak up, "Okay, is it just me, or did Midnight's voice sound almost exactly like Twilight's?"

Twilight herself actually agreed with her, "Yes, it was a little off-putting to hear my voice come out of a different body, it's... I don't really know how to describe it."

"Well, she did say they were extradi-watchamacallit, didn't she?" asked Applejack, "Maybe it's like that mirror portal world thing, the one you told us about with the other uses and where Sunset Shimmer lives? Maybe she's another you."

"It's possible, but it seems like they used a different method to travel from their world to ours, they can't be from that world specifically since the only way we know of is through the mirror, the portal they used seemed different, and Midnight was knowledgeable enough in magic to know how to teleport herself and other creatures despite the other world lacking any natural magic." Twilight thought aloud with a hoof to her chin.

"Also, the fact that she's an alicorn, a fairly tall one at that, likely means that she's been that way for quite a long time, which also means that the way they look now is probably the same way they looked in their world as well," Twilight sighed, "I think I should keep that theory for later. What are your thoughts on them? For me, they definitely seem pretty intimidating."

Rarity decided to chime in, "I must say, that Midnight is very polite. She seems like a rather nice pony, and I really like the look of her peytral, such an intricate yet beautiful design. I can't say anything about her companions, aside from introductions, they didn't speak much, but they didn't seem quite bad."

"Cosmos seems fun! She kinda looks like Discord if he wasn't so topsy-turvy and jumbled up! If they really are from another dimension, then I can't wait to give them a 'Welcome to Ponyville and Equestria' party! Do you think they have cupcakes where they're from?" Pinkie gasped, "What if they've never tasted a cupcake before?! I need to-" before she was able to go anywhere, she was silenced by an orange hoof to her mouth.

"Settle down sugarcube, you'll get to bakin' 'em cupcakes after we know what's goin' on with them. Okay?"

Pinkie Pie nodded, and Applejack lowered her hoof, "Okey dokey lokey!" she exclaimed.

"Um, if I'm not mistaken, Grogar was a villain from a storybook. I think it was called 'Gusty the Great' if I remember correctly," added Fluttershy, "but this Grogar doesn't seem very... Evil."

"Hm, yes, I think I remember reading it to Sweetie Belle when she was younger." said Rarity as she looked up in thought.

"Well, I suppose that supports the theory of them being from another parallel world, since as far as I know, that story may be based in actual history, it's theorized that Grogar was once an evil tyrannical sorcerer who ruled over Equestria using armies of monsters, but has since been banished by Gusty just like the story in that book, which means it's entirely possible that he's another version of Grogar who went down a different path due to the differences between our worlds" Twilight stated.

Spike decided to put his two bits in, "Didn't Midnight say they were seeking refuge? Something must've happened to them or their world that forced them to go to a different one entirely. Maybe it got destroyed or something?"

"That's definitely something we'll have to ask them to elaborate on when we go back," said Twilight as she hopped off her seat, "maybe for now, we'll ask them about the specifics of their situation, and if they really are telling the truth, and are just trying to find a new home, I might let them stay in the castle."

Her friends were quite alarmed by this statement, they all looked at each other with uncertainty clear in their expressions.

"Are you sure Twilight? Aren't you like, still suspicious of them? I mean, they literally dropped in out of nowhere. We don't know if they're just pretending to be good to throw us off." Rainbow told Twilight, still not entirely trusting of their surprise guests.

"I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt, if what they say about finding a new home is true, then as a good pony and the Princess of Friendship, it is my duty to help those in need, even they're from another dimension." Twilight told her friends confidently.

Hearing Twilight's proclamation, her friends too felt a sudden surge of confidence, if these beings were simply trying to find a new home, then by Celestia's cake stash they'll get one! And perhaps, in time, they'll all be good friends with trio as well.

When the group of six ponies and one dragon got close to the large doors of the throne room, they found that they could hear odd noises coming from the other side. The sounds of magical blasts, clashing metal, and various other sounds mixed in with occasional bouts of laughter from who they assumed to be Grogar and Cosmos.

"What on Equestria is going on in there?" asked Rarity, as she leaned closer to the doors.

