My Little Stargate: Atlantis is Magicby CarmenColorChaptersPrologue: The RingCommunicationsOn AtlantisThe ElementsThe SpellPrologue: The RingIt's almost impressive how easy it can be to get lost in the Everfree Forest, but Twilight was so sure she had followed the map. How hard was is to find Zecora's house? She had been there plenty of times... The amateur princess huffed in frustration. She walked around the next bend and gasped. Well, it certainly want Zecora's house waiting around the corner. It was...a huge building built similar to the old ruined castle that was in this very forest. The unicorn approached the building and walked inside. It didn't seem quite as ruined as the castle, but she wouldn't wanted to live in a building that looked like it. "What is this place?" Twilight asked aloud to no pony in particular. She walked along the halls, her hooves clacking against the stone floor. She came to a doorway leading into a very large room. She trotted into the room and looked around. There didn't seem to be much in there except for a large metal ring and another metal thing with....was that a crystal on the floor next to it? Twilight approached the metal contraption and levitated the large red crystal into the air. She looked at the small metal contraption. There seemed to be a place where she could slide the crystal into place... Figuring it couldn't hurt, she did just that, causing the tiny bulbous dome in the center to light up. She hopped back in alarm. What was this thing? Maybe it wasn't safe to be here messing with things she knew nothing about on her own... Twilight decided that she'd better not, and galloped out of the building and back towards Ponyville. She made a point to remember the route to the strange building, so she could find it later. "What is that's strange thing? Maybe the princess knows what it is... I should write a letter to her about it..." she mumbled to herself as she galloped through the trees. By the time she reached Ponyville, Twilight had forgotten her primary motive for visiting the forest in the first place. She quickly scribbled up a letter for the Princess. Dear Princess Celestia, I somehow managed to lose my way in the Everfree today, and I stumbled across something rather odd. It was an old building that looked like it was built sometime near that of the old castle. I went inside and found some sort of giant ring thing. I've never seen anything like it. I figured it would be good to ask you what it was, and ask if I could study it some more with my friends. It seemed very interesting. Oh, and I think I may have accidentally turned it on. I await you quick response. -Twilight Sparkle Looking around the immediate area, Twilight discovered that Spike was not in the library. She sighed in frustration, levitating the letter with her as she went looking for him. For some reason, she felt that this letter needed to be sent as soon as possible, but she couldn't send it without Spike. Where could he be? The boutique! Of course! Where else would that little dragon go? Everypony knew he had a huge crush on Rarity, and he would often help the unicorn when she was making her dresses. Twilight made her way towards Carousel Boutique, eager to send the letter. There was something so eerily ominous about that ring, and Twilight just had to know what it was. She swung the door to the boutique open just a bit harder than she had intended. "Rarity!" she called out, "Have you seen Spike? I need him to send a letter for me." The fashionista looked around the corner at her, seeming very startled. "Oh, Twilight, darling! It's just you!" she sighed softly and trotted over, "Don't scare me like that, dear. Yes, Spike is here, but whatever is so important that you had to come barging in like that?" The little dragon peeked around the corner before padding over to them. "Sorry, Rarity, but I really need to send this letter. I found something strange in the Everfree Forest and I was hoping she could tell me what it is..." She levitated the letter over to her assistant, who sent it off in a bright, swirling display of green flames. "Sounds mysterious, darling! Nothing dangerous, I hope?" "That's just it, Rarity. I don't know if it's dangerous or not. It seemed creepy to me..." Twilight shivered a bit. "Perhaps such things are meant to be left alone?" Rarity suggested, "Ah, well... I'm sure the Princess will be able to help you..." She smiled a bit. "You don't mind if I keep Spike here for a bit, do you? He's very helpful..." Twilight nodded. "Alright, but send him back to the library if the Princess sends a reply." "Of course, dear. Now, come along, Spike. We have some unfinished business to attend to..." The little dragon follow the alabaster mare back around the corner, staring at her lovingly the entire time. Twilight smirked. That little baby dragon of hers wouldn't be letting Rarity go anytime soon... She trotted out of the boutique and made her way back to the library. There was nothing to do now but