Discord`s Gate

by elmagnifico

Chapters

Findings and Testimony
Examination and Confusion
Awakening and Evasion
Dialogue and Mobilization
Exaltation and Trepidation
Planning and Watching
Escalation
Perspectives
Aftershocks
Clarification and Acceleration

Findings and Testimony

Concurrent with considerable stress for a certain purple dragon,
involving a copious amount of burping.

Open, closed.

Up, down.

Backwards, forwards, and sideways in all directions!.

Oh, time and space are so much fun to play with!

A gesture of paw, a flourish of claw.

Whee! Raining cats and dogs, kittens and puppies falling from the sky!

A flick of wrist, a tap of horn.

Avalanches of strawberries, for no apparent reason!

What's this? A zebra?

A wiggle of tail.

One lovely black-and-white daisy, protesting adamantly about not wanting this. And such rhymes!

This forest was already relatively chaotic. Ideally there would be havoc to spread to more orderly portions of the continent, but the fabric that held everything together was thinner here, near the middle of the place, and all it would take was a tiny flick, and a connection would form, and with that bond would come such a delicious cascade of unrest, like a wave of anarchic dominoes, Equestria might never know peace again! Such low-hanging fruit could not be passed up, even if it did hurt the time-to-randomness-generated quotient for just a bit.

Ah, here, where the weave grew threadbare!

Boop!

Discord's Gate

She dreamed. A strange dream it was, of lizards and birds, grayness and color, danger and friends. There were voices, but they spoke with words she had never heard before. There was something wrong though. The friend's head was glowing, bright magenta like a flare, a spike of fire against a backdrop of black. Pain, briefly, and then she no longer dreamed.

Night 1

Twilight Sparkle's slumber was unceremoniously interrupted by a sharp series of knocks. A moment shaking her head to wring the sleep out allowed her to pinpoint the noise's source: the glass doors to the balcony. The purple unicorn yawned, sparing a look for her wall clock as she passed it on the way to the curtains.

Midnight? Of course, on one of the few days she had actually gone to bed at a decent hour, some pegasus felt the need to disturb her. The picture of Rainbow Dash standing out there to share an idea for a new acrobatic maneuver caused Twilight's sleep-addled brain to begin to build pressure, like a kettle that had been left to boil too long.

Although, it could just as easily be Fluttershy with an animal in need, or some other pegasus with a problem only magic could solve. Brightening up at this perfectly justifiable motive for waking her, Twilight approached the curtains.

Just as her horn began to draw the drapes back, a third possibility occurred to the unicorn. What if this was Princess Celestia here to give her a surprise friendship exam?

Now thoroughly frazzled, Twilight's yank on the curtains might have been just a little bit frantic. Said pull revealed a brown Pegasus in iron-grey segmented armor. He was standing there looking slightly wary of the situation. His voice, however, quickly snapped Twilight out of her reverie of lack-of-quiz-related relief.

"Ms. Sparkle? Corporal Sharp Halberd of Her Majesty's Rangers, at your service, although my orders are to solicit your help in a matter of international importance." Twilight perked up, her curiosity piqued. "If you would come around to the ground entrance, I will elaborate."

Outside the library sat a chariot. Similar in size and shape to the one used to ferry her to Ponyville for the first time, the vehicle was familiar to Twilight. Nearby stood another pegasus clad in raiment identical to Sharp Halberd's.

What was remarkable about the scene was what occupied the passenger area of the chariot: A statue of a mare, frozen in horror of something at ground level.

Sharp Halberd's clipped Lower Canterlot* accent rent the silence that had fallen. "I apologize for the circuitous summons, Ms. Sparkle, we didn't want to disturb anyone else."

"What is this?" Twilight asked, indicating the statue and carriage.

"There was an incident around dusk," the Corporal replied. "We were surveying a magical disturbance in the Everfree Forest. Shortly after Discord's rampage, your friend Zecora reported an anomaly that had persisted after the draconequus' re-imprisonment."

Twilight shook her head in mild irritation.

"I know this already Corporal. Zecora had me send the message. Princess Celestia asked me to monitor the anomaly and report any fluctuations. I just yesterday sent a report that whatever it was seemed to have stabilized, I was going to get a look at it in the morning."

Halberd frowned a little at the interruption. It was a good thing Dame Sparkle was speaking to a Ranger. An officer of the Guard or the Legions might not have appreciated being cut off mid-report, even if it was the Princess' protege speaking.

"Yes, The Princess had us scout the thing out just after tea-time. It appears to have taken the form of a half-circular portal, about fifty meters wide, with different views of a coniferous forest visible from both sides, after sucking in a fifty-meter radius of anything not tied down and blowing out a lot of pine needles."

The corporal began to relax, slipping into the routine of the report once again, although his tone never slipped into outright familiarity. Even if Dame Sparkle wasn't standing on ceremony, breaking protocol during a report was not acceptable.

"Once we determined Private Typhoon, who had been within the radius and decidedly not tied down, was unharmed, we proceeded to scout the other side of the portal. The thing seems to be a link to what looks awfully similar to the woods around Vanhoover."

Halberd shifted to wave a hoof at his companion.

"Lance-Corporal Volley over there even gave us a high-altitude perspective, and it seems the places are alike down to the base topography, but the one through the portal appears completely uninhabited. That's what we thought it was too, until poor Typhoon bought it."

Twilight looked askance. "What?" The place through the portal was not uninhabited, and the Rangers had taken casualties? Halberd, for his part, took the interruption in stride.

"She was, ahem, looking for a place to water the daisies, if you will, near some dense shrubbery. Everyone heard a scream from that direction, followed by a noise rather like a thunderclap. The rest of my platoon rushed to her aid, but when we got there, all we found were the exploded remains of a cockatrice, the Private unconscious on the ground from head trauma, and this statue."

Halberd took a deep breath, pausing to let the implications of the statement settle in.

"We dropped Typhoon off at Ponyville General and, thinking it unwise to stay in unknown territory with whatever detonated that lizard-bird on the loose, have quartered ourselves here in Ponyville. My superiors relayed the situation to Princess Luna, who is entertaining diplomats from Zebrica, and it was she that ordered us to bring the statue here and leave the rest of our pegasi on patrol over the portal to make sure whatever-it-is doesn't come over to our side."

A shift in Halberd's posture indicated he was closing out the report.

"Doctor Stable seemed to think you'd be better for casting the depetrification spell, as he's got his hooves full stabilizing Typhoon."

Twilight nodded. "Sure, let's bring it inside, I'll cast the spell immediately."

Volley and Halberd leveraged the stone pony through with a bit of difficulty, the thing being substantially heavier without the levitation enchantments on the chariot helping.

Meanwhile, Princess Celestia's prize student gathered herself for a minute. After that one incident in Everfree she'd made it a point to learn the spell for curing cockatrice victims, just in case.

Twilight's horn became enveloped in a magenta corona, the power weaving itself into the complex pattern required to return flesh from stone. Then, the energy leaped out in a wide, flat beam, starting at the bottom of the statue's hooves and tracking slowly upwards.

When the very top of the stony mane had been scanned, the entire body was enveloped in a bright flash of light, coupled with the sound of the magical energy of the cockatrice's enchanting stare releasing all at once.

Spike, smallish dragon and assistant numero uno to Twilight Sparkle, was discharged from his bed by a bright flash and an arcane clash that left his eardrums ringing.

Seeing Twilight's bed unoccupied, he rushed downstairs to make sure his caretaker hadn't gotten herself hurt. He was joined on the way by co-assistant Owlowicious, who was just getting back from a relaxing, and filling, survey of town.

The two arrived at the foot of the stairs just in time to see two strange stallions clad in armor, carrying an unfamiliar pony and followed by Twilight. Dragon and owl went over to the purple pony, both flabbergasted as to what was going on, but hesitant to interrupt the procession.

"It'll be about forty-eight hours before our friend has recovered enough to be conscious, could you keep me appraised on any developments with the portal?"

"Gladly, Ms. Sparkle. Likewise, please let us know anything you can divine from the victim or the evidence we brought back. My platoon is quartered in the meadow just south of Ponyville."

"Of course."

"Sun's light to you, Ms. Sparkle. Best of luck with those knickknacks." With that, the two stallions left the library, shutting the door quietly behind them.

"Alright Twilight, spill the beans. What's going on?"

"Spike, we've got work to do."

Day 1

Celestia's sun was just starting to peek over the horizon as three scholars finished their work. "Well Spike, let's recap." Purple claws spread out a well-worn scroll of crossed out, underlined, and webbed conjecture regarding their guest. "Alright, starting from the top, what we know for sure:

Item one: The subject is a mare, earth pony, about your age. No cutie mark or other markings on her. Light gray body with slate-colored mane. Both mane and tail are heavily braided, secured with twine. Hooves are cared for, but not pedicured, with well-developed musculature all along the body consistent with a long-distance runner. Smells faintly of pine sap and ozone.

Item two: The subject came from the portal accompanied by several objects, presumably possessions, in saddle bags, along with a thick barding.

Itemized list of the objects:

-Sextant, consistent with Equestrian models.
-Quill and ink, chemical analysis has shown them to be of similar consistency to cheap lampblack-based pigment.
-Small book, bound in a manner consistent with Equestrian mass production techniques.
-'A basic hygiene kit.' Whatever that is."

Twilight gave Spike the look.

"Moving on!

-Eleven metallic disks of various sizes and compositions. All known metals or alloys thereof, printed with somepony's face on one side, and an odd symbol of some sort. Presumably coins or similar.
-Bedroll and tent, canvas and cotton materials.
-Knife, tempered steel, a bit blunted from use.
-Apple, slightly bruised. Tasted normal.

The barding itself is a canvas-like material, lots of pockets filled with various kinds of dirt, and a symbol where a cutie mark would be. Half the symbol is identical to the one on the back of the coin, the other side is a half-hexagon inside another half-hexagon, with lines joining the points.

One pocket seems to be shaped specifically to hold something, but whatever tool or weapon was there is gone, and an adjacent pocket is also empty. Need to ask Corporal Halberd if anything else was found at the site of the incident.

Item three: There are others out there, one of which possesses arcane power sufficient to disintegrate a cockatrice, or otherwise reduce it into its component parts.

Summarized conjecture based upon gathered evidence:

-We're dealing with a Pony society of some sort, or at the very least a league of which Ponies are members.
-She doesn't seem to be a slave, and is at least well treated.
-However, the quill does not have mouth grips like an Equestrian model used by an Earth pony would. From this, we assumed that the quill, ink and book do not belong to our guest.
-The knife and sextant similarly have no mouth grips. Probably means she was carrying them for whoever splattered the cockatrice."

Having reached the extent of legible notes, Spike slumped down, tuckered out. Twilight smiled. “It's okay Spike, I have to open the library now anyway.” Any further dialogue was cut off by a loud dragon-snore, coupled with a series of hoots that sounded almost like snores in their own owlish right.

After moving both her assistants to their respective sleeping spots, Twilight began the daily ritual of prepping the library for business.

This mostly involved stuffing everything that wasn't supposed to be out into a closet so that Spike could take care of it after he woke up, but the place got clear, ponies got their books, Spike felt needed, and everyone was happy in the end, so it worked.

The day proceeded to go by uneventfully, a coffee was ordered from Sugarcube Corner, a succession of patrons tromped in, returned books and took new ones, and tromped out. Each had something to comment on the mare sleeping on the couch, and Twilight, in her fatigue, was uncharacteristically brusque with them.

"No, Pinky, a party probably wouldn't be appropriate until the patient has been on her feet a few days."

"Yes, Scootaloo, she's alive. Yes, Applebloom, I realize she has no cutie mark. No, Sweetie Belle, I doubt she'd want to join your club, she's not from around here. Chin up though, just because she's reached adulthood without finding her special talent, doesn't mean you will."

"No, Berry Punch, this isn't my new fillyfriend. She's a cockatrice victim."

"Yes, Time Turner, I'm sure she's not a Silence, whatever that is."

"No, Lyra, she probably isn't posessed by the depraved souls of one of those “human” things you're always going on about."

"You know, Rarity, perhaps the barding's designers had more practical concerns than the fact the color clashed horribly with virtually all known pony coloration combinations... "

"Wait, that's it! Rarity, spread the word to the others. I need more minds on this. Meet me back here tonight, we'll go over the items together, there are probably hundreds of things Spike and I would never think to try! We'll make it a sleepover!"

Meanwhile, far from a manic last-minute sleepover-planning checklist-writer, deep in the Everfree Forest, a trio of pegasi circled the unnatural portal, constantly scanning the area for signs of enemies probing through from the far side. This was the third shift of three Corporal Halberd had assigned.

Below them, the local wildlife had discovered the gateway as well. Already a manticore and a pack of timberwolves had probed at the new horizon, and finding no territorial markings, had traveled across and apparently made themselves at home.

It was during a lull in this one-sided exchange of wildlife that something came across the other way, although the pegasus sentries could be forgiven for missing it. The intruder was a small bird, green and brown like a piece of moss, its only remarkable features being a long pair of trailing feathers with red tips.

The little thing circled the portal briefly, nearly colliding with one of the Rangers, before streaking off just above the treetops, heading for Ponyville.

Author's Note

*Lower Canterlot: A form of Recieved Pronunciation, similar to the Canterlot accents in the show, but less "posh".

Greetings reader! Congratulations on making it through my first chapter. :P Hope you decide to stick around.

An important note about the fic though: Discord's Gate is a work in progress. Up to and until I edit this first Author's Note to reflect its finality, things can and will change around here as I seek to improve the flow and quality of the story. I'll give notice of any major retcons in the form of a blog post or author's note or something.

In any case, if that bit plus the quality or lack therein of this first chapter hasn't chased you off, I'd like to invite you to join in the creative process! You see a bit of awkward phrasing or pacing, and have an idea for improving it? I'm all ears! Drop a comment down below and I'll get cracking. Catch a typo or grammar error? Hissssssssssssss! Hate those things. Gimme its location and I'll hit it with the Grammar Hammer.

Any feedback or advice you might have is greatly appreciated, and contributes directly to the improving the story.

Don't feel obligated to contribute though. That level of participation isn't for everyone, and I'm sure your time is just as well spent elsewhere.

In any case, hope you have a good ride!

-Elmagnifico

Examination and Confusion

Under a moon that no Princess had ever touched, a chestnut stallion awoke and sat bolt upright in a cold sweat. His wife beside him was roused by the familiar motion.

“What is it dear?”

“I don't know. I saw light, darkness, a unnatural fusion of creatures. There were ponies there, then ponies died, so many live lost, and all I could feel was the needlessness of it. Worse, I feel it's already too late, that I can't stop it. Any message we send will arrive after the deed has been done.”

He looked out at the moon through the window, grinning down at him like the smile of a demon that reveled in misery.

“Two days hence, we will be at war.”

Night 2

Everything was prepared. Or, at the very least, everything Twilight Sparkle could think to prepare or bother Spike or Owlowicious into preparing was prepared.

Popcorn was popped, space had been cleared for sleeping bags, pillows had been arranged in convenient piles for the inevitable fight, and sundry other sleepover preparations Spike had complained were “too girly” for him to do had been done. All that remained was for the guests to arrive.

As the appointed time for said arrivals approached, Spike looked on with trepidation as his guardian did her best to wear a groove in the library floor.

“Are you sure we got everything on the checklist?”

“Yes, Twilight, we've checked it at least three times.”

“We should check it two more times, then we can check it off my checklist checking checklist...”

Further speech was interrupted by knocking on the front door.