Rainbow Dash shrugged, "Only one way to find out."

She proceeds to open the doors from her elevated position and was met with the second odd occurrence from the throne room for the day.

Grogar and Cosmos were standing on opposite sides of the map with their forelimbs resting on its surface, each of them had two, strangely colored crystals floating beside them which were projecting moving images that seemed to be fighting one another upon the map's surface. Grogar's side was populated by an army of bipedal metal skeletons who were using magic tubes to blast away their enemies, while Cosmos' side was filled to the brim with similarly bipedal but bulkier green creatures in colorful armor using odd devices to fight off the oncoming attackers.

Suffice to say, the Equestrians were yet again utterly confused by the antics of their extradimensional visitors.

Midnight saw them enter and greeted them with a smile, "Ah, Princess Twilight, welcome back."

"Hello, Midnight! Uh... If you don't mind me asking, what are they doing?" Twilight asked the taller alicorn with her eyes locked on to the map's display.

"Hm? Oh, yes, you see princess, they are playing a strategic battle simulation holographic video game called 'Dawn of Battle: Battlemace Fifty Million'; they decided to play a couple of rounds while we waited for you to return." Midnight explained.

"I-I see..." Twilight wanted to ask her how she know about 'video games' considering that such a concept existed beyond the mirror portal but decided to keep it for later.

Midnight called out to her friends, "Cosmos! Grogar! Cease! The princess has returned."

The two were snapped out of their laser focus and looked at their returning hosts who were staring at them, they quickly and frantically casted a stasis spell on their respective crystals and stowed them away in their hammerspace, "P-princess! Um, w-we didn't break anything, I swear!" Cosmos stammered as her frills slightly unfurl and twitch behind her cheeks.

"W-we assure you; our games did not affect the map or its display in any way, shape, or form!" Grogar helpfully added.

"Um..." Twilight looked at Midnight with uncertainty.

"Fret not, princess, I made sure to watch over them as they played. Fau- goodness knows how many times they made a mess when they get 'into it'." Midnight assured Twilight and used her primary feathers to do a quoting gesture.

"Okay then, well... Anyway, we came here to ask you three some questions regarding your situation." said Twilight while stepping closer towards the trio.

"We would be more than happy to answer them, princess."

"Alright, so, first question, why would you want to seek refuge in another word entirely and not somewhere in your home world?" Twilight asked, this particular question was important, as it would help her understand the motives of her guests.

"We were wrongfully accused, convicted, and exiled by the authorities of the nation we lived in, and by the very laws of nature within our realm, we would have been erased from existence if we continue to persist in it without purpose. Our decision was based primarily based on self-preservation, as we believe that we still deserve to exist and live." Midnight explained plainly.

"Now why would they do that? The authorities, I mean." asked Applejack.

Cosmos decided to speak up, "It's possible that we were framed by somebeing else, we've theorized a lot during exile on who could've done it. There are three possible suspects: Rabia, Warden of Darkness; Thorax, Shepherd of The Swarm; or Opaline Arcana, Guardian of the Ancient Flame."

"To think, one of my own siblings and fellow Guardian did this to us." Midnight muttered to herself quietly with a scowl.

This revelation both shocked and intrigued the Equestrians, they didn't realize how dire of a situation their three visitors were in. This caused a wave of sympathy to go over them.

"I'm sorry hear that..." Twilight said.

Midnight turned her gaze towards the young princess, "You do not need to feel sorry for us, princess; it is all in the past now, we have since focused all of our efforts on finding a new home, and so far, I believe it has been quite successful." she smiled and draped her wings over her two companions.

That small action brought smiles to the Equestrians; it seems like they're not as intimidating as they appear to be.

"I'm glad the three of you have found solace despite the situation you were in." Twilight smiled kindly at the trio, which was gladly returned.

"Now, I believe it's time for the next question, what do you plan on doing now?"

Midnight replied first, "We would like to find a place to reside in, which reminds me, princess, are there perhaps any lodgings within this area?"