wait, but luckily, Twilight would have something to keep her busy. There had to be something in her books about that weird ring...and that little thing she turned on too! It looked important, and important things don't just go away. No, there had to information on it somewhere, and if there was one thing Twilight was good at, it was finding information. The alicorn picked out a book that she hadn't read yet and got started. Looking for this information may take awhile, but if nothing else, Twilight was sure that she would at least learn something new from the books she would be reading. After all, you almost always learn something new when you read a book. That was Twilight's theory, anyway, and she had yet to be proven wrong. Twilight had only been reading for an hour or so when Spike entered the library, clutching a letter in his claws. Twilight smiled brightly and took the paper from him. She read the letter, frowning a bit as she did so. To my faithful student, It is somewhat unnerving to discover a letter such as yours right before meeting the royal court. Twilight, I know exactly what device you speak of, but I cannot explain what it is on this parchment. If you truly have turned it on, and I am guessing you have since you are quite the observant pony, then I must come to Ponyville immediately. I feel I must warn you, my dear student, that if you really have turned on that ancient device, we are probably all in grave danger. I will arrive in Ponyville within the hour. There may yet be time. Be prepared to enter the Everfree as soon as I arrive. -Princess Celestia Twilight stared at the letter, her heart sinking in her chest. This was bad, she knew it was bad. She looked over at her assistant, who had no idea what was going on. Should she tell him? What would she say? There was a long silence. "...What have I done?" Author's Note My apologies for any spelling or grammatical errors! CommunicationsTwilight paced back in forth in front of the library, hoping that the princess would get there in time for...whatever it was she had to be there in time for. Twilight felt like she didn't know as much about the situation as she wanted to, and all this waiting was just making her antsy. She stretched her wings out and examined them, more for a distraction that anything else. "Twilight, my prized pupil," said the flowing voice of Princess Celestia. Twilight looked up. "I'm glad you were waiting for my arrival. Come quickly! We don't have much time. We could be discovered any minute." The monarch began to trot quickly towards the forest, and Twilight hurried after her, still not sure what was going on. It didn't make sense! Nothing made sense. What was Celestia talking about? Twilight followed after her mentor, realizing very quickly that Celestia knew exactly where she was going. At least they wouldn't have to look for the signs Twilight tried to remember as she was running away. It didn't take long for the pair of alicorns to reach the old, crumbling ruins. Celestia wasted no time to enter the building and make for the room that held the giant ring. "Celestia!" Twilight called, "I still don't understand. What's going on? What is that giant ring and who on Equus would...'discover' us?" The pure white alicorn looked back at her for a second. "That's just the thing, my student. They aren't on Equus." This left Twilight even more perplexed. She followed as her teacher began to speed up. This was starting to seem worse and worse all the time. What had Twilight gotten everypony in to? They were at a full gallop when they reached the room, and eight hooves screeched against the smooth rock floor as they came to a stop. Twilight observed the ring. "Princess, are those constellations on that ring?" "Yes, quite observant of you, Twilight. Now, if you give me just a second, I can--" Suddenly, the giant ring lit up to an eery blue color. It seemed that the ring had a slightly small ring inside it that had a bunch of constellations on it. They began to light up more. "It is too late..." Celestia whispered, backing away. "Twilight, come away from there!" She complied to her teachers wishes, watching as a blue wave reached out form the ring, then pulled back, forming what looked like a vertical pool of water. "What is that?" Twilight asked. "A magical thing, my student. Do not touch the wave when it comes out from the ring. It will harm you." Suddenly, another metal thing appeared, seeming to just spawn from the ring itself. It looked like there was some sort of camera resting on it, facing the two ponies. "Celestia, what is that thing? What is going on!?" "Calm yourself, my student. I believe this is some sort of communication device, though it is not the same as the ones I remember..." The sun princess approached the camera, glancing over at the smaller metal thing the twilight had turned on earlier. A small smile spread over her face. Twilight didn't understand. First, Celestia had been telling her things could be dangerous, and now she