Spike was shoved over to answer it while a lightspeed last-second inspection was carried out. The slightly disgruntled dragon opened the door, carefully ignoring the purple blur whizzing about behind him. He was immediately reduced to incoherent jelly by the sight of the pony on the other side of the lintel.

Rarity stood there, resplendent as always.

“Sorry I'm early Spike, but I figured it would only be ladylike to help Twilight with the preparations a bit.”

The purple blur materialized beside the drooling dragon, with mane only slightly frazzled from the rapid motion.

“That's alright Rarity, everything's finished now anyway. Why don't you come in?”

The white unicorn did so, levitating a pony-shaped something behind her under a tarp. Spike, having snapped out of his reverie, poked curiously at it.

“If you don't mind me asking milady, what is this?”

“This, Spikey, is my latest creation, inspired by the barding your otherworldly guest brought with her!”

The tarp flew off in dramatic fashion, leaving a mannequin levitating there in the light-blue aura of its owner.

“After seeing it here this morning I was struck with a mad urge, and I simply couldn't resist whipping up a better version. I'll admit it's not finished, but moi did her best with the time she had!”

Twilight looked at the new garment, inclining her head in hopes of gaining insight as to why the mass of frills, baubles and frou-frous looked the way it did.

“Er, it's very, ah, poofy, Rarity, but I think the old barding was designed with a bit more durability and functionality than this.”

Rarity was about give a curt reply, but had to cut it off and duck her head to avoid knocking it against a swooping Rainbow Dash, who yelled over her shoulder as she landed on the stairs.

“Hah! Told you I could beat you here, even carrying all this food!”

Applejack came to a screeching halt on the other side of Rarity, a picnic basket balanced on her back the exact twin of the one between Rainbow's wings.

“Sorry about Rainbow there Twi, tha' peacock started off helpful enough, don't think ah'd have made it here on time if she hadn't carried half the food Granny Smith prepped for us, although ah coulda done without tha race.”

“Did you say food?” Pinky Pie asked as she popped her head out of Applejack's picnic basket. “I'm starving! The Cakes and I have been working on a huge order ever since I brought that old cookbook back this morning, and I haven't had the chance to get even a tiny snack since!”

“Well, that's what the food's here for girls, let's just set it up in the kitchen where everything's ready.” Twilight replied as she brought the door closed again. It was too late, as Pinky had already started munching an apple fritter as Applejack moved towards the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, the eating, chatter and argument over the pros and cons of Rarity's new barding was so loud they almost missed a timid tapping on the door.

Rarity opened it to reveal Fluttershy standing there.

“Alright girls, now that everyone's here, let's get down to analyzing these things.”

The middle of the library was occupied by a table, with each of the items arranged so they could be easily accessed. Rainbow Dash coasted over to the table, looking from item to item.

“Seems like pretty boring junk.”

Twilight brought a hoof to her face with a quiet thud

“We know that already Dash, but this junk is all the evidence we have to gain information about a potentially completely different universe. The more we know about these ponies, the better off we'll be when our patient wakes up or her friends arrive.”

Chastened, the iridescent pegasus started off by examining the metal disks. “I'm going out on a limb here, but I'd say this is money.”

“Yes, we figured as much. Any other insight to give?”

“Well, we put the sun and moon on our bits, because they represent the princesses, and how important they are for Equestria. I'd bet whatever they put on their bits means the same thing.”

“Good point Rainbow, but while Spike and I were able to determine that there's a pony's face on one side and that odd symbol on the other, we weren't able to figure out what they meant. That's where you girls come in.”

“Well for starters, ah reckon they don't got a Princess, or leastaways she keeps herself off the coinage. That there's a stallion on that coin.”

“Yes dear, and not a bad looking stallion at that. Perhaps their Princesses rule through mortal proxies, to allow them to devote themselves to their astronomical duties.”

“Or maybe they're ruled by an omniscient waffle!”

“Pinky, you're looking at the wrong side of the coin.”

“That's alright Rainbow, insight to both would be good, although perhaps we could concentrate on one face at a time?”

“Um, if I may, it doesn't look like a waffle so much as a stylized map, with latitude and longitude lines.” Fluttershy paused and squinted. “In fact, it almost looks like a map of Equestria.”

The rest of the group were looking slackjawed at the butter-yellow pegasus. “Oh, sorry, cartography was one of my favorite classes in flight school.”

Meanwhile, Applejack had been looking through the notes Spike and Twilight had made of the other night. “Sugarcube, it says here there was an apple in this here inventory, and the only notes ya got on it are 'Slightly bruised' an' 'Tasted normal'. Ah kinda wish ya hadn't eaten tha thing, ah coulda told y'all quite a bit from that apple. Different breeds 'a apple grow best in diffren' climates, tha' mighta told us where they live, or at least where they git their food from.”

As Twilight retroactively facehoofed Rarity picked up the sextant and experimentally pointed it at a window.

“Twilight, have you tried using this device yet?”

“No, why?”

“I don't think it was meant for very advanced Unicorn use. The focusing gems contain no enhancement spells, and the adjustment mechanisms are manual. In fact, I do believe it uses common glass for the optics.”

“That doesn't make much sense. Spike and I had guessed the items belonged to a Unicorn or similar magical being, with our guest being some kind of porter or attendant, given that they lack any grips for claws, hooves or mouths.”

“Maybe whoever she was carrying it for was a student, which would explain why they ran away!”

“Perhaps, Pinky Pie, perhaps.”

This continued long into the night, interspersed with a pillow fight, two rounds of makeovers, and a game of truth-or-dare before the six elements of harmony crashed out on the crowded library floor, having expended all their vast energy.

Day 2

Celestia's sun was already high in the sky before the purplest of the six ponies was awakened. When she was, it was by a sharp tapping on the front door, still secured from last night.

There was a large note on the table, which if Twilight had taken the time to read it, stated that Applejack had left out the back door around seven-ish to get to her morning chores, Rarity had gone with her to pick up Sweetie Belle from her own sleepover with Applebloom, and that Fluttershy had left a few hours later to feed her animals.

All of this information was not received by Twilight as she breezed past the table and opened the door. Standing there was Corporal Sharp Halberd and another Ranger, a dark blue pegasus Twilight had never seen before. Her left eye was covered by a bandage.

“Greetings, Ms. Sparkle. There have been no develoments with the portal, although Private Typhoon here was just released by Nurse Redheart, and I thought you'd appreciate her first-hand account of events.”

“Thank you Corporal. I and the others' findings on the objects are in this notepad.”

The two exchanged sources of evidence, and the Corporal flew off.

“If you'd like to come in, Private Typhoon?”

The pegasus chuckled as she entered.

“Just Typh 'll do, Ms. Sparkle. I don't stand on ceremony like Corp' Sharpie.”

“Alright, Typh. But only if you'll drop the Ms. and call me Twilight.”

Spike, who had responded to the knock a little slowly due to getting little sleep with all the ruckus downstairs, brought out a tray of tea and biscuits. Pinky Pie was bouncing around already, but a look from Rainbow Dash squelched any impromptu I-just-met-you-party plans.

After introductions had been made and Typhoon had had her fill of biscuits, the pegasus began her tale with a very slight twang.

“Thanks kindly for th' tea Ms. Sparkle. Anyway, it was pretty boring before the portal opened. Normally us rangers are on patrol, making sure nothing's intruding on Equestrian airspace, monitoring the Badlands, securing the Northern Frontier, that kind of thing, not babysitting a magical anomaly in the heart of friendly territory.

Although I have to admit the Everfree is pretty much as unfriendly territory as you can get inside our borders. We had secured a perimeter around the negative wedgie, that's what my unicorn buddies called it, but the wildlife was always probing it. I had gotten up t' take a closer look, the thing had just been sitting there pulsing for the months we'd watched it.

Then, there was this noise like what your brother made last week with his expulsion spell, and a gust of wind the likes I hadn't seen since training camp. Next thing I knew, I was being blown through the conifers in a flurry of pine needles.

Now, I'm not from around Vanhoover, my roots are in the wind farms above Manehatten, but according to Lancer Volley, that place was pretty much identical to that area if ponies had never set hoof there. All I knew was that the whole place was a mess, with trees taller than I'd ever seen and not a manticore or timberwolf in sight.

It was pretty relaxing, I gotta say. It's probably the peacefulness that got us to lower our guard.”

“The perimeter-holders had come through to cover our rear, I guess a cockatrice was curious as to why we left, maybe the pine attracted it, I'm not sure.

Point was, I was looking for some privacy, I hear this shriek on the other side of these bushes, figure somepony's in trouble. So I rush in, ready to break some heads, and when I pop out the other side, there's this pony standing there, light brown with a black mane, he sees me, and takes a swing at me with this wooden thing.

Couldn't catch the color of his aura, all I was seeing was stars. Right before I black out, I see him point that same thing, it was about the length of a staff, at the cockatrice that just popped out and hissed at him.

There's this thunderclap, a flash from the end of the club, and that cockatrice blows up in an explosion of feathers. That's the last thing I know before I wake up in the clinic here in Ponyville.”

“Interesting,” was all Twilight had to say. She then turned to Pinky Pie. “Pinky, could you invite the girls back here tonight? I think it would be good to have some backup when our guest wakes up.”

Awakening and Evasion

He stood at attention. He was the bearer of bad news, best not to add insubordinate posture to the reasons his lord might cause him to “disappear”.

“My Lord First, we have received a communique from one of our field agents. An interdimensional contact. Rumors of blasphemous powers.”

The shadowy figure that was his lord paused as the report ended.

“The other members of the Council?”

“Divided. Fourth and Sixth see the newcomers as an opportunity, potential slaves. Third and Seventh believe the plans must be accelerated before these foreigners can impact the situation here, lest all our work be for nothing. Second and Fifth see these aliens as the ultimate threat to the operation, and that we must delay any action until our machinations can be adjusted to account for them.”

He stood there, sweating, spending potentially his last moments in existence remaining extremely still and quiet, ignoring urges to either fly or fight.

“We await further information. Changing anything before we know more would be worse than changing nothing. We cannot risk exposure through rash decisions. Inform the others that this is why I am First, and they have power only so far as I allow their advice to affect my decrees.”

“Yes, My Lord First.”

And then he fled.

Night 3

Fluttershy arrived last again, this time with a small bird perched on her head. “Sorry I'm late, but this little guy showed up just as I was about to leave. He's looking everywhere for one of his friends, and I said I'd ask you guys about it, if that's alright.”

Twilight squinted at the avian. “What kind of bird is he Fluttershy? I don't think I've ever seen one like that.”

“Me neither. He says he's from a long way away, perhaps that's why?”

Twilight nodded, accepting this explanation for the mystery bird. “Well, much as I enjoy bird-watching, that's not why we're here.” Twilight turned to her prone guest. “She's just sleeping off the last effects of the spell now, it should be safe to cast a translation spell so she can understand us when she wakes up.”

Her horn began to glow, the aura of purple light building up in preparation. Then, a flash as the spell's beam pulsed out and struck the foreign mare. Twilight turned about to check the pre-awakening checklist one last time, but was interrupted as a blood-curdling shriek rent the silence of the night asunder.

The light-gray mare was writhing about, obviously in agony. Purple sparks danced around, the mare twitching in pain each time one touched her.

Applejack looked on in astonishment. “Twilight! What did y'all do!?”

“I, I-I don't know, I've never cast this spell before! All it's supposed to do is temporarily overwrite the subject's original language with Equestrian, with a slight siphon on their inherent magic to maintain the effect!”

Fluttershy stood riveted with sympathetic pangs, oblivious as the bird lifted off her head, red-tipped tail feathers trailing as it zoomed out Owlowicious' normal exit as fast as its wings could carry it.

At this point, Rainbow Dash zoomed over, but her eagerness to help was curtailed by Applejack grabbing a mouthful of her tail. “Hrld jrsht r srcnd shgrcb. Lrt Twrlrght frx thr dngrrsh mrgrc thrng.”

With that, Twilight did so, firing a counterspell into the writhing melee of purple sparks and roan mare.

The magical backlash ceased, but the strange mare continued struggling on the floor for a second, before rolling over and raising her head, all four quarters still on the floor. As the stranger's eyes adjusted to the light Twilight turned to her stack of spellbooks, rifling through them looking for something in particular.

Rainbow Dash inched up cautiously towards the grayish mare and spoke, slowly, waving her wings about for emphasis. “Hellooooooooo. My Naaaaaaaame, is Raiiiiiiiiinbooooooooow, Daaaaaaaaaaaash. Whaaaaaaaat's Yoooooooooooooooours?”

The former statue's eyes had riveted upon Rainbow's wings with a look that could not be mistaken for anything other than astonishment, except perhaps for sheer terror.

Seeing this, Rainbow decided a little fun could be had. “Boo.”

With that, the mare jumped to her feet and backed up until her blank flank was against the couch, and she continued retreating as Rainbow advanced. They continued in this manner until the bemused pegasus felt an unseen gaze boring into the back of her head.

The Element of Kindness had cast a deep, unsettling scowl upon her iridescent fellow pegasus, who thankfully took the hint before any further unpleasantness could ensue.

Meanwhile, the gray mare had backed herself against the wall, and a stream of gibberish poured forth from her mouth like the panicked burbling of a stream that had just burst its dam. This continued as Rarity and Pinky Pie came in from the kitchen.

Before they could ask what was going on, Twilight reared and exclaimed in triumph as she found what she was looking for. A brief look at the new spell, a short blast of magic into one of Spike's uneaten quartz crystals, and the gibberish was suddenly rendered in perfectly understandable Equestrian.

“ck is going on here, and why, by every single one of the Sunbird's pyroclastic buttfeathers, did you dye your coat teal?”

Rainbow Dash looked at the newly vocal mare askance for a second before replying. “I'll have you know I'm a natural blue!”

Any further belligerency was cut off by Twilight Sparkle interjecting herself, physically and vocally, between her guests. “I think we got off on the wrong hoof here, my name is Twilight Sparkle. What's yours?”

The other mare had taken a step towards Rainbow when she heard words she could understand, although her demeanor was still of one whose flight-or-fight reflex was ticking away at full speed. “Shale Hearth Coalmare, Mapper, Chalk Son Consortium Survey, under Captain Hard Trail of Trakhenia.” The response had an automatic sound to it, like it had been said rapidly and frequently until it was memorized.

“Can we call you Shale?”

“That's what my friends do.”

“That's all we want to be. There's no need to be scared, just calm down. I'm very sorry for the pain you awoke in, it was an accident. I also promise Rainbow Dash doesn't bite.”

The roan mare inhaled, closed her eyes, and let the breath out, calming her thoughts along with her respiration. These strangers hadn't killed her yet. Panic was probably the worst option.

“Are you hungry?” a voice asked. Before Twilight could object, Pinky Pie had bounced up level with the mage, a cupcake balanced carefully on her head. “Twilight says we should hold off on the party until you've had time to recover, but I figured in the meantime a little dessert wouldn't hurt!” Pinky set the confection and accompanying saucer on the floor, nudging it so that it slid over to Shale, who was looking at her oddly.

The roan mare sniffed at the small pastry. It didn't smell poisonous.

“I even peeled the paper off for you, as it might be your first cupcake, you being from another universe and all, and the paper's sometimes difficult for ponies like us.”

Shale looked at Pinky like she'd just said that a hat made a wonderful pet.

“I also left off the hot sauce, Twilight says it's an acquired taste,” Pinky added.

“Thank you,” Shale replied cautiously. She carefully picked up the saucer and, having examined the cupcake again, brought it to her mouth and took a bite. A few seconds of hesitant chewing, swallowing and icing-licking later, Shale gave her verdict. “It's very good, I don't think I've ever had something quite as sweet.”