"As far as I'm aware, no unfortunately, Ponyville doesn't have any yet, we don't usually get many visitors since we're very close to the Everfree Forest," Twilight explained.

"But... I do have a proposal for you." she added.

The trio looked at each other, silently conversing amongst themselves, "We're listening." said Cosmos.

"Have you considered staying at the castle?" Twilight asked slowly.

The trio knew that Princess Twilight was kind and humble, but allowing them to just... stay in her castle? Just like that?

"But princess, would we not be a burden to the caretakers of your abode?" Midnight reasoned, "Surely there are other locations where we may find lodgings?"

"Oh, nopony other than Spike and I live in the castle, my friends have their own homes and jobs so it's usually just the two of us taking care of it." Twilight countered.

"But are you sure you have enough rooms for us to stay in, princess?" Grogar questioned.

"Yes, I believe there are at least five guest rooms in this castle, so there'll be enough room for the three of you and then some!" Twilight continued.

The trio mulled over their choices, decline the princess' offer and try to make their own way through an unknown world without any help, or accept her offer and stay in a presumably well-stocked, well-fortified, and well-cared for castle, with a helpful source of information regarding the world they're residing in. They'd have to be fools to decline.

Despite that, they still felt like they should at the very least repay the princess in some way.

Midnight looked towards Twilight and smiled, "We would gladly accept your offer princess, though I doubt our currency would have the same value in your realm, so we would like to repay you with our services."

"You don't need to repay anything, really, I know you've all been through a lot, and you deserve someplace to stay that isn't just some old motel in the middle of nowhere." Twilight told them, trying to gently decline their offer.

But Midnight didn't back down, "You said that you and Mister Spike here are the only ones who reside in and take care of this fairly large castle, so, in return for allowing us to stay within your domain, we will aid you in maintaining, protecting, and doing other various tasks within it. It is the least we can do princess, think of it as our way of saying 'thank you'." she insisted.

Twilight thought this over and sighed, "Alright, I won't stop you from helping out around the castle, but I also won't be actively telling you all to do stuff either." she relented.

Grogar nodded in understanding, "You won't regret this decision, princess."

A little bit after their conversation, Twilight told Spike to guide the trio to their rooms while she said goodbye to her friends for the day. They were still a little uneasy leaving Twilight and Spike alone with the three visitors, but she assured them that they were able to handle it themselves.

After they went their separate ways, Spike returned from the guest rooms.

"Oh man, Twilight, you wouldn't believe what they just did!" Spike excitedly told Twilight as he went down the stairs.

"What is it, Spike? What did they do?" Twilight asked him, concerned about their guests.

"Okay, so, when we got to one of the guest rooms, Midnight told me they actually only needed one, so she went in, lit her horn, and the entire room transformed into this gigantic library with a bunch of those computer things we saw in Canterlot High! I even saw doors leading to other rooms, but when I went outside, everything seems normal." He explained, still feeling absolutely amazed by what he saw.

(Meanwhile)

Midnight looked at the door where Spike just exited from, "I may have gone too far with the show of power..."

"Oh nonsense, I think he's just not used to seeing a transcendent alicorn do reality-warping magic; remember, only you and Lady Trixie are capable of doing them reliably without causing the surrounding area to implode." assured Grogar as he dismissively waved his hoof.

"I suppose you are right, let us continue redecorating, shall we?"

While Twilight really did want to see what Midnight did to the room, she realized that she still had more pressing matters to tend to, mainly informing Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of the sudden arrival of a mysterious group of creatures from another world in her castle, who seem to be led by an alicorn who has an eerily familiar voice.

"I see... Well, while I would like to learn how and why she did that, I think we have something more important to do. Spike, take a letter."

He dutifully grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from... Somewhere.

"Dear Princess Celestia..."

Author's Note

The second chapter! Our heroes meet up with... also our heroes.
There will be more information on Tellus as the story progresses, so stay tuned!

Next chapter: There's a pony taller than Celestia?!

If you want to share ideas on how this story should go, consider commenting!

Corrections and criticisms are more than welcome, I can't improve without those now, can I?
Have a good existence!
:)

"Remembered forever, the land of Equestria"