was smiling. She was about to confront the princess on the subject, but stopped when the white pony began to speak to the camera. "Atlantis, I know it's you. I'd recognize your address anywhere. Though I suppose none of you recognize me. There may be some information on this planet in your...databases, I believe they are called. We are a peaceful people. You need not fear us. Perhaps we can become allies again?" Celestia glanced over at Twilight. "Princess, what exactly are you doing?" the purple pony asked. "Introducing myself, my student. You are very lucky that Atlantis is the one who discovered us first. They will be on great help to us now that the galaxy can once again use this ancestral ring." "Ancestral ring?" Twilight asked. "Yes, Twilight, this device is known as the ancestral ring, or just the ring to Equestrians. It is used to transport to other worlds... Oh, speaking of which..." She turned to the device. "If you wish for me to send some of my ponies for negotiations with your people, please send through some sort of message." Just then, the blue pool disappeared from the ring. "...People...?" "You ask far too many questions, my student. Now, you may wait with me or collect your friends. Hero's are lovely to have at alliance meetings...." Twilight had never seen the Princess like this. She was much more stern that usual. Was she upset with Twilight? And what was all this about an alliance? Hadn't they just formed one with Saddle Arabia? "Um...okay, Princess Celestia..." She began to trot towards the door. "Oh, Twilight? Please hurry. From my experience, the Lanteans are not keen on waiting. They will almost certainly request that we send some ambassadors to meet with them on Atlantis." Still quite confused about their situation, twilight galloped off to collect the Element Bearers. "What is going on?" she asked herself and she weaves between the trees. "What is all that weird stuff, and why does Celestia know what's going on?" She reached the edge of the forest and started collecting the other five ponies that she called her closest friends. She couldn't tell them much, only what she knew herself, but she said that Celestia wanted them in the forest with her. Of course, they would never go against the Princess's wishes, so they gathered back at the edge of the forest. Twilight trotted up, Elements in hoof. "We had better bring these along, girls. Who knows what Celestia is going to put us up against? And well..." She put on her crown and passed out the necklaces. "They make us look regal, and Celestia seemed to think that was important." The others gave her confused looks, but Twilight only shrugged. She didn't know much about what she was saying either. She started to lead them through the trees, hoping that the Princess would be able to explain things to them once they got back to the old building. It took much longer for them to get there than when Celestia and Twilight and gone. The sun princess seemed to have known the route my heart, but the others certainly didn't. Celestia was waiting patiently when they got there. To Twilight, she seemed to have gone back to her normal self. No more strange ominous things. "Ah, my little ponies. You're here." As if one cue, the...ancestral ring...lit up like Twilight had seen it do before. The blue wave burst forth, and she jumped back, just in case. "It looks like we got here just in time..." "Yes, it would seem so..." A piece of paper floated out from the ring, and Celestia caught it with her magic, reading aloud. We would appreciate a meeting between your ambassadors and our people. Please redial the gate for Atlantis and send them through. We await your swift arrival. Celestia smiled a bit at this, waiting for the ring to shut down again before approaching the smaller metal device that Twilight had turned on. She pressed several buttons with her hooves, making the ring light up again. "Why didn't we just go before it shut off?" Dash asked impatiently. "The ring only works one way, miss Dash. Now, all of you, enter through the ring. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt. You can ask questions to the beings on the other side. They are probably more aware of the galaxy's current situation than I am." Bewildered by their princess's statement, the six ponies trotted forward through the ring. They were completely unprepared for anything like this. Upon reaching the other side, they all felt strange. Only Twilight recognized the feeling. Frowning slightly, she looked down at her fingers. "Not this again..." On AtlantisBeing human was not a feeling that Twilight missed. She looked around at her friends, all wearing their Elements and looking around in confusion. Well, Pinkie Pie wasn't confused, but then again, when was she ever? She was happily admiring her bright pink dress like nothing was different. Twilight looked around the room, spotting a few people at the bottom of a flight of stairs. She determinedly walked up to them, noticing that she stood