Shale was about to take a second bite when she realized the others had fallen completely silent, and were staring at her like she'd grown another head. Or rather, they were staring at the saucer and cupcake like they were the ones that had sprouted superfluous crania.

“How are y'all doing that?” Applejack asked, as she and the others looked with complete lack of understanding at the pair of objects that were apparently levitating around Shale.

Twilight finally picked her jaw off the floor and summarized the situation with a complete understatement. “I think we all have a lot of explaining to do.”

An entire universe away, a small green and brown bird was sitting on a branch, and a patchy dun pony was conversing with his superior. “Near as I can tell, he had an encounter with another whisperer.” The officer remained silent.

The implication of a whisperer strong enough to break the conditioning these birds went through to make them resistant to enemy influence was unsettling.

“While that means anything I get from him is suspect, here's what I have:

-There's a settlement on their side of the portal, which is patrolled by several of those fliers we saw when we probed the other day.

-He spent about a day moving through the settlement looking for Shale before running into kindness, which I think means the other whisperer.

-They were able to cure Shale of whatever happened to her. Whether this means they can depetrify the victims of something from mythology or if they can just cure a venom-induced paralysis is down to Pathmark's testimony.

-Shale was in pain from something. Whether it was a consequence of their medicine, torture, or an accident, I'm not sure. He didn't understand everything that was going on.

-A signature that's almost congruent with a Precog, but off. Strong association with pink.“

The recipient of this monologue was quiet for a moment, eyes narrowed in concentration and thought. “Well, this has officially gone above my pay-grade. We turn back and get a proper diplomatic party, or better yet, the army, in here as soon as possible.”

He turned to the others under his responsibility. “Everyone, we're moving out! Let's get as much distance as possible between us and that bucking portal.”

There was no hesitation, even though Shale Hearth was one of their own, who had been believed to be dead. When her bodyguard had come galloping into camp in with terror dancing in his eyes they had known something awful had happened.

Pathmark was still in a funk about it, keeping the mapper safe was his primary responsibility, after all. His remorse was tempered with a slight bit of resentment that his compatriots did not believe the alien creature had turned Shale to stone though.

Each weapon was readied. Nothing had been routine about this expedition since its beginning.

This universe, named Eranax after the discoverer, had been declared a dead-end, the last in the Shell Bay chain. The group that was here had been a routine geological survey right up until its portal hounds had started wailing, and when they had stopped howling the huge mastiffs had started whining in the unmistakable sign of a portal.

So, told to “seek”, the dogs had led them on. Over hills and dales, past what in the home universe was known as Whitewater Gorge, through days of wet and raining conifer forest to the site of Trakhenia itself. Several of the ancient superpower's citizens were among the expedition, which meant the destination left them with a certain taste of irony.

That the location of the most powerful of the civilized cities would yield them fame and fortune as actual universal pathfinders rather than mere surveyors had been the height of cosmic humor. Now, they were withdrawing without even setting hoof in the new world. Worse, they were leaving one of their own behind.

That last point grated most with one Pathmark Neighra. Granted, he should feel no especial attachment to his charge, and his sense of duty to his orders to protect the mapper was no stronger than professional pride. What made the fact they were leaving her behind chafe was a small spark that had been settling at the bottom of Pathmark's belly ever since the team had set out from Eranax's Portal Fort.

It wasn't a prohibited feeling. He'd never acted upon it though. His own shyness and Commander Hard Trail's policy of monopolizing the time of his security troopers had combined to keep any admiration strictly whistful, nonverbal and from outside the fifty meter radius.

Rather than pine, he'd desensitized himself. At least, he'd thought he had. But the Commander assigning him to bodyguard that particular mare had dropped the bottom out of his little fortress of insensitivity. That wink at the end of the briefing hadn't helped dispel any sense that Hard Trail could see something his trooper did not want him to.

Now, he, Pathmark, had bucked it up. Sure, there had been no way to anticipate a creature jumping straight out of ancient legend and petrifying Shale. That hadn't made his subsequent panicked flailing, firing and running any more excusable.

So, up to his ears in disgrace, secure in the knowledge he'd botched the first ever inter-universal contact, the light brown stallion limped on through the drizzling rain, bringing up the tail of the gloomy column.

Author's Note

Merry Christmas, dear readers! Things are picking up! Don't expect the next chapter until the new year though, life's about to get very busy for me.

Dialogue and Mobilization

Dear Princess Celestia,

Sorry I haven't written in the past few days, I've been occupied with a dire conundrum of cosmic proportions. The Equestrian Rangers, under orders from Princess Luna, entrusted me with the care of a cockatrice victim, a member of a race of ponies from beyond our universe!

I've spent the past few days learning as much as I can about our new guest, but seeing as how she was sleeping off the effects of the depetrification spell, I had to make do with the items she came with.

From them, I was able to divine she belonged to an advanced society with expertise in metalworking, standardized production, and a few other anecdotes from what amounted to her pocket junk, but this pales in comparison to the latest revelations brought about by her revival.

First of all, I learned, quite by accident, that these ponies respond oddly to magic. A simple translation spell you taught me for diplomatic emergencies backfired catastrophically, and the mana feedback caused what appeared to be a quite painful reaction.

Fortunately, I had a counterspell ready, but the implications for magic theory, not to mention pony evolution, when taken with the second revelation, are staggering!

That being, despite being superficially similar to earth ponies, members of my guest's race apparently posses telekinesis similar to my own. I'd write more, but I think I'd better calm things down before Rarity causes an interdimensional incident by criticizing the barding my guest arrived in.

Enclosed are the notes I took from our estimations over the past forty-eight hours. I'll write more when I have a more complete report, this is simply an update on the situation here.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

It looked like the night was going to segue into a perfect day. The moon was setting in the usual manner, and no rain was scheduled for most of the region around Canterlot and Ponyville. Nopony would have guessed either princess had anything more on her mind than usual.

This could not have been further from the truth.

When she had received the latest letter from her faithful student, in the middle of her sleeping period, no less, the Princess of Sun, Monarch of Day and co-ruler of Equestria, was not quite up to her normal splendor, having not performed any of the long series of beautification rituals she had time for now that her sister had returned. Bright pink bunny slippers squeaked, a fluffy bathrobe fluttered, and green zucchini mask dripped everywhere as Celestia stormed through the ancient fortress of Canterlot, trailed by an ever-growing train of concerned officials and servants until she found her sister in one of the side rooms, conversing with one of the Night Guard.

Celestia's voice reverberated throughout the palace, with everypony down to the lowliest kitchen sweep getting an earful.

“AND WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME AN INTERDIMENSIONAL CONTACT HAD BEEN MADE?”

The mortal staff were sent scurrying by the raw power knocking about, and those unafraid of a stray bit of wrath were forced to seek cover from the cacophony and flying mane-curlers. The Princess of Moon, Monarch of Night and co-ruler of Equestria had to oppress the urge to clean her ears out once the marble halls had ceased to echo.

“Easily, sister, forsooth! Thou hast not used the royal voice on us in a long while. We are gratified that our use of it was not a total relic.”

Luna paused as her sister glared through her with an expression that unequivocally removed any thoughts this might be one of the infamous solar pranks. Still resisting the urge to winkle a bit of wax out of her auditory canals, the night-princess lowered her head.

“We were going to inform you when the delegates from Zebrabwe left. We apologize for not divulging the development immediately, we did not wish to distract you.”

Celestia sighed. Being the older sibling, balancing love and justice, understanding and judgement, weighed heavily on a body, even if it was an immortal alicorn's.

“It's alright Luna. We'll work on our command dynamic some other time.”

Then, turning to her retainers and advisors, who were just starting to pluck up the courage to come out of the woodwork,

“Now, we need to get that situation under control. Marshall Bolt. You, Major-General Trencher and Commander Stream better muster the Unicorn, Earth and Pegasus Legions. Best to be prepared and not need to be than to be caught off guard. And I'll need about fifty of your best ponies ready to ship out by this time tomorrow.”

At this point, almost everypony started talking at once.

“Well Sergeant, you heard the Princess. Get over to Cloudsdale and roust out that lazy lout Jet Stream, tell him I'll have both the wings on his badge and the ones on his back if we're not fully prepped for war in forty-eight hours!”

“Your majesty, you can't be proposing leaving? There are two formal meals and a tour of the castle grounds scheduled tomorrow for the Zebras. This could cause an international incident!”

“Should we take over hosting the Zebrican cadre, sister?”

“Somepony inform Shining Armor and Cadence, see if they'd like to tag along for the fun.”

“I say, Aunty, oughtn't a representative of the mortal aristocracy accompany you?”

“Not now nephew. The important ponies are talking.”

“Highness, the House of Lords still wishes to know your position on the proposed tax breaks for-”

“EVERYPONY WHO IS NOT AN IMMORTAL ALICORN OR MILITARY PERSONNEL WILL LEAVE THE ROOM THIS INSTANT. YOU OTHERS ARE IMPORTANT, LUNA WILL ATTEND YOU AFTER WE RESOLVE THIS.”

With that, ponies began departing, some to duties that were suddenly urgent, others to return to jobs they should have been doing instead of gawking at the royal tiff, and a select few to sulk and stew in their own juices as they awaited their rulers' pleasure.

The saucer wiggled up and down, jostling the cupcake.

“So let me get this straight. You can't do this?”

“Eey-nope. Ya'll got some funky magic goin' on there sister.”

“If you can't move things, then how do you even – Wait, magic? As in hocus-pocus? You think this is some kind of trick? Sleight-of-hoof?”

“No, Darling.” Another saucer and cupcake levitated beside the first two, these wrapped in a light blue aura. “Magic.”

Shale looked from her dessert's glowing companion to Rarity's horn and made the obvious connection.

“But, you and, I think it was Twilight, over there are the only ones with horns. Is that normal?”

“Yes, about one third of Equestrians are Unicorns.”

“And you're the only ones that can do 'magic'?”

“Indeed.”

“I don't understand, how can your society function if only one third of you are able to use tools?”

Rainbow Dash paused an impromptu preening session to butt in. “Oh, we get by. Mouths, hooves, tails, hair, you'd be surprised how many parts of you can be used to move things! 'Course, being a Pegasus, and 120% awesome, I've got wings to help too.”

“That's another thing! Wings! Avian wings! I'm no Hippologist, but if ponies were to have wings, wouldn't we have more mammalian ones, like a bat's?”

Twilight Sparkle, having just returned from dictating her letter to Spike, tilted her head in puzzlement.

“You're saying there are no pegasi where you come from?”

“Nope, not a one. There's a theological debate regarding a winged depiction of our deity, but nothing like an entire species of flying ponies.”

Rainbow Dash's eyes bugged wide open at this, while Twilight's narrowed in thought for a moment before she spoke.

“I'm sure we've all got a lot of questions we want to ask each other, this needs organization. Let's get comfy by the fireplace.”

Five minutes later, formal introductions had been made, several cupcakes had met unfortunate fates for which copious exercise would be required to prevent their caloric wrath, and seven ponies were arranged on large floor pillows in the main room of the library. Spike was seated on Twilight's cushion, quill and pen at the ready so no important detail would go unrecorded.

“Alright Shale, how about this: you ask a question, we'll answer it and then ask you one.”

The slate-gray mare breathed in and out, collecting her thoughts.

“Let's start at the beginning. What happened to me?”

Twilight's expression turned apologetic.

“You were turned to stone by a cockatrice. Your compatriot knocked out a Ranger who appeared on the scene immediately afterward. Said companion then took off into the forest. You were brought here, to Ponyville, on our side of the magical portal, most specifically to this library, and here I cast the depetrification spell. I tried to use a translation spell on you so we could communicate, but it backfired on you and I had to dig up this old diplomacy gem enchantment instead. The feedback from the translation spell was the pain you awoke in, which I am incredibly sorry for.”

Shale blinked. “I forgive you, it sounds like it was an accident, although that answer raises more questions than it satisfies. Ah well, it's your turn.”

Twilight levitated a list into view and read off the first item.

“Where are you from? We know a little about you already from looking at the items that came with you through the portal.”

Shale responded without hesitation, describing her homeland as though it were a slightly distant country.

“I'm from Epona, at the far end of the Caress Chain from here.”

Twilight laid out a map of Equestria and the rest of the continents in the middle of the circle, her magic floating four paperweights into position to keep it from curling as Shale's eyes widened again.

“Where on this map is that? Ignore the cities, they're probably in different places in your universe anyway. Is your geography as similar as we guessed?”

The Eponan looked the map over, frowning at the center of the map for some reason.

“Yes, things like positions of continents are consistent across most universes, although small differences tend to crop up the smaller the feature you're looking for. Metal and coal deposits, for instance, might be in entirely different places, even though topography tends to be relatively consistent no matter where you go.”

Shale looked around at the other ponies. They were giving her that stare again.

“Y'all say that like hoppin' between worlds is as easy as takin' a walk.”

It was Shale's turn to look at the Equestrians oddly.

“You haven't been to any universes besides yours and Eranax, have you?”

Twilight's brow was creased in a frown of thought now.

“The gateway between our world and yours was created by a spirit of chaos. Are you saying portals like that are common in your society?”

Shale looked around the circle of faces. Applejack had gone stiff with fear at the word chaos. Traumatic experience? Fluttershy was peering around at her friends with a worried look on her muzzle. Pinky Pie hadn't been phased by anything since the cupcake, Shale wasn't quite sure what to think of her vague smile.

Rarity seemed downright horrified, and Rainbow Dash seemed troubled, swoon and scowl respectively indicating whatever that spirit (there was another word that would need clarification, after magic, spell, and enchantment) was, these ponies were not happy someone might be associated with it. Twilight's seemed clouded more with contemplation than suspicion.

Shale took a deep breath, which she let out in a long stream of exposition.

“Portals have, so far as we know, been joining universes together for about one hundred years now. At least, the one in my home universe, Epona, formed of its own volition around that time, according to the geological records. It was thirty years before the major governments knew about it and the Portal Accords were signed.”

Twilight inclined her head in thought at the insight into another universe's government, and retained the expression throughout the remainder of Shale's monologue.

“The portal joined one point in Epona to another in New Epona, which is what we named the universe beyond. In New Epona we found a cluster of portals leading to other worlds, which in turn branched off into other worlds, and so on. We have been exploring those linked universes ever since, and in all our experience, ours was the only civilization. We never met other ponies, or anything else that could talk, like Spike.”

Shale then frowned, her curiosity clouded with a bit of trepidation. This next question was a big one.

“Now, for my question. The leading theory among our scientists says that portals form naturally as the quantum strings form new entanglements, or something like that. Point is, nopony has telekinesis fine enough to cause a portal, and you're saying a spirit of chaos formed yours? What could possibly be powerful enough to twist the fabric that makes up reality?”

“Discord,” came the reply, “is a being of incredible abilities, who draws delight and power from strife amongst ponies. He escaped his stone prison a few months ago, and wreaked havoc across Equestria until we used the Elements of Harmony to put him back where he belonged."

Twilight

"He is a strange creature, and not even our foremost experts are quite sure of the full extent of his capabilities. Fortunately, there is only one of him, of this we are certain. At least, Princess Celestia assured me in one of her letters he's the only draconequus.”

“So you have a monarchy here?”

“Technically it's a diarchy, as Princesses Celestia and Luna have equal authority, although Luna just returned last year, so I'm not sure if she's taken over all of her old roles. I know for sure she's raising the moon now, which is good, responsibility over all the heavens must have been tiring for Celestia.”

“So by raise the moon, you mean she watches its progress and records its phases, things like that?”