a bit shorter than them. They all seemed to have the same colored skin, even though her friend's colors were their normal coat colors. Her friends attempted to follow her, but they didn't know how to walk on two legs. Except Pinkie of course, who quickly hopped up behind Twilight. The purple skinned human rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "Hello, I am Twilight Sparkle, fourth princess of Equestria and bearer to the Element of Magic." "Her skin is purple..." one of the humans muttered, and he was quickly awarded an elbow in the side for speaking. "Rodney, be polite..." another man muttered. "I am Dr. Elizabeth Weir," said a woman, ignoring the two men behind her, "Leader of the Atlantis expedition." She hesitated before continuing. "We have a lot to discuss, but first, I think our medical professionals would like to give you all a quick check up, just in case..." Twilight glanced back at her friends, who were still learning to use their legs, and blushed. "Ahhh, yes, that might be a good idea. They make need a little more time to get used to their human bodies." "Human bodies?" asked that man who had scolded the one called Rodney. "Yes, I was wondering about that..." Rodney himself now spoke, "How did that happen exactly? The beings we saw through the malp were equine. Ponies of some sort." "Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. I've only seen this ever happen once before, but it was definitely not under the same circumstances..." Twilight said, frowning, "I suppose I'll have to ask the Princess when we return..." "Wait, I thought you were the princess," Elizabeth Weir said. Twilight shrugged. "I'm a princess, but there are three more. Princess Celestia is the oldest, so ponies usually refer to her as the Princess." The humans looked at each other with confused expressions, but nodded anyway. "Well, alright then, Princess Twilight..." Dr. Weir said, tilting her head over to stare at the wobbly new humans who were just now learning how to walk. "And, the other ambassadors are...?" "Oh, these are my friends. This is--" "I'm Pinkie Pie!" said the happy pink-skinned human giggled, "Element of Laughter!" She ran over to her friends. "This is Applejack and Rarity and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash!" "What do you mean, Element of Laughter?" asked the man who had scolded Rodney. "It's probably some sort of mythological thing, John. I doubt it's important," Rodney muttered, making Twilight scowl at him. "It's no myth...Rodney," she hissed, "The Elements of Harmony are the most powerful artifacts known to pony kind. Me and my friends are the only ponies who can control their power. This crown..." She pointed to the crown on her head. "Is the Element of Magic. These necklaces..." The princess gestured to her friends' necklaces. "Represent the other five elements: Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, Kindness, and Honesty." "This is starting to sound like a cartoon..." Rodney mumbled, as a small group of medical people approached them. "Is this them then? Should I take them to the infirmary, Dr. Weir?" asked a kind voice with a Scottish brogue. "Yes, Carson. I think it would be best for them to get checked up while I have a quick discussion with a few people..." Weir shot a glare at Rodney and John. "Alright then, come with me, lassies. This won't take long..." The physician led the six oddly colored humans towards the infirmary, wondering if it was his imagination, or if there skin actually was that color. And their hair had to have been dyed. Twilight and Pinkie had no trouble walking next to him, but the others stumbled along behind. "Ye alright there?" he turned back to look at them. "Yeah, yeah... Just getting used to these weird legs," Rainbow mumbled, "and not being able to fly." "Fly? Did ye say fly?" Carson asked, oblivious to the fact that the girls he was leading had been ponies less than an fifteen minutes ago. "Yeah, fly! Gee, Twilight, why didn't you tell us we were gonna lose our wings? I can't stand this!" Rainbow complain, huffing in frustration. "You are not the only one, Rainbow Dash," came Rarity's silky voice, "My horn is gone! Twilight, how ever will I do anything without my magic!?" "Magic!?" Carson repeated, "Are ye sure you're alright?" The poor doctor had absolutely no idea what was going on. "Um, yes, we're all fine... You sound like you've never heard of magic before..." Twilight joked, "And don't worry, Rarity. If we activate the Elements, they should give us back our horns and wings. Or at least, that's what they did last time..." "Last time? You've been in this situation before then?" Carson asked, ushering them into the infirmary. "I have...sorta. I was sent through a mirror to an alternate world where I was a human. I met human variations of my friends who helped me retrieve my crown from Sunset Shimmer." "...I'm afraid I don't quite understand, but that's alright. I believe ye," Carson said, starting to give them each a