“Well, she does do those things, but raising the moon is her primary duty, in addition to actually helping rule the country.”

“Wait, so you named a Sunbird and a Moonbird, a female Sunbird, and you let them rule over your country, and receive letters from them?”

Another pause settled over the room. Shale shook her head in exasperation.

“Alright, I'll explain what a Sunbird and Moonbird are, but you lot are going to have to clarify how your sun and moon function afterwards, because without those creatures you, well, I'm not sure what would happen, I just know sun and moon go along with Sunbird and Moonbird like apple trees and apples. You do have apples here, right?”

Applejack nodded to the affirmative.

“Eeyup. Now git to 'splainin, Ah'm curious as to how y'all get along without Alicorns to move yer sun 'n moon.”

Shale sighed. Alicorn, there was another word that would need defining.

"A Sunbird is a gigantic, fiery creature whose daily migration drives the movement of a given world's sun. They are always male, the females of the species are called Moonbirds and perform a similar function for our moon."

Twilight's eyes narrowed as she made a connection.

"So a lunar eclipse..."

Only to be cut off by Shale resuming her explanation.

"Yes, is their spawning period. A meteor shower follows several months later, as the moonbirds lay their eggs. They are quite large, and practically impenetrable, although modern explosives can crack the shells. Thunderbird Omelets are quite the delicacy in high society, although I hear they taste just like chicken eggs."

One of Fluttershy's eyebrows perked upwards, she inclined her head, and surprised her friends by interjecting.

“Oh, so you do have chickens in your world?”

Shale frowned, and inadvertently avoided chastising the pegasus by channeling her annoyance into a bit of snark.

“Yes, and they don't interbreed with the lizards to spawn whatever that thing was.”

The chorus of hesitant laughter that followed went on for a few awkward seconds before being cut off by a sharp series of knocks. Twilight got up and opened the front door to reveal two unicorns she'd never seen before. A dark green stallion and a navy-blue mare barged past the librarian and scanned the room quickly.

Their gazes fastened upon Shale, and a pair of magical blasts, one orange and one pink, leaped out towards the Eponan before she could react. While the brazen charge had not left time for most anypony to have a chance to do anything, neither intruder had been speedy enough to beat the fastest flier in Equestria.

On pure reflex, Rainbow Dash had taken off towards the clearly hostile ponies, going in for as quick a swoop as she could manage within the confines of the library. This unfortunately put her directly in the path of both bolts of mana, which slammed into her and sent the cerulean pegasus spinning into a bookshelf.

Before either interloper could get off a second shot, they both found themselves hovering a foot above the floor, and a purple aura turned them around to reveal a terrifying sight. The pony they had shoved aside looked as though she was about to spray steam out her ears or spontaneously combust. Needless to say she appeared angry as she spoke through gritted teeth.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Before Twilight could continue her rant, the two ponies indicated their chests, which bore official-looking badges, and began talking in unison.

“Operatives Cloak and Dagger of the Celestial Intelligence Agency, Dame Sparkle. Lady Dash should be okay, we only used stun spells, but we must insist you put us down. We are under orders to contain the interdimensional invader and bring her to Canterlot for your safety.”

Exaltation and Trepidation

Smoke, black as ink, billowed like a thick sea fog. It was everywhere, only interrupted briefly by the flashes of light and sound. A shriek and a crash, followed by a thud and a resounding detonation.

Thunderclaps and lightning strikes, fireballs and glowing lances arced through the cloud, and the sounds of the wounded were all around. A spike of bone, a brief light, whistling noises from above, and an omnipresent huff and chuff, like an ancient titan breathing hard.

Another light pierced the somber clouds, starting off as a faint pin-prick and growing steadily. A buzzing noise filled the air as waving threads reached out from the light. The clash of blades and the whisper of wind, like a great bat, joined the cascade as the crackle of electricity intensified until the light had consumed all.

Then he awoke.

Under a sun that burned with the vigor of return to a recently disturbed routine, a pony poked his dark-gray nose out from under a makeshift lean-to. The ramshackle structure was little more than a collection of branches with a tarp draped over it, one of two resting against a boulder perched contrary to all geological sense on the summit of a hill several day's trot from Discord's Gate. When no pyroclastic fury reached out to smite the nose, it was joined by a face.

The face, along with a brown mane and the rest of the body it was attached to, belonged to an Eponan. His name was Dark Cell Kinlafillia, and it was entirely his fault. His name, not the interdimensional diplomatic mess. The blame for that fell squarely on his poor comrade Pathmark.

As for his name, Kinlafillia he'd been born with, but he'd joined the Chalk Son company during a highly emotional phase. Going out to work under the Portal Authority had been the latest rebellion against his staunchly conservative Farmalian parents in a time of his life filled with poetry and wearing a lot of black. Once the assumed name was in the records he was stuck with what he'd put on the paper, regardless of later remorse.

Dark Cell had been living atop this hill for several days now, in the company of the occupant of the other lean-to, for whatever it was worth. The stereotype was for Arapalfrians to be quiet and stoic, but Barrel Caster of Bolakanter could have given any of the plains-ponies a run for their money. The serious black-and-white-splotched stallion was only responsible for guarding Dark Cell, but guards tended to interact with their charges on at the very least last-name terms. Since they were paired up for this expedition Barrel had only spoken once to Dark Cell, to warn of the water moccasin Kinlafillia had been seconds from treading on.

With nopony aside from his guard to converse with, Dark Cell found himself muttering to himself quite often in Farmalese, avoiding the common Trakhenian that was the standard among Portal Authority teams. After all, it would never do if dear Barrel knew the things said about him when Dark Cell got frustrated...

Dark Cell was jarred from his reverie by the arrival of a small turquoise bird.

“Well now, how are we today little missy?”

The creature chirped at him, accepting some seeds a bag Kinlafillia kept on him for such occasions before fixing Dark Cell with the glare messenger birds were trained to give their handlers to deliver an urgent missive. Dark Cell replied in kind, and the link between Whisperers was formed.

Dark Cell's eyes widened as the bird's conversation with Tall Sands was remunerated and the situation became clear. Her message delivered, the bird shifted position and cocked her head, awaiting instructions.

“Get along back to Tall Sands miss, we wouldn't want him with just one bird in a combat zone. Tell him I'll get the message up-chain as quick as I can, and we'll be on the lookout for fliers like he described in the last one. BARREL!”

Hearing his name, the jet-colored guard stuck his head out of his lean-to. A loud grunt was sent off in Dark Cell's general direction as a question.

“Mm-hm?”

“Message just came in from Tall Sands. I need to cross the portal to relay it up-chain.”

“Mmph.”

Another grunt as the Barrel brought his weapon to its familiar resting place on his shoulder. The motion would have looked completely alien to an Equestrian, as the object moved without the concentration of a Unicorn's telekinesis or the accompanying glowing aura. To Barrel Caster, it was less than a thought, as automatic as walking or breathing.

Dark Cell sighed as he followed suit with his own weapon. Unlike his guard, he'd never used the thing outside of target practice, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to have the thing along, and with these incidents, not to mention the possibility of flying assailants, it would certainly be better safe than sorry.

The two ponies tromped down the eastern side of the small rounded hill. All around them, except where they were going, the plains were dotted with similar earthen humps, doubtless the leavings of some ancient glacier as it retreated with the rising global temperatures. A mere fifty yards from their makeshift encampment, the air shimmered like a mirage.

If a pegasus or similar flying creature were to look at it, the observer would find the phenomenon to extend nearly a kilometer into the air. Were a mathematician look at it in its entirety, they would be able to tell the anomaly to took up an arc comprising approximately two thirds of a circle, with the remaining third presumably stuck underground.

All this wonderful data was completely lost on the two Eponans, who had grown used to staring at the portal, and indeed most of the landscape thereabouts. It was nothing but rolling grassy hills and temperate weather to Whitewater Gorge and the horizon in one direction, and bitterly dry desert in the other.

That two drastically contrasting climes would be stapled into such close proximity was merely another of the oddities that came of being around portals, and neither of the two ponies spared it any thought as they stepped through into the blasting heat of what was, in the home universe at least, the Southern Desert.

Nopony could have told what was going through Barrel Caster's mind, this was just southeast of where he'd been born, on the west coast of Epona in the port city of Bolakanter. He stared into the distance, either reminiscing or keeping watch.

Dark Cell, on the other hoof, was fully occupied with his own duties. He deposited his weapon at his hooves and reached.

Tapping was a particularly strenuous duty for an Eponan, and as such only certain ponies were born with the ability to do it reliably. This made them rather valuable, hence the guard to ensure nothing happened to him as he ensured information could travel from expeditions in the field such as Hard Trail's back up-chain towards civilization.

The action was rather like picking up his weapon, or any other object, but instead of concentrating on something within hoof's reach, Dark Cell had to go a bit further. He thought back to when he'd last seen his goal.

The room back at Fort Quiver had been a small affair, walls made of unadorned logs, with the only furniture being a table and a chair for Old Snicker, the Fort's Tapper. The ancient nag was probably sleeping there now, but it wouldn't do to think about that. Dark Cell redoubled his concentration.

The table was as spartan as the room it stood in, wooden planks atop wooden poles, with the focus set squarely in the middle. The focus itself was an unremarkable little device, a metal ball-bearing enclosed by four wires. Those wires were set up like a track, they kept the sphere of steel from moving in any direction except vertically for a few inches.

Both table and focus were bolted down, as if either were to move more than a milimeter or two, Tapping would be quite impossible. That ball had to be just where he'd left it when he attuned to the little thing, or he wouldn't be able to grab it with his telekinesis from this great distance.

Normally, moving anything from less than half a meter, far less hundreds of kilometers away was quite impossible. Years of training to get the idea, and then a week of sitting there in a trance, absolute silence whilst watching that little sphere, knowing it and its location down to the last molecule and impurity, allowed Dark Cell to reach out and cause it to rise from its cradle. He held the ball aloft for a second, and then let it drop into the metal cradle, making the sound that gave his discipline its name.

“Tap.”

Sure enough, the noise awoke Old Snicker, who had a guard of her own, the one on duty at this moment being blessed with the name of Doodle. His responsibility was watching to make sure no messages were missed, as was standard, albeit unnecessary, for most Tappers. The ball rose and fell two more times in the agreed-upon signal of the beginning of a transmission, to give any receivers slow on the uptake the chance to get ready.

In any case, the message proceeded as Dark Cell continued to move the ball, sometimes to the top of the wire assembly, sometimes only half way. This series of taps and half-taps formed a code, one that all military personnel were required to learn by heart, and that Tappers could speak practically as a separate language.

The little noises formed letters, which in turn formed words, which made up short-winded messages, which Old Snicker scribbled down on a convenient notepad as her guard followed along to make sure the aging girl got everything.

Snicker was old, not senile, they didn't let senile ponies work the Tapper lines. The message got written, and then she and Doodle made their way to the other side of the portal that Fort Quiver stood beside. Another ball began bouncing at the next fort.

“Tap. Tap. Tap.” “They're coming -stop- don't know their purpose -stop- will update if able -stop- Creatrix rest our souls -stop-”

Shale awoke with a start. She attempted to rise from her prone position, only to be pushed back down by a light brown hoof.

“Ah, you're awake.”

Shale tried to get her bearings, but her ears were ringing, a headache to end all headaches was coming on. She couldn't see anything beyond a teal curtain, a dark-blue wall with a window in it, the horned stallion that had spoken to her, a stark white mare in the corner with a livid purple mane, a nightstand with what looked like that glowing crystal from before, and a set of sky blue sheets.

“Where am I?”

“You're in Ponyville General Hospital. My name is Doctor Stable, and this is Nurse Openheart. We'll be in charge of taking care of you until you've recovered.”

“Recovered from what?”

“From the spell-shock. When Twilight hit you with that translation spell, something went wrong, and the feedback from that released the energy she'd put into the spell onto you in the form of leyball lightning. Honestly you were lucky she didn't try something that required more power, otherwise you would have been electrocuted rather than just suffering some mana-burns and a mild concussion.

Now, Ms. Sparkle has told me you might have an abnormal physiology, I've certainly never seen a pony your age with no cutie mark, so I'll be going for a more holistic approach with your care. How do you feel?”

Shale groaned. She honestly didn't want to deal with this right now.

“My head aches like it's being crushed in a vice, but other than that I feel fine.”

“Good, at least our bandaging didn't seem to have any side effects. The migrane is a normal symptom for somepony who's received a jolt like yours, I'll let you get some rest.”

When Shale next awoke, she could hear the snores of somepony on the other side of the curtains. Before she could start plugging her ears or throwing things at the offending sleeper, there was a loud slam outside her little teal compound. The noise was consistent with a door being flung open rapidly, but considering the other things she'd seen thus far Shale felt it best not to assume.

A frantic pair of voices reached Shale's ears, apparently someone was coming, and the room wasn't nearly up to spec? In any case, the duo were silenced by a third speaker.

“It'll be alright, the princess knows we're a busy medical facility. We haven't had time to dust in here today because of the new patient and Ms. Top's needs. Now, what would definitely get us in trouble would be if either of them were neglected. So spend these last few seconds making sure we haven't forgotten anything.”

At this point the curtains parted, and another nurse, this one cream colored with minty green hair, trooped in, followed by the purple-maned one from earlier and a third mare with a pink coat and a purple and white striped mane. The cream nurse turned to Shale.

“Have they given you anything for that migrane? I'm Nurse Coldheart, by the by.”

“No, but I really don't feel all that bad, and I'm not sure if your medicine would affect me the same way it does your kind, no offense.”

“Well, I really don't see how it would be any different. Aspirin works on most, be they donkeys, cows or ponies. Why shouldn't it work for you?”

Shale shrugged.

“I'm still not sure how you lot are able to speak Surkholti, and I have no idea what a donkey or cow is, but without seeing all the ingredients myself and knowing if they're exactly the same, I can't be sure what you call Aspirin is the same remedy my own medics would prescribe.”

The head nurse, for that was what Coldheart was, narrowed her eyes and then shrugged her own shoulders.

“Well so long as you're not in intense pain I guess aspirin is optional. Honestly, this whole 'holistic approach' sounds to me like a crock of fewmets.”

With that, Coldheart moved on to the other patient in the room, leaving Shale alone with the two other nurses. The three remained in silence for a good minute before the head nurse left, trailed by the violet one. As the door swung shut, Openheart spoke.

“I can't imagine what it must be like, being stuck in another universe you never dreamed existed.”

“You really can't. Although it's less the fact this is a different universe and more its inhabitants. You and the rest of the staff here seem downright normal compared to some of the things I've seen. Half chicken lizards! Horns and glowy magic! Wings, on a pony, honest... ly...”

The dramatic entrance was an art Princess Celestia had been perfecting for millenia. Countless formal situations and crises could be livened up or subdued by the unforseen addition of a resplendent alicorn. With the right mix of presence, timing and pizazz, coming onto the scene could be milked for great effect. Allies would take heart, enemies would quiver, those still on the fence could be swayed. The first impression wasn't everything, but the Princess knew it was a lot.

Fortunately, this understanding of how to manipulate emotions was complemented by a wise head on ancient shoulders, and as such the princess knew when not to emphasize her entrance as well. The tall equine entered the room just as Openheart finished speaking. Not a hoofstep was heard, and neither Shale nor the nurse noticed the monarch or her student, who was following quietly in Celestia's hoofsteps.

In fact, Shale continued to not notice the Princess until the tail end of her rant. Princess Luna or a similarly ranked being would have facehoofed at the irony of an alicorn entering the room at just the right time to catch a diatribe about horns and wings on ponies. Not being of similar rank to Princess Luna, both Nurse Openheart and her Eponan patient had their hooves full prostrating themselves instead.

Celestia regarded the medical pony with a practiced benevolence, and spoke.

“Arise, Openheart. You have done well, but I believe you have other patients to attend to?”

The purple pony looked up and smiled, and then excused herself rapidly.

Pastel curls ruffled in an unfelt breeze as the Princess turned to Shale. The Eponan had climbed out of the hospital bed and was down on all flanks, her muzzle depressed against the floor. That she had not blacked out was only evident by way of the convulsive trembling that evidenced fear more than epilepsy.

“You, on the other hand, are an enigma. Arise, Shale Hearth Coalmare. Why are you prostrated such? Unless your system of etiquette is vastly different in emphasis from our own a respectful nod or bow would suffice for a head of state that is not your own.”

Silence hung for a second, and then the reply came in the form of a tiny whisper.

“Indeed, were you but a head of state that is close to what I would have done, but proper respect for divinity asks for a bit more, Your Highness.”

Celestia's eyebrows soared in conjunction with Twilight's, although the unicorn seemed slightly less shocked than her mentor. The diarch's eyes narrowed as another possibility occurred to her.

“Are you familiar with others of our kind then?”

Shale raised her head at that. Her voice was less humbled but more hesitant as it broke the awkward silence.

“Others... You are not the Creatrix then?”

Princess Celestia's head quirked to the side, like a robin “listening” for something.

“Creatrix?”

“The Creatrix. Legend has it she was the one who forged our worlds from the void in the fires of chaos. It was she who created the Sunbirds and set them in the sky to guide the heavens, and the Moonbirds to balance their fury with gentleness. Traditional Arapalfrian and Surkholti iconography depicts her as an alabaster pony, bedecked with horns and wings, tall and graceful with a flowing scarlet mane.

Up until now, most theologians had thought of this imagery as just that, a piece of iconography, a metaphor for a being so basic and powerful its very nature was incomprehensible to mortal minds.”

Celestia laughed.

“Well, I am many things, and I have been called many names, but I have never been mistaken for a creator of worlds before. I can assure you, however, that I am not the being you describe. My responsibility lies solely with moving Equestria's sun and ensuring my little ponies get along. We shall await your recovery in earnest, Miss Hearth, and until then, we bid you good day.”

As Celestia left the hospital room, she reached out briefly with her magic, her golden aura tugging discreetly at Twilight's tail. The purple unicorn looked as though she were about to resume a conversation left unfinished from before the concussion had rendered her guest unconscious. There was nothing wrong with that, but the princess had something she needed to tell her student.

Twilight responded to the pull by shutting her mouth abruptly and following her mentor. Probably for the best, Shale was looking relieved and a bit sleepy. Wouldn't do to disturb the interdimensional guest's beauty sleep, although there was still so much to ask...

Shimmering yellow mana shut the door to the room occupied by Shale as Twilight looked at her princess. Twilight wondered at the white alicorn's ability to maintain a poker face. It was as though a mask had fallen away, and now Celestia seemed frazzled, as though a part of what Shale had said had rattled something deep in the sun-mover.

"Twilight Sparkle, this mission I am about to give you is probably the most important one you've received since defeating King Sombra. I had planned more tests for you, but Discord's Gate has caught everypony by surprise.

This is your mission: Ensure peace between Equestria and Epona. I have diplomats and social scientists working on analyzing your findings thus far, and once we establish formal contact with this alternate universe, they will take over. First, however, we must make contact without them attacking us on sight. Ensuring Shale Hearth's safe return is the key to that.

Remain nearby, learn everything you can, but don't put her on edge. Perhaps just as importantly, ensure there are no more incidents like that fiasco with the CIA. She is our best chance for peace with Epona. I'm trusting you with this. If you need anything for this mission, you have only to ask."

Twilight saluted, and the two ponies gave each other a fond look before Celestia turned and left. The Element of Magic remained silent and calm just long enough that she could be sure her mentor was out of hearing range.

“Alright Twilight, no need to panic. After all, this is no different than any other mission the princess has given you. Forging peace between dimensions is no biggie compared to taking on a dragon that was going to plunge Equestria into darkness, or redeeming Nightmare Moon.”

Twilight fought down the coming hyperventilation. Breathe in, breathe out. Let the pressure leave the body, then consider the solution.

After a minute's consideration, Twiley's eyes lit up, and she could almost hear the light bulb going ding. There was something she could do. Diplomacy wasn't her strong suit, but that wasn't what the princess was asking for either. What was needed here wasn't a glib speech, masterful manipulation or quick negotiation.

Instead of stateship, what this situation called for was friendship.

Planning and Watching

”It's never calm before a storm. Seriously, have you ever actually gone out and looked around before a storm hits? There's always wind blowing everything everywhere, that's why there's a storm COMING.”

-An Eponan comedian remarking on the inaccuracy of an expression that apparently transcends dimensional boundaries.

Grand Marshall Arcane Bolt was the highest ranking officer in the Equestrian armed forces and second only to Celestia herself in military matters. Despite his noble birth, the cream-colored unicorn had worked his way all the way up from Decanus in the Equestrian Legion, going from commanding just ten ponies right up to his current position at the top of the military pyramid, and he had earned every promotion through hard work and perseverance. He was one of Equestria's foremost tactical minds, as well as an accomplished chess player, having been known to give even Her Highness a good game from time to time.

With these qualifications in mind, the Marshall's staff could be forgiven for deriving a certain unease from their boss' obvious dissatisfaction with the situation. They could almost see the gears grinding away within the commander's mind as his magic sifted through the reports he had received, analyzing what he knew and planning what to do with it. As the thought process continued, the Marshall's frown deepened.

Ranger scouts had finally tracked down the Eponan expedition, which had sequestered itself in a tangled thicket of deadwood. This didn't make much sense for ponies that, so far as they knew, were unobserved.

The Rangers were a fast-moving independent troubleshooting force, entirely separate from the Legion's chain of command right up to Arcane himself. They didn't need somepony else telling them how to do their job. When the mission called for being stealthy, the Rangers were like ghosts, in the air and on the ground. Even the starlings would have trouble finding them. Nevertheless, they had apparently been spotted.

The fallen timbers where the Eponans had secreted themselves were scattered around the large clearing haphazardly, with no particular rhyme or reason to their placement, obviously the product of a tornado, flash-flood or something. Hardly a good place for a permanent base, but ideal if a fleeing force needed somewhere to bunker down before being hit.

Whoever was leading the Eponans had not only spotted the Rangers before the Rangers had spotted him, that commander had picked out a position that would make any effort to extract him without weather bombing difficult and costly.

These ponies obviously expected a fight, and although Arcane was not in the diplomatic party, it was his responsibility to get Equestria ready if a fight did come out of this. For Equestria was emphatically not ready for war. Peace had reigned for centuries on his world, with the Princess and implied, never explicit, threat of precise and devastating solar wrath always hovering about, not even dragons had dared bring war to the ponies or their allies in living memory.

The reactivation of the Elements of Harmony had only strengthened Equestria's position, restoring one of their Alicorn Princesses and adding a six-pony team capable of deploying a beam of concentrated cure-all Harmony to the country's magical arsenal.

One consequence of the Pax Celestia, however, was that the Equestrian military had decayed to the point of being largely ceremonial. The Legions, once composed of the combined forces of all three of the historical Tribes and capable of smashing any threat, be they Diamond Dog horde, Griffon War Host or rampaging Dragon, were now composed of those with nowhere else to work, and were for the most part more at home getting lost in their tankards than on a battlefield.

Only the elite units, the Royal Guard and Her Majesty's Rangers, had retained any real degree of readiness. Each was, however, unsuited for conducting a sustained campaign.

The Royal Guard was still in tip-top physical form, perfectly disciplined and crisp. The problem being their combat experience was largely in ineffectively swatting at eldritch abominations better left to the Princesses. Who knew how they would react to fighting other ponies, even ones as strange as these Eponans seemed to be.

The Rangers, on the other hoof, were spread thinly, with most of their strength deployed in patrols and response teams along the borders, with the small team assigned to Discord's Gate being the largest force they could spare.

What this all amounted to, was that unless he, Arcanus Bolt, High Marshall of the Equestrian Armed Forces, rebuilt the regular army from the ground up, Equestria effectively had no military. The implication was, with that sunbird thing about, and assuming it had a lunar equivalent, the Princesses could not be counted upon to placate any belligerent incursions from that quarter until they were right on Equestria's doorstep.

Granted, hopefully there would be no need for ponies to operate on that side of the portal, with any luck the Elements of Harmony would be able to close the portal, or some other solution could be found, but it had never hurt to be prepared. Besides, this was a chance to get the armored divisions out of mothball...

Twilight Sparkle paused outside the hospital room. The doctors had urged her to allow Shale to rest for a few more hours, and so she had. Now, the medical professionals agreed the interdimensional patient was well enough for visitors. What caused her hesitation was a voice on the other side, singing or reciting a verse she had never heard before.

“Uwath Haliyan, senset umerech; nactyr remol. Ko warash umerech, niktarn sesech. Introl fendafrin pegar...”

The alien melody made its way through the door, lilting and gliding like a vocal butterfly as the song ended. It wasn't a beautiful singing voice, but not unpleasant to hear either.

Twilight took this time to enter the room. The second bed was empty, with Shale's standing there in the corner where she had left it. There in the nightstand, the crystal with the translation spell cast on it sat, glowing and apparently functional.

Purple lips moved, breaking the silence that had fallen.

“Can you still understand me?”

Shale looked up, an eyebrow quirked in question.

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“That song was not translated by my spell.”

“'That song' was the Song of Haliyan, a hymn from the end of the M'sta'ng period. Doesn't have any magical properties so far as I know.”

“Think. There must be something.”

“Well, I was singing it in the old Trakhenian. I first learnt the song in Surkholti at my city's College of the Talents, but I've been using the Trakhenian version ever since joining the Chalk Son Consortium. Most employees speak Trakhenian rather than their native tongues. It helps with communication when everypony uses the same language, even if we could probably get by otherwise.”

“Ah. That would do it. I'd hate to think I'd sent my brother off with a defective translation spell.”

Twilight's gaze shifted to the other bed.

“What happened to Carrot Top?”

Shale shrugged.

“Dunno. She wasn't here when I woke up again. Maybe she's recovered?”

“Yeah. Most likely.”

Silence fell again. Twilight shifted from hoof to hoof. This was new territory. She had made friends with the others by dint of having an adventure with them, getting to know them better afterwords. Even though forging those friendships had been the purpose behind sending her to Ponyville, that was the Princess' planning behind the scenes, not what she had been trying to do at the time.

Since then she'd made other acquaintances, some of whom she'd call friends, but each of those had shared a common activity. There'd been something else to do. Actively trying to make friends with somepony by just talking was still foreign territory. Perhaps some pointers from Pinkie Pie would be in order?

The two ponies stood regarding each other. Silence reigned with an iron hoof. Twilight felt like she could have reached out and swum through the thick, awkward atmosphere. Rather than drown in the

“But hay, good to see you're healthy and cognizant. You had me worried there, fainting off like that. Hope you recover soon!”

“Thanks?”

Some pointers from Pinkie would definitely be in order.

Pathmark Neighra gulped. Breathe in, breathe out. Stay calm, hopefully things will still turn out shiny. Take stock of surroundings, make sure nothing's been missed.

Tangle of fallen trees, hopefully preventing those flying things from coming down and dive bombing us? Check.

Weapon loaded, ready in case something comes down to attack anyways? Check.

Sun still overhead, starting to get low in sky and not disgorging inhabitants to try to burn us? Check.

Not missing any orders from the commander?

Pathmark looked over at his officer. Hard Trail was just standing there, staring at the forest. Not conferring with Tall Sands the Whisperer or positioning the civilians. Standing just behind the first log of the scattered timbers, trying to see something Pathmark couldn't.

Best to not put a check there until he was absolutely sure.

“Sir, any orders?”

“Quiet. They're out there.”

“Sir? I didn't know you were a Sweeper.”

“I'm not. Wish I had someone trained to watch auras. This would be a lot easier. I don't know if they're right out there this instant, but they must be close by.”

“Sir, my family've been sweepers pretty far back, my father taught me a bit. I can only go about ten meters out though.”

“Well, what are you waiting for? That'll at least get the first two meters of the forest beyond that wall of undergrowth. Any Sweep's better than no Sweep in that tangle. Shut those peepers and then tell me what you see.”

Pathmark did that, his eyelids closing as he concentrated. The sounds of his comrades and the civilians clanking around and preparing for the coming confrontation faded into the background. His breathing steadied, and from there his father's training took over.

All Eponans were born with the Talent, which allowed them to manipulate objects, use tools, and feel the world around them, rather like an extra pair of limbs. It was only through training that the Talent could be turned to other purposes, such as Tapping or Whispering. Granted, some ponies were born with more affinity and even some natural ability in these disciplines, but even relatively normal Eponans could gain these abilities with practice and guidance.

Training was expensive, so there were plenty of common ponies with no extraordinary powers at their disposal, whose jobs were often as simple as fixing machines or pulling a hoe. Some families would save up for a youngster to get trained in a discipline, others went through the schooling as a right of passage.

Mr. Glint Neighra had been one of the latter, the scion of a line of moderately important ponies from just south of Trakhenia. After being trained as a Sweeper, Specialist Neighra was assigned to a portal fort halfway down the Caress Chain. He had then proceeded to get involved in his commanding officer's daughter, and although the two had wed, the father was bitter enough to ensure his son-in-law would not find work with the Portal Authority, or anywhere else besides Epona itself. There, Pathmark had been born.

Learning to Sweep had always been a bonding experience between Pathmark and his father. The elder Neighra's words echoed now between his son's ears, guiding his efforts from beyond the grave.

"Breathe in, breathe out. Think of tranquil water dripping into a pool. Let life flow around you, then observe the eddies it leaves."

When Pathmark opened his eyes, the forest ahead of him was glowing. The light that was shared between all life was flickering and shining from all quarters, emanating gently but steadily from the trees themselves. Brighter still were the creatures of the forest heading to their evening haunts. Blurs that were probably rabbits, raccoons, foxes, squirrels and songbirds cascaded through the forest, fading as they moved out of Pathmark's range and growing brighter as they drew nearer. All seemed well.

“I can't see them sir.”

“Don't worry, they're out there. Maybe not here yet, but it won't be long now.”

Escalation

“Teeeeeeeeeeeen-shun!”

The line of ponies, all colors and species, drew themselves up, each standing straight as an arrow with eyes riveted front. The light green unicorn that had spoken moved down the line, followed by an aide. The speaker looked the ponies in front of him up and down, judging them.

Not one of the ponies at attention dared comment on the stallion's bulk, or rather lack thereof. A wicker crop wreathed in an orange glow levitated ahead of the pony, marking him as a pony of authority. The officer's guttural voice ripped into the recruits like a scythe into wheat. While the tirade lagged behind the Royal Voice in sheer volume it more than made up in malice and attitude.

“Alrighty, under normal circumstances the application process tends to vet the complete idiots out of the lineup, but we're in a hurry on orders from the Big Poobah Sir Arcane Bolt due to that portal and the tensions that are rising with our own neighbors as they slowly but surely realize we now have access to what is effectively an entire planet's worth of resources! So, for you idiots that made it thus far, I'll summarize the situation.”

The stallion halted in front of a fuchsia mare and flicked her nose, redirecting the errant snout up from where it had dipped to take in the diminutive pony.