check up. Other than their odd skin and hair colors, the six girls seemed in perfect health. "Well... We could always show you... Couldn't we?" Fluttershy asked softly, "I mean, I'm sure everypony would appreciate have their horns and wings back..." Carson couldn't help but chuckle at the word 'everypony,' even if he was still pretty lost. "Everypony?" he asked, stifling more chuckling. "I suppose our languages are slightly different...." Twilight said slowly, "Considering that we're actually ponies..." Carson stared at them, not speaking for a moment. Then, he tapped the headset attached on his ear. "Dr. Weir?" he asked. "Yes, Carson? Is something wrong?" the Atlantis leader replied. "Erm, I'm not exactly sure... These girls that just came through the stargate just said something about being ponies. Do you know anything about that?" There was a short silence before Weir responded again. "According to Rodney, they were ponies on their own planet, but they somehow turned human when they went through the stargate." "...Is there a reason I was not informed about this?" Carson asked, still a bit confused. "I guess we forgot in all the confusion. Sorry, Carson, it won't happen again." "Well, alright, but....but they were ponies?" he asked, the thought making him have to hold back his laughter again. "Carson, please. They're ambassadors. Try not to upset them." "Ambassadors? They seem more like children..." "Carson!" "Alright, alright! I know! I'll send them up." he chuckled more and turned back to the six visitors. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that these were former ponies he was talking to, but he tried not to think about it too much. "So, you're all in perfect health. I'll take ye back up to Dr. Weir now. I'm sure ye'll all have a lot to talk about." "Oh, yes! We'll need to start discussing....whatever the hay it is we're here for..." Twilight said uncertainly. "Oh?" Carson raised an eyebrow, "I mean no offense here, but it sounds like ye don't really know what you're doing..." "We don't," Applejack said, shrugging and tipping back her hat, "I mean, Twilight knows some, but I fer one don't have any clue about what is going on here." "Well.... I'm sure if ye go talk with Dr. Weir, she'll be able to answer a few questions. She knows more about this than I do. I'm only a doctor, after all." Carson walked the six girls up to the conference room. "Here we are, Elizabeth. They're all as healthy as horses." "We're not horses, silly!" Pinkie chimed, "We're ponies!" Carson rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Well, sit down. We have a lot to discuss..." Weir said, and Carson made to leave, "You too, Dr. Beckett. You are one of our senior staff, after all." "Yeah, come join the party, Doc," said John, who was sitting the next chair over from Elizabeth. "Aye, I suppose..." Carson muttered, sitting down in a chair. "I'm sorry for the medical procedures," Elizabeth started, "It's routine. Now, I think we should get down to business..." She smiled a bit. "As I'm sure you already know, you are on Atlantis." The girls gave each other looks of confusion, but Weir didn't seem to notice. "Now, I am sure your Princess sent you here to form an alliance against the Wraith." "Wraith?" Twilight asked. "Nasty creature things," John said, "We fight them." The girls paled slightly. "Yes," Weir continued, "and in the war against them, we are going to need allies, but the question here, I suppose, is what can you offer us? We have power and knowledge and weapons to offer you. What can you give up in return?" Ever since they had been betrayed by their last partner, Altantis stood on high guard. "We can offer....um.... We can offer...." Twilight glanced up at her crown. "Ah ha! You may have weapons, but what my friends and I wield is far more powerful!" She looked at the other five girls with a determined smile. "Our friendship!" Someone snorted. "Friendship?" McKay asked, "How does friendship fix anything like this?" "Mr. Rodney, perhaps you need a demonstration," Twilight said, standing up, "Girls?" They all rose and walked over to stand beside her. Grinning by now, Twilight closed her eyes, and so did the others. To the Atlantis dwellers, nothing seemed to be happening at first, but then, out of nowhere, the gems on each girl's jewelry began to glow. The Elements"I hope the Elements will still work, even if we're not fighting anything..." Twilight muttered to herself. They were glowing softly, that was a good sign, and it wasn't like they had ever not worked before. Twilight felt the familiar power surge through her, and she closed her eyes, letting the energy pool around them. The air began to crackle around them. Twilight smiled slightly, waiting just a few moments more before beginning the transformation process. "Whoa, I'm detecting huge power readings..." Rodney said, and Twilight smiled more, "Like, seriously huge!" Twilight opened her eyes, which glowed a bright white. There was a collective gasp from the