“You are the recruits. You want to join the ranks of Equestria's finest. Don't let some Guard puke or Legion slob tell you different. When the Princess wants something done as thoroughly and efficiently as if she were there herself, she sends Rangers!”

The crop flicked out faster than the recruits could follow, smacking a slouching white stallion across the forelegs, making him jump back to attention.

“We are not the Shiny, Impressive Scepter, to be waved around and look impressive. Nor are we Big Freakin' Stick, to be brandished at threats to make them back down. We are the Knife, quick, businesslike, and effective. We are not the Wonderbolts, we are not here to look pretty. We are here to ensure that threats from outside Equestria STAY outside Equestria.”

A pegasus recruit hurriedly shifted her stance just as the short stallion was about to come level with her. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary but knowing that it had only just been made that way, the officer paused momentarily to drive home that he was not blind before continuing.

“That's the big picture. Now for the small, tiny drip of paint on the frame that constitutes your part in this. You are the aspiring recruits who want to join my prestigious unit. Fat chance. As you may or may not know, the Rangers have the highest dropout rate from our application process in the Armed Forces.“

Having reached the end of the line of recruits, the stallion rounded on them and redoubled his tirade.

“I am the Drill Sergeant. My name is not important, as until you graduate from this training regimen, you will refer to me as Drill Sergeant, Sir, or Drill Sergeant Sir. It is my job to find the weaknesses amongst you lot, and weed them out. Sometimes, this means helping you get over personal problems. Other times, that means finding the idiots that would get killed doing our job and kicking your flank to the curb. For instance...”

The Drill Sergeant stopped in front of the pegasus from earlier, a teal-colored mare with a golden mane.

“You, do you know why you are here?”

The mare looked nervous, but stood rigid and replied as forcefully as she could.

“Sir, I want to join the ranks of Equestria's finest!”

The Drill Sergeant grunted, and then returned to full volume.

“Good job idiot, you can parrot back an explanation I gave you barely a minute ago! Time for a harder question. Why do you want to join the ranks of Equestria's finest? Think about your answer, if you can.”

The recruit began to sweat, obviously considering her next words carefully.

“I got kicked out of the Wonderbolts academy for being reckless. Couldn't get a job in weather, didn't want to join the Legion, not got the pedigree for the Guard. I also think I'm qualified sir, I was regional Best Young Flier for the Manehattan Flight School three years running.”

The Drill Sergeant remained impassive.

“Well at least you're honest, even if you are an idiot. I am the one who decides if you're qualified to be a Ranger. Your achievements up to now mean nothing. Only your performance from here on in counts. Honesty we can work with, but you've just volunteered to scrub the latrines after parade. Get some humility into that head and there might be something worth working on.”

The Drill Sergeant turned to the rest of the group.

“Di-SMISSED!”

Twilight Sparkle left Shale's room, lost in thought. Her head bent nearly parallel to the gound as she built her mental checklist from the ramblings.

"Need to arrange a friend-making tutorial session, perhaps get Pinkie Pie to help with the assignment itself. Being an ambassador is going to be the most difficult thing I've done. Can't just charge in with the other girls like we did with that dragon. Good thing that backup spell worked, who knew how badly things could have gone with Shale if we hadn't been able to understand eachother..."

At that thought, Twilight's head came upright, and her ears flattened against her head. Dread settled in like a heavy wet blanket as the realization dawned on her.

With that, she kicked up her hooves and took off running.

"Gotta get to Spike, have him send a message to the Princess. I can only hope I'm not too late to stop a war."

Shining Armor was immensely displeased.

Long before the nuptial ceremony that had elevated him to royalty, he had been a soldier. Not just any soldier, he had been a Royal Guard. A member of the elite, not by dint of birthright or some lofty sponsor, but by virtue of the sweat from his own brow. Alongside that work had been training that had instilled in him an unerring loyalty to Equestria. As symbols and representatives of Equestria in the Court of Lords, the nobility held a share of that loyalty. After all, one of his most common duties had been keeping those nobles safe.

That hadn't stopped Shining from despising them. The Equestrian aristocracy had become lethargic and hollow in the days since the first Hearth's Warming, largely devoid of feudal power. Many of the more proactive members had, in the meantime, become obsessed with image and retaining "superiority" over actually doing anything. Especially their own duties as servants of the common pony. This irritated the duty-bound Captain Armor.

One of the more infamous sources of that irritation stood before him, arrayed in barding similar to his own. Prince Blueblood, renowned the world over as a narcissistic twit, as well as a backstabbing politicker when he put his mind to something. The gold-maned stallion had been escorted in by two of the Royal Guard pegasi on overwatch, who had intercepted the noble's sky chariot just in time to prevent a flyover of the fallen timbers.

Blueblood reciprocated the frown Shining Armor was giving him as the less military of the two unicorns explained his reason for being there.

"I'm not entirely certain you grasp the gravity of the situation here, Prince Armor. Politics has always been about power and certain individuals' desire for it. This world, and the Eponans that live here, represent a shift in power. There are certain elements in the Lords, some among my own family, that would like nothing better than to carve out their own private barony far from the Princess' watchful eye. As Duke of Canterlot, I have a vested interest in keeping that from happening. The fact that I personally abhor the idea of exploiting innocent ponies and the stigma of dishonor it would bring to my social strata only goads me further.”

The other white unicorn raised his eyebrow in a very clear nonverbal message: Get to the point.

“I am here to ensure the Court of Lords, is represented in any negotiations or agreements. This will lend legitimacy to any treaties and keep my less scrupulous peers from objecting later. Hopefully. In any case, I need to be there at the first contact. If I'm not there, you lose any credibility in the Lords this entire affair may have.”

Shining Armor grunted.

“Very well. But you'll be the one explaining to Celestia if this operation goes south.”

The unfettered sun was beating down serenely, albeit not its strongest, the time being well past noon. Far below, a white stallion bedecked in purple-and-gold raiment was marshalling a large force of ponies.

At the edge of that force, Corporal Sharp Halberd narrowed his eyes. The group observing him from the thicket ahead was not what he had expected. The tracks he and his Rangers had found were those of a large party. Only seven of the what-looked-like-earth ponies stood staring at him across the gulf between the deadwood and the edge of the forest.

They were wearing that same canvas barding he recognized from Shale. The garments' pockets bulged with Celestia-knew-what. Unfamiliar on these newcomers, however, was their headgear.

Six, including the large black one, had their heads adorned with odd helmets, which looked like upended metal soup-plates and looked like they would provide little protection against a sword or claw swing, while the seventh, central Eponan had a tall peaked cap, similar to a train guard's and obviously marking him as the leader.

Hovering at the ready (and there was a wonder in itself!) were six of what looked like wooden clubs mounted with long tubes. While there was no way of knowing for sure, by the way the thinner ends of those things were being aimed at him, they could only be weapons.

The Corporal's eye was drawn back to his own party. The Equestrians had arrayed themselves among the trees at the edge of the forest. Halberd stood at the far right end of the line, anchoring his Rangers in case the situation turned ugly. None of them were making use of their fieldcraft, under orders from on high to not attempt to conceal themselves. Didn't want this to look like an ambush.

In the center, and making up most of the line, Royal Guards stood in their resplendent glory, golden armor shimmering in the sunlight. Most of those arrayed there were unicorns; Pegasus Guards were being held in reserve. Wards shimmered in the quiet, their ambient protection evidently giving the Guards as well as Prince Blueblood a feeling of security against the rumors of powerful magics wielded by those in the woods. The fact that those wards also distorted their images, like looking through a heat mirage, was beside the point.

At each end of the Equestrian force stood the Rangers, faithfully keeping their traditional station as flankers and outrunners. No wards quivered here. Ranger unicorns had found over hundreds of engagements that it was more efficient to use their power for taking the fight to the enemy. Standing around and taking lumps was for Guards or Legiomares. A Ranger simply didn't get hit.

These thoughts flitted about Sharp Halberd's mind like the butterflies in his stomach as the pony in command of his expedition spoke in clear Equestrian, echoed in a foreign tongue by the enchanted quartz crystal strung about his neck.

“Greetings, representatives of Epona. My name is Shining Armor, prince of the Crystal Empire, and nephew-in-law of Princesses Celestia and Luna, monarchs of the sky. We wish to establish peaceful contact between our races, and clarify what might be taken as a terrible mistake.”

The Eponans paused, uncertain what to make of the long stream of foreign language. They looked at each other, obviously trying to decide what to do. The crystal made no attempt to translate their jabber, which was slower and more lilting than the fast, clipped speech that had emanated from the crystal. Shining Armor scowled at the offending gemstone, poking at it first with his hoof, and then with his magic, to ensure the translation spell was in place and functioning.

Then, the leader of the group stepped forward and spoke slowly in Shale's language, which was turned into halting Equestrian.

“You talk Surkholti. You take Shale. Where Shale?”

Blueblood turned to his fellow prince and spoke.

“Perhaps you should let me deal with this, Shining.”

The prince with the blond mane turned to the Eponans and ignited his horn. The enchanted gem on the back of his barding lit up in response, and lightning bolts began to arc over Blueblood, forming wings of electrical power in an impressive display. Shining Armor's eyes widened, and he leapt to stop the fool.

Too late.

The Royal Voice echoed everywhere, bounding off tree and rock like a tidal wave of bombast.

Among the fallen timbers, Pathmark's pupils dilated. Here it was, the attack they'd been preparing for. Any second now the commander would give the signal to fire. Can't shoot before, orders being orders.

“GREETINGS EPONANS. WE ARE PRINCE BLUEBLOOD. YOUR COMPATRIOT IS-”

The unicorn's monologue was cut short. Shining Armor, despite his best efforts, was not responsible. The blue-maned prince had been interrupted in his efforts to shut up his royal peer by a single thunderclap, which the Rangers present recognized as the same sound that had occurred back in the pines that first day. The sound's echoes were punctuated by the thump of somepony falling over.

Pathmark looked around in horror. Who had fired prematurely? Who had twitched? Whose nerves had given-

Then he noticed his weapon was smoking.

Blueblood's wards dispelled, his magic no longer fueling them. He had turned at the sound in astonishment as Shining Armor slumped to the ground. A single hole, like unto a crossbow bolt wound, had appeared just below the enchanted plating that protected the Prince's shoulder. The look of surprise on his face would have been quite humorous, had it not been immediately followed by the next-highest ranking noblepony freezing up, leaving the Equestrian forces without a clear chain of command.

Now, despite appearances, Blueblood was not completely stupid. Far from it. His narcissism, which did get the best of him from time to time, kept him from being much of a serious statespony. Nevertheless, he had jockeyed in the race that was court politics with the best of them, and as such was not without foresight. Moreover, he knew magic, although he was not a half as good with the art as he thought he was.

He thought had come prepared for this sort of unpleasantness, with the aforementioned ward in place to block whatever infernal magic these upstarts from another universe would dare to level against a prince of royal heritage. In a bit of misguided foresight, Blueblood had gone all-out with said ward.

Due to his own not-inconsiderable magical training, the spell's protection should have stood up to the attacks of all but his adopted aunts and cousin, a few of the highest-ranked military unicorns in Equestria, and perhaps those of his cousin-in-law and said cousin-in-law's sister. Alas, this level of preparation was brought to nothing by way of a simple fact of arcana, albeit slightly more advanced than the basics learned in magic kindergarten.

Blueblood's eyes widened as he looked over at Shining Armor, a lesson from his tutor of thaumaturgical science echoing in his memories.

"Wards are fields of anti-magic, essentially localized counter-spells attuned to not interfere with the user's aura. As such, they can only stop magical effects, such as ley lightning, conjured fireballs, arcane missiles and the like. Deflection of physical projectiles is the purview of shields, that is, bubbles or panels of solid mana formed around the protected subject."

Blueblood realized his problem. The Eponans' weapons had not punched through his ward. An arcane assault like that would have left him with a massive migrane. He would have felt his ward being penetrated. Those strange weapons were not magical. They probably worked by way of moving a small physical object very fast into the target. Since the erstwhile noble had sunk all of his defensive energies into preventing some powerful magical attack, a projectile would have no trouble flying straight through and into his cousin-in-law.

Shining Armor, for his part, had not raised any magical defenses that could counter a projectile either.

This all dawned on Blueblood a bit too late. At the realization that he very well might have caused the death of a fellow prince and touched off an interdimensional conflict, the unicorn's sky blue eyes rolled upwards, and he let out a pitiful moan. He fainted dead away, joining his cousin-in-law in a landward descent.

As the dumbstruck and downstruck unicorns crumpled to the ground, mayhem broke out. With their caster no longer controlling their path, the lightning bolts that had made up Blueblood's fake wings began to arc wildly, striking tree, sand, and pony indiscriminately.

One of the first to fall was Sergeant Backdraft, commander of the Royal Guard detachment, who had not raised wards of his own at the behest of Shining Armor. The unfortunate unicorn fell writhing in agony as the bolt of electricity sizzled down his horn, thankfully being channeled off by purpose-made conduits in his armor into a nonlethal but still painful path.

Next to be struck was the lead Eponan, his scream cut off as the jolt found his heart. With that, several more thunderclaps went off, the remaining Eponans discharging their weapons into the assembled Equestrians, wounding two Rangers and a Guard.

Before the Equestrian officers could get the situation under control, several Guard and Ranger unicorns had replied in kind with battle-spells. Fireballs, arcane missiles and more lightning bridged the gap between the two parties.

At this point more noise from the Eponan weapons carried through the timber, and Equestrians began dieing left and right. Command broke down as crested helms were perforated with merciless lead. The scene soon devolved into a melee of acrid smoke, burning timber and fallen ponies.

Although it felt like hours, only a few seconds passed before Backdraft recovered enough to rein in the troops. Equestrians had long since ceased to fall from Eponan fire. With order restored, first-aid ponies started filtering among the trees, stabilizing the unfortunates as best they could and preparing the chariots for medivac duty.

If those ponies had gone immediately into the fallen timbers, they would have seen one of the last two living Eponans staring into the eyes of a green-and brown bird. No verbal message was passed, but the description was Whispered across the gap. The last thing Tall Sands saw before his eyes closed for the last time was the little bird taking off, flying east.

Author's Note

Well hello! Things have gone through a bit of a change since I last updated, all to hopefully give you a better Discord's Gate viewing experience! As you may have noticed, I enlisted the help of the Author Support group here on FiM Fiction to get feedback on the quality of my writing, as well as the accessibility of the story to people who haven't read Hell's Gate. While I feel this has helped immensely, there's always room for me to improve. If you notice any typos or are confused about anything, please don't hesitate to drop a comment or a private message to me. Encouragement, suggestions or criticism, I'll take whatever I get. In any case, hope you lot had a happy Easter.

Yours humbly,

Elmagnifico

EDIT: Aaaaand now hopefully that awkward fourth-wall-breaking bit in the middle to explain about wards is fixed.

Perspectives

At roughly the same time Blueblood caused Shining Armor to receive a serious case of accelerated lead poisoning.

Twilight Sparkle stood in the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner. The pastry-themed confection shop was busy today, with Equestrians of all shapes and sizes filtering in and out of the place with bags full of bits and bags of goodies, respectively. As such, Pinkie Pie had invited her friend behind the counter, so that they could converse while she worked. This mostly consisted of Pinkie bouncing around the bakery throwing various ingredients into bowls while Twilight tried very hard to not get hit with any cupcake components. The pink earth pony was completely oblivious to her friend's plight as she spoke, punctuating her query with an energetic ingredient-fling.

“So, what did you want to talk with me about?”

Twilight ducked as a cup of flour flew through the airspace where her head had been.

“Well, I thought I'd ask for your help.”

Pinkie perked up at this as she sent a plethora of sweet items airborne.

“I'd love to help! You need some event planned? Ooh, is it a party? A picnic?”

Twilight shifted her head backwards to avoid the assorted candies.

“No, Pinkie, I need your help making friends with somepony.”

The party-planner's eyes took on a sly look, which was only accentuated as she searched for the next ingredient.

“Ah, say no more, say no more! So, we'll need mood lighting, some pasta, that long spaghetti would probably be best...”

Twilight just stood there uncomprehending as several teaspoons filled with vanilla powder took flight, each thankfully missing her head by inches, and Pinkie Pie continued.

“What kind of drinks will he want? Or she, Rainbow Dash says we can't assume that kind of thing off the bat. Assumptions like that are bad. Honestly, I thought those two musicians were together! I don't think I'd ever seen two mares change color so rapidly without rainbow juice involved! And both such vivid shades of red!”

Twilight shook her head as a near miss from a salt shaker snapped her out of her reverie.

“No, Pinkie, not a coltfriend. No romance at all. I need to make friends with Shale.”

Pinkie Pie paused in her work to look her friend in the eye.

“Are you sure? I know the best place just north of here. It's perfect for that kind of thing.”

Twilight laughed, even as she avoided the pitcher of milk.

“Yes, I'm sure. Normally I'd just, I don't know, invite her to come study in the library, but this is important. I don't want to mess this up. I'm still not very good at making friends.”

Pinkie crossed her eyes in thought as she sent a squadron of eggs zooming.

“But that's silly! You've made lots of friends! There's me, and Rarity, Dashie, Fluttershy and Applejack, and that's just for starters!”

“Yes, but I met you girls while trying to set up the Summer Sun Celebration, and we weren't really friends until we banded together to stop Nightmare Moon.”

“So you're saying we need to cause a big disturbance that necessitates you working together with Shale for the benefit of both our societies?”

Twilight's eyes lit up as she began to agree, and then settled down as previous speculation asserted itself.

“YE-ah, no. Causing natural disasters or dragon invasions for the sole purpose of winning the trust of the interdimensional emissary would be bad. Building that kind of trust on a lie would risk losing it if the lie was discovered, and losing a friend's trust would likely result in losing that friendship permanently.”

Pinkie let the conversation pause for a second, her face spread with a grin of approval as she contemplated bursting out into a three syllable synonym of permanent, just for emphasis. Thinking better of it, she continued picking at Twilight's insecurity.

“But even without life-threatening peril, you've still made loads of friends. What about Zecora, the Cakes, Lyra or Little Strongheart?”

Twilight paused, considering while eggs began zipping past her ears.

“I don't really count them. Lyra I knew in passing from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and the others I met while I was with you and the girls.”

Pinkie paused. She was standing on her two back legs, an egg balanced on each front hoof in preparation for flinging at the mixes. Her face screwed up in concentration before a wide grin split her entire face and seemed to radiate into the area around her. The smile was evident even in her voice as she spoke.

“Well DUH, sounds like you make friends best when we're all together! Sounds like we should round up the others and get to work on a PART-!”

Pinkie's diatribe was cut off by a purple hoof, which prompted her eyes to start getting large and wet. This in turn caused Twilight to sigh before she replied in a firm, no-nonsense voice.

“No. No parties until after we've gotten to know Shale better. I don't know what her culture's like for parties, we don't want to offend her. Moreover, she's only just about to be released from the hospital after going through intense spell-shock related concussion. I don't want to stress her out with too many ponies about, and a party in particular would likely just aggravate her symptoms. After that incident with the Brain Enlargement spell, I'd know.”

Pinkie looked disappointed. She flung the eggs halfhartedly, and they sailed across the kitchen before splitting on the near edges of the target bowls, dropping the yolk and whites in while sending the empty shells spinning out onto the countertop behind. She sighed around her friend's hoof before pushing the offending limb down and giving another, slightly less toothy smile.

“In all seriousness Twilight, friendship comes from being there with your friends. My advice? Do something with Shale. Invite her on a picnic. Where's she staying in Ponyville? Maybe offer to put her up in the library. Do something nice for her, hang out, and it'll all come naturally from there. Just don't wig out like you do when the princesses come to visit. That never turns out well.”

Twilight mirrored Pinkie's expression with her own smile. She spread her front hooves for a hug, which Pinkie gladly gave. Twilight's voice was gentle as it broke the happy silence that followed.

“Thanks Pinkie. I'll keep that in mind.”

Twilight's mind was busy with plans before Pinkie's voice interrupted her train of thought.

“Of course, that advice also applies to any colt you decide you're sweet on. Or mare, for that matter.”

Twilight looked shocked for a second before drawing her hoof back to give Pinkie a good-natured bonk for that comment. The party planner was not within reach, however, having placed herself on the opposite side of the kitchen while Twilight was processing the jibe. Pinkie Pie's face was split with a mischievous grin as wide as she could make it. Twilight's eyes narrowed as her own smile grew.

“Oh, it is ON.”

A gunshot. It wasn't all that remarkable of a sound. False Tan had been making a living out of being within earshot of firearms going off since he had been little more than a foal, fresh out of the Trakhenian Talent Academy. A Whisperer of the Portal Authority was bound to be around gunfire. He or she was expected to command the massive Portal Hounds, war dogs as well as companions and finders of interdimensional gateways. Moreover, Whisperers acted as field team's message stations and short range reconnaissance gatherers, their Relay Birds being much more flexible about the places they could be sent than a Tapper's telekinetic signal.

These duties put them near the bleeding edge of the Portal Authority's frontiers, helping to fight portal pirates and often encountering wild creatures looking to have an Eponan for breakfast. The point being, False Tan was no stranger to gunshots. He'd heard hundreds of the thunderclap-like detonations over the course of his life. None affected him like this one did.

The strangers had left the treeline opposite in an obvious show of force, but the blue-maned officer that was obviously their commander had tried talking. He'd failed, since Shale was the only one in the whole expedition fluent in Surkholti. Captain Hard Trail knew a bit, and it looked like they would be able to have a peaceful discourse. Then that other stallion had tried volume over tact, supplemented by some kind of lightning display, and someone's weapon had gone off.

Then the world had descended into chaos.

False Tan legged it back to the nearest fallen log, Hard Trail's scream echoing in his ears and the air sizzling with lightning bolts. He heard other shots going off, with the oversized Uromaneth Antimaterial Rifle that Blade Hair called a carbine and everyone else called the Doom Whomper booming like its own miniature apocalypse.

The Whisperer's first thought was for the animals. They were all there, waiting dutifully. Argus, the expedition's last Portal Hound was unhurt, but his mastiff-shaped face was written with concern as his training alternately told him to go slay whatever was attacking his companions and to stay put as per orders. The two relay birds, one green and brown, the other sky blue, were sitting there placidly, “there” being on the metal perch attached his barding for the purpose. It would take either a whisper from him or someone trying to take them to get the small, slightly stupid creatures to move.

Having secured his charges, False Tan brought his attention back to the battle. The initial volley of lightning bolts had been replaced by a second salvo, this one supplemented by fireballs and glowing missiles that apparently burst into existence from the horns of the foe. False Tan watched, dumbfounded, as the impossible projectiles tore into the dead wood and dead Eponans that littered the area.

Having completely forgotten his own rifle, False Tan shifted his gaze around to the other members of the survey team. The remaining guards were letting rip with their own weapons, their standard issue Trakhenian Model 9s releasing a devastating synchronized volley, each one firing as another went down to prime his rifle. The rhythmic motions were punctuated by the metallic click-clack of the rifle's bolts as they were drawn back to fire again.

The Doom Whomper let its own voice be heard, its Arapalfrian owner following her gun's detonation with a whooping a war cry that had not been heard on Epona for a century. The armies of the Arapalfrian septs had been the most powerful of the nomadic Mustang tribes that had plagued Epona's more settled populations until the advent of gunpowder had taught the raiders to stay away. The Arapalfrians were civilized now, more or less, but Blade Hair evidently had held to some of the more warlike traditions of her ancestors.

The rest of the expedition was contributing in its own way. Rill Slant the armorer was fighting just as hard as the guards, the lever of his Blue Scar Mk. II carbine in almost constant motion when he wasn't stuffing more shells into the gun's reciever. Elegant Hair, the cartographer, was burning maps as fast as she could pile them into the tiny pyre she'd set with flint and tinder. Notched Door, the cook, was not doing much, having been reduced to an outline on a log by an incoming fireball.

All these details, the desperation, the quick thinking, the valor, the death, were taken in by False Tan, until his eyes rounded on Pathmark. The Farmalian stallion was still sitting there, his rifle paused just above the fallen tree both he and the Whisperer were hiding behind. False Tan acted without thinking, tackling the other stallion to the ground to bring him out of the way of an incoming fireball.

Unfortunately for the Whisperer, the action brought him squarely into the path of one of the humming bolts of energy that accompanied the fireball volleys. He felt the impact, and had he not lacked the necessary experience, he would have compared the feeling to being hit with a steam-driven sledgehammer. As it was, False Tan was slammed against one of the logs that formed the impromptu fortifications, and he could feel his internals protesting the movement by shutting down.

One thought was paramount in the following moments: Get the animals out. False Tan looked over to his three charges as the clamor of rifles dwindled one by one. To Argus, he spoke as he Whispered. “Go on, get! Go back to the portal, find Dark Cell.” The Hound hesitated momentarily before fleeing. The blue Relay Bird received a similar command, albeit without the verbal component. The last, the green and brown avian, False Tan gave a much deeper stare.

Much as he had pulled thoughts from this creature's relatively primitive brain to see what it saw, now he put marks of his own, highlighting the sight and sounds of the past few minutes in the bird's head so the next Whisperer would know to look at those, that they carried his message. The strain of Whispering left False Tan feeling light, and he gave thanks for that last burst of strength even as his lifeblood seeped from where it should be in his body to where it oughtn't, the trauma of arcane impact causing the red liquid to burst its normal channels and betray its purpose, killing its master.

With that, False Tan's eyes dimmed as his life guttered out like a flame starved of air.

Author's Note

Can you say mood whiplash? I can say mood whiplash!

I apologize for these chapters' brevity, but I tend to think of them less as chapters and more blocks of writing I publish whenever the amount of unpublished stuff hits around 2000 words. What do you lot think? Would I be better served sitting on my writing for longer periods, and publishing when I reach logical breaks, or would you prefer more frequent snippets that maybe should be mushed into larger chapters during a later edit?

Aftershocks

PORTAL AUTHORITY COMMAND LOG

Warning: Unathorized viewing of transcripts in this file is considered a class IV felony and grounds for legal action up to and including life imprisonment and barring from portal travel.

Portal Authority Fortification Eta Rho Q, Commander Bold Charge
Personal Log, Tenth day of 3rd Thunderbird, 523, GA

Fort Quiver is quiet today. We received word from the Eranax Relay Team (see Tapper Dispatch DCKQ9347) regarding the fate of Captain Hard Trail's expedition. The troops are taking it hard. I've ordered a squad of guards out to escort Specialist Kinlafillia and Corporal Caster back to the fort. Orders received from up-chain today mandate the withdrawal of all exploration teams. The diplomatic section from Fort Albatross is still a week's march away. Until then, we're to hunker down and keep from starting a war.

I just pray to the Creatrix it's not too late.

Twilight Sparkle trotted down the main hallway of Ponyville General Hospital, the words of the princess still echoing in her ears.

“We are afraid we must ask you to leave your brother's side. He's out of danger now, the wound's been closed, he should be out of the hospital in a few days. His side is the place of thy sister-in-law. Your mission from our sister must be attended. Shale Hearth deserves to know what has happened.”

The door creaked open in response to the purple aura. Twilight stepped carefully into the room, treating each spot as though it was going to explode if she laid a hoof wrong. The room's occupant looked up. A smile of recognition spread across Shale's features, causing pangs of guilt to run through Twilight's stomach.

She kept the explanation quick and to the point. As the words rushed out, the crystal on the nightstand translated, and the clipped language from Epona sounded harsh and angry against the softer tones of Twilight's Equestrian. Shale's face fell with each passing phrase, until her bangs hung down far enough to obscure her eyes. Shale Hearth didn't say a word throughout.

“...There was only one survivor, and he's going through spasms that are preventing the doctors from helping much. Princess Luna said she was going to try something.”

With nothing left to say, Twilight stopped speaking, and a deep silence fell.

Eventually, Twilight broke it.

“Shale? Is there anything I can do?”

The Eponan's reply was barely audible. The crystal paused for several seconds before offering a translation.

“Get out.”

Twilight tilted her head, straining to hear.

“Pardon?”

Back came the rebuttal, louder this time, but still below the volume of normal conversation.

“I said get out.”

Twilight just stood there in shock. It was several seconds before she found her voice.

“I don't understand.”

Shale turned to face the Twilight, tears streaming down the Eponan's face, anger stamped upon the her features like an ugly brand.

“I didn't know them well. I was only part of that team for a few months. But they were my friends, and I could do nothing to help them as they died. I wish to mourn them. In peace. So there is something you can do. GET. OUT.”

Twilight's peripheral vision caught a movement. The translation crystal was levitating, and a small, primitive part of her brain screamed about the aberration of something flying without wings or an aura. Fight-or-flight instinct took over, and purple hair whipped about as Twilight wheeled and fled, pursued by a hurled gemstone. She was only just able to slam the door shut before the geologic projectile impacted the stout timbers.

Fire burned behind Twilight's eyes for an instant. Who was this mare to yell at her? Twilight had lost things too. Her own brother had been seriously wounded in the opening salvo, which the Eponans had started! She started venting as well, tears of anger flowing unashamed as the words came fast and furious.

A more rational portion of Twilight's mind noted that the stoccato bursts of Shale's language were going untranslated. That rational portion would later wonder if it was the impact or Shale's telekinesis that had disrupted the spell. For a while though, the thinking part of Twilight Sparkle took a back seat as she yelled back. It would be a while before quiet was restored to the hospital, as Equestrian and Eponan gave incoherent voice to their rage.

Arcane Bolt was a mess. He had been very busy over the past forty-eight hours, and the rigid authority figure he usually cut was roughed about by the fact that he hadn't showered or shaved in that time period. His senses were dulled by a continued throbbing in the back of his head, and he could tell he wasn't reacting to things as quickly as normal.

Such was the degree of his fatigue, he didn't even notice the extra pony in his office until the door closed behind the interloper. It was a solid door, built to be as ornate as it was robust, and as such its beauty would have dazzled any student of art or architecture, and its impervious nature was emphasized as it shut with a sound thud.

The visitor didn't say anything at first. His eyes shifted back and forth, probing every nook and cranny of the room. Arcane followed the survey with his own gaze, taking in the wooden panelling and relatively modest carpet that adorned his own small portion of the Canterlot Castle before returning to the pony. A nasal voice, which sounded like it was accustomed to being obeyed, broke the awkward silence.

"Could you lift that paperweight?"

One of Arcane's eyebrows rose. It was not a particularly strenuous request, but the brusque delivery, devoid of any respect or deference, galled the marshall. Nevertheless, he focused on the indicated object and his orange aura easily levitated it. Arcane kept his gaze on the interloper, although his mind drifted to the paperweight. It was a quartz crystal, a gift from the Empire when he had been introduced to his opposite number from the ancient northern power. The thing was too impure to use as a spell focus, and instead carved into a sphere with a lens cut off the bottom to keep it from rolling. The marshall briefly entertained a very unprofessional fantasy, one of mashing the paperweight into the rude individual's face. Instead, he placed it back on top of the stack of reports it had been keeping stationary.