onlooking Lanteans. "Oh, it is huge, Mr. Rodney..." Twilight said in a slightly detached voice as she and her friends were lifted by the magic and began to hover. The bright light from her eyes burst outward, first going to Applejack, where it steadily moved up her body from her feet. Her hair braided and grew long, giving her the appearance of having a tail. Two obviously equine ears appeared on her head on either side of her hat. Her necklace glowed bright, rainbow colored ribbons extending from it and stretching out on either side. AJ chuckled and wiggled her ears as the light exploded off her. "Honesty!" Twilight said in the same distance voice. Next, the light passed to Rainbow Dash, who grinned, happily awaiting the return of her wings. The light moved up her, transforming her in a way similar to how it had changed Applejack. Her ears appeared and she smiled as the light formed wing shapes on her back. Her necklace glowed bright as well, and she watched the rainbow ribbons seeming to grow out of it. The light exploded off her as well, uncovering two large, cyan wings. "Loyalty!" Pinkie Pie hopped up and down in excitement as the light began to envelope her. Her hair grew, much like the others' had, and she giggled as her ears materialized on the top other head. She reached her hands up to feel the short fuzz that covered her pony ears. The rainbow ribbons also began to flow from her balloon shaped necklace, and she stuck her tongue out. The light left her form, making her giggle again, which was pretty fitting for what Twilight said next. "Laughter!" Rarity watched in fascination at the light that began to circle around her feet. The fashionista smiled and struck a little pose. She still had to look amazing while they were transforming, didn't she? Her pristine white ears appeared on her head, and she looked up at them. The girl's smile widened as she noticed the light slowly forming a unicorn horn on her forehead. She was looking forward to being able to use her magic again. Like the others, her necklace began to glow and formed the rainbow ribbons. The others' ribbons had already begun to twist and entwine themselves together. The light burst out from her, and she posed again. "Generosity!" Then the light moved on to Fluttershy. The shy pony-turned-human squealed softly in alarm, but didn't do anything to stop the transformation. Her already long hair grew longer, almost reaching the floor by the time it stopped. She hid her face behind it as the light spread out to form ears on her head and wings on her back like it had done to Rainbow Dash. Her butterfly necklace glowed bright and its rainbows reached out to connect with the ones that belonged to her friends. The light exploded off her, revealing her canary yellow wings. "Kindness!" Finally, the light converged on Twilight. Her eyes still glowed white, and there was a determined smile set on her lips. If this didn't convince the Atlanteans, nothing would. Her ears appeared on the top of her head, just like each of her friends' had. Then, the light split, one part beginning to form the large wings on her back, and the other moving up to form the horn on her head, which was just a bit longer than Rarity's. Her feathery, lavender wings and matching colored horn were revealed as the light went to her crown, which was now releasing the ribbons that were completing the connected circle that the others had formed with their own ribbons. Just as all the light energy entered the crown, Twilight muttered, "Magic!" A flash of light rushed out, releasing the extra energy that they no longer needed. The six girls fell to the floor. Carson Beckett stood and rushed to them automatically. They politely mumbled that they were fine, declining any help from him as they stood up. While the transformation had been occurring, the light had been quite bright, and none of the Atlantis personnel were actually sure if anything they saw was real, but as the girls stood, they knew. All of the Elements were still giving off a slight glow, probably pent up energy that they could use now that they had tapped into the Elements' power. Of course, they didn't need it yet, so they would stay that way. Rainbow Dash immediately spread her wings and took flight. She was a bit wobbly, being in a new body with a different center of gravity, but she managed just fine. "Is this enough proof to you all that we can be of use?" Twilight asked in the most regal voice she could muster. There were several awed nods, which she smirked at, but some didn't seem as convinced. "So, how does this help you at all?" Rodney asked, "Yes, you can fly, but so can birds, and that doesn't really save you from the Wraith." "I still don't know exactly what these Wraith things you keep talking about are," Twilight replied, "but there is more to pony kind than pegasi." Her horn began to flow a soft magenta color, and she levitated up a cup from the desk. "Levitation?" Rodney said, seeming quite a bit more impressed now, "That's