With temptation cast aside, Arcane regarded his visitor.

The intruder was an earth pony, about as unathletic as Arcane had ever seen a member of that breed, with a drab gray coat and electric-blue mane. His cutie mark appeared to be a hat made out of some sort of metal. Considering his pronounced muzzle, unkempt facial hair and buck teeth, a pony more given to metaphor than the Marshall could have compared the interloper to some sort of rodent of unusual size. He was shoving his snout through a folder, muttering to himself.

"Orange. Yes, that checks out."

Arcane's eyebrow remained cocked at a nonplussed angle.

"And you are?"

The interloper's nasal voice replied without the snout responsible leaving its folder.

“Just checking to make sure you aren't a changeling sir.”

Marshall Bolt's eyebrows both dropped, painting his face with a scowl.

“I meant your name.”

The earth pony in question stiffened at that, pulling his face out of his file and standing at a rather sloppy imitation of attention.

"Hat, sir. Tin Hat. As director of the Celestial Intelligence Service, I'm in charge of the spy business, and you are my direct superior. I was recently appointed to replace Black Dossier."

Recognition dawned in Arcane's eyes, and he narrowed them as he replied.

"Ah, yes, I remember now. I've been up analyzing our latest encounter with these Eponans. I seem to recall an incident with the one currently quartered in Ponyville that was your responsibility?"

Director Hat shifted a bit, his discomfort evident.

"Indeed, that was a blunder on my part. I had been monitoring the reports coming out of my agents in the area, and when the Eponan demonstrated abilities beyond normal for the Earth Caste, I became concerned. The office of the Princess okayed my plan, and I ordered my agents to bring the Eponan in. It was the wrong call, although to be fair Cloak and Dagger took my instructions to take her for questioning and analysis farther than I had intended."

Arcane scowled. If Director Hat had been a military officer, he would have received a drill-sergeant-style tirade on taking responsibility for the actions of his subordinates. As it was, this probably wasn't the whole truth, but it was likely all he'd get from the slightly slimy and paranoid-looking intel director. In lieu of upbraiding him, the Marshall simply fixed Director Hat with a glare that would have done its best to turn a basilisk to stone.

The intel pony stood there wilting for a bit before shaking his muzzle and speaking.

"I thought it best to give you this report in person. You never know who's watching.”

Tin Hat placed an object on the desk, which Arcane levitated up in his aura. It was made of metal, and its dull gray surface cast a sheen like polished sword steel. It was obviously cleaned regularly. The most distinguishing feature of the thing was a cylinder encased in a robust-looking metal frame. One of the more prominent features of this frame was the short, stubby metallic tube projecting off at a right angle. A handle of some sort, consistent with ones on griffon tools, although smooth and lacking any grips, extended downward from the frame holding the large cylinder.

"This is the personal weapon we found on the Eponan currently residing in Ponyville. My liason with the Rangers, who providentially was present at the cockatrice incident, requisitioned it for immediate analysis. Contrary to speculation, it's not an arcane device or similar magical channel for casting thunderbolts. It is an entirely mundane device. It's like a miniature cannon. These cartridges are what it fires.”

More unusual artifacts landed onto Arcane's desk, tubes of metal this time. The brass that made up most of each tube scattered the ambient light and clinked quietly like dropped coins.

“They contain the gunpowder, or some similar substance, as it doesn't quite smell like gunpowder. I've got our top alchemists analyzing it. That bit of metal on the tip is the cannonball. There must be some kind of flint or similar device in the weapon to set the whole thing off.”

Arcane continued examining the contraption, although his eyes narrowed in concentration. Cannons were impractical weapons of war at best. They were shorter ranged and less accurate than battle spells, and they reloaded so slowly it was more practical for the Earth Legion to throw sling bullets and buck projectiles than try to maintain any number of bombards. Moreover, they couldn't out range a mage of any sort, be they Unicorn, Griffon, Canid or Dragon, and the blasting powder necessary to make them work was very vulnerable to premature activation by a stray fire spell or neutralization by the most rudimentary drizzle.

Although it served to launch fireworks for celebrations and the like, gunpowder in general was regarded with disdain by all serious strategists. Arcane Bolt was a very serious strategist. As such, the contempt was heavy in his voice as he replied.

“So?”

Tin Hat showed strong emotion for the first time, his face aghast at the Marshall's casual reply.

“So? Lord Marshall, this changes everything. These 'Hoof-Cannons', to use the term one of the testers coined, give them battlemage-level offensive capabilities at range. There is no amount of armor that would provide protection from a volley of such cannonfire. I would know, we tested it on a Legion carapace. We'd need to cover every single trooper in shield enchantments just to keep them from dieing en-masse, and you know how rare crystals pure enough to make spell accumulators are. We'd never be able to get enough gems from the Empire, even if they are literally made of the things. We'd have to start buying from the Canids.”

The Marshall's scowl deepened, although it was not Tin Hat's fault this time. Relations with Equestria's south-western neighbor were not as amicable as they could be. A recent war with the Lapines had not gone well for either side, and now both blamed Equestria for not joining on their side. The fact that the bipedal dog-like race needed gems for their own magical purposes, and valued them even more highly than Equestrians, would likely drive the price of any purchase up even further.

Arcane Bolt shook his head. No. He needed to concentrate; deal with the matter at hoof.

“Who knows?”

As the conversation swung back to intelligence, Tin Hat returned to his usual nasal self.

“We've kept the knowledge of these weapons need-to-know. Even the ponies that were hit with them think this and the weapons like it are some heretofore unknown magical device, like a Griffon rune wand or Canid war mace.”

Arcane grunted.

“Good. See to it that remains the case. We don't want to panic more ponies than necessary.”

Upon hearing that, Director Hat nodded and turned to leave. Arcane watched him go, before his fatigued mind brought up a concern from earlier.

“One more thing. Ambassador Sharptalon concerns me. He's no fool, in fact his mind is as keen as his name implies his talons are. Have your agents keep an eye on him. Make sure the Griffons know nothing of this. The last thing we need is for the Eastern Kingdoms to get involved before the Princess is ready.”

Clarification and Acceleration

Dear Princess Celestia,

I was most displeased just now to have a most informative dialogue with Shale Hearth Coalmare, my guest, interrupted by a pair of Celestial Intelligence agents, who tried to take Ms. Coalmare into custody. I would think you, of all ponies, would understand the need to make a good impression on our first inter-dimensional neighbors, even if the first contact was a little botched. I am currently detaining them within a warded room to keep them from doing anything rash. I'm sure this is some sort of horrible mistake, as the alternative would imply you don't trust me to handle the situation.

Your slightly miffed but still faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Dear Twiley,

Aunt Celestia (and I still feel odd writing that!) was horrified to read your letter, and wishes to inform you that arresting Shale was the last thing she wanted. We're all very busy right now scrambling to get together a proper diplomatic party to go meet Shale's fellows, which is why Celestia isn't writing this personally. Apparently the director of the CIA got it into her head that your friend had psychic powers and might be hypnotizing you or somesuch and passed an order down to have her watched. Anyway, it's been cleared up, there's a sealed order envelope for the two agents telling them to cease and desist included with the letter. Our main contingent, consisting of Celestia, myself, and a full platoon each of Royal Guards and Rangers will be heading out to intercept the other-ponies very soon, will your guest be well enough to fly?

Your BBBFF,

Shining Armor

PS,

[postscript redacted due to being a highly personal and embarrassing in-joke between siblings and the author not wanting to incur the wrath of a powerful mage.]

Shale twitched. Always armed. No matter where they were taken, whatever happened to them, these horned Equestrians were fully equipped for war. If those two had felt the need to specify they were using stun spells, that meant they could shoot non-stun spells. No added equipment necessary.

“Son of a thunderbird, where's my Authority Rapid?”

Twilight looked up from her brother's letter she was re-reading.

“Son of a what?”

“Thunderbird. They're immature Sunbirds that like to hover over the oceans and build up a gigantic storm and then fling them at the land for fun.”

“Okay, what was it you're missing?”

“Authority Rapid. .25 caliber, six-chamber double-action. My weapon. It's not in the stuff you had on the table, and it's also gone from my barding, which I saw hanging in the other roo-”

With that, Shale's vision swam, and the Eponan flopped over, passed out.

Celestia stood rigid, processing her student's latest dispatch. This complicated things. Concussive Spell Shock was no laughing matter, and with no knowledge of Eponan physiology, the Ponyville physicians were quite right in that there was no option but to keep the inter-dimensional visitor bedridden. This presented a problem.

With this Shale unable to travel, the one gesture of goodwill which would transcend any language barrier, returning her safe and sound, was off the table. Of course, the Eponan's weapon being missing was troubling as well, but there were more immediate concerns.

She, Celestia, would have to either invite these “Eponans” back to Equestria to see to their compatriot themselves, physically prevent them from returning to their own world lest they return with stories of horrible creatures that turned ponies to stone, or just accept that first contact with that society was completely botched and plan for second.

Sealing the gate was right out. After all, this lost any initiative Equestria posessed, leaving them at the mercy of the Eponan's next move. Moreover, their earth ponies apparently possessed telekinesis. Who knew what odd capabilities their pegasi or unicorns might have. With that in mind, any barriers, magical of physical, were merely stopgaps. Until Equestria understood exactly what Discord had done and could reverse it, his gate was a fixture, and would need to be dealt with as such.

Celestia sighed. One more thing to add to the infinite list of must-dos. Luna and Cadence were fully occupied covering for her, and there was still so much that needed to be done to keep this situation from spiraling out of control. At least Twilight had the foresight to attach the formula for adjusting the Diplomacy Gem spell so it'd be attuned to Shale's language. No need to jeopardize the situation further by risking something undiplomatic being said during the spell's calibration period.

She turned to her diplomatic party, assembled and ready alongside their military escorts, minus the scouts she'd sent ahead to pinpoint the target's location. Everypony who couldn't fly was crammed onto a chariot drawn by ponies that could. Altogether it was quite cramped, and Celestia had opted to go under her own power.

“Alright my little ponies, let's fly!”

There was no doubt about it. Something was wrong. It had been Blade Hair, the large dappled-roan mare, who had noticed it first. She had alerted Hard Trail, in her own quiet Arapalfrian way, that the wildlife had gone completely silent. Where before the forest had been loud with birdsong of all shapes and sizes, now only the occasional caw of a scavenger crow disrupted the quiet that had fallen.

“Tall Sand, send one of your relay birds up, we need to find out what's spooked the animals.”

The command came quietly from Hard Trail, and was not ignored. The Whisperer turned to one of the small creatures, this one a mottled blue and gray, that had settled on the perches covering his barding and gave it a look, murmuring instructions too quietly for the other ponies to hear. Then, the small bird took off, flitting among the branches of the forest until it was above the canopy and beyond sight.

It wasn't long before the little messenger returned. The other members of the expedition waited on tenterhooks as their Whisperer communicated with his charge.

“Sir, she says there are squadrons of those fliers from the portal moving overhead. They are landing in clearings and other places, and seem to be looking for something.”

“No doubt it's us. Ask her if there's anyplace nearby we can hole up, be invisible to anything short of a Sweeper dragnet."

More Whispering.

"She says there's a thicket of fallen timbers a mile south of here."

"Nothing for it but to stick to the heaviest underbrush and break for there. Also, I want everypony to stay alert, I don't want anypony to get caught unawares like Pathmark was.”

Each member of the delegation moved through the portal without incident, until it came time for the solar princess to pass. Celestia walked through the gateway with all the usual grace, and then stopped in sudden shock. Her attendants looked on with concern at their ruler, who had paused as though having suddenly lost a limb. Perhaps that is close to how Celestia felt, for she was no longer receiving the raw power that normally filtered down from her sun.

“No matter,” the monarch responsible for Equestria's day thought to herself. “A moment's concentration should be enough to reestablish the connection.” So, with a power no Equestrian aside from the alicorns truly understood, Celestia reached out. However, her attempts to draw power from her distant orb were thwarted at the semicircular discontinuity.

“Odd. The magic just fizzles out as I try to feel across the portal's plane. Perhaps I need to access this sun directly?” She diverted her efforts vertically. She could feel the firey orb far above, just as it had been before she had stepped through the portal, albeit a bit closer to the horizon. Just as she was about to begin drawing power, further magical experimentation was cut off by a primal shreik, of similar depth and volume as that of a dragon, yet distinctly ornithiod in pitch. Celestia withdrew her touch, instinctively gathering her faculties in preparation for a fight. The sound reechoed with a cadence such as had not been heard before by any Equestrian ear.

All throughout the forest, animals of all shapes, sizes and universes of origin looked up, startled by the alien cry. A half-day's canter to the east, the Eponan party paused, and then redoubled the speed of their flight. At the portal, Equestrians of all four species were gazing skyward, for it seemed a great gout of flame had been launched down from the shining orb that lit Eranax.

As the firebolt descended, those Equestrians who did not turn from its blaze noticed it looked remarkably like a bird. There was a thunderous reverberation as the thing hit the ground a mere dozen yards ahead of the lead Royal Guards. The flaming avian spread its wings and opened its beak and emitted a second cry, similar to the first, but amplified significantly by the source's proximity.

Those Equestrians present who were not hardened military personnel, and quite a few that were, fled sceaming. Those that remained were either frozen in fear or hoping their princess could protect them. Celestia, for her part, was preparing her magics for what could possibly be her first battle without the ability to draw on the power of the heavens in eons.

It was Philomena, of all creatures, that saved the Equestrians from finding out which monarch of the sun would triumph in this situation. The small firebird screeched a defiance at the huge newcomer.

The Sunbird, for that was what it was, tilted its head sideways, as though to get a better look at this thing that defied its fury. Its eyes, already huge and the only parts of the colossal bird that did not glow like the heart of a pyre, narrowed and then widened. A curious warbling then emitted from the gigantic avian's chest. After it was done chuckling the titan focused an intense gaze upon Celestia, gestured with a wing at the portal, stomped its scorching talons against the ground, and emitted a firm, dismissing shriek.

Equestria's co-ruler regarded the other sun-mover carefully and then nodded, hoping for her little ponies' sakes she had interpreted the message correctly. She took a step backwards, towards the portal. The Sunbird stood there, still watching. When the princess didn't move further, it wiggled a wingtip at her, which prompted another step back.

The pattern was repeated until the last strand of pink-and-blue mane was fluttering once again in Equestrian air, and then the solar avian took off, immediately lost to Celestia's sight but soon confirmed by her guards to have returned to Eranax's sun.

When the rest of the Equestrian party had flown on, the Ranger sentinels finally relaxed. The descent of a giant phoenix and its subsequent stand-off with their leader had been the only excitement they'd had for quite some time. The wildlife had long since quieted down, and their only orders were to alert HQ if anything came through from the other side.

Now, the princess had flown back to Canterlot in the company of a token force of Guards, and the Rangers could settle back into the monotony of their constant circular air-patrol. This was not to be, as a great WOOSH accompanied the passage of a pegasus-drawn carriage, and before the sentinels could do anything, it had passed by in a cloud of dust.

The Rangers looked at each other across the diameter of their routes. Surely that couldn't have been who they thought it was? Surely someone so important would have been with the party? Perhaps some unforseen delay had prompted this unannounced rush through the gate?

It was too late now, any pursuit would involve abandoning their posts. They'd just have to let the carriage continue. After all, even if the did catch it, they didn't exactly have the authority to stop a Prince.

On the chariot, a pair of light-blue eyes narrowed. They needed him, of that he was certain. This was his mission, his duty, his right, his prerogative. After all, if Auntie couldn't be there, someone needed to represent the Royal blood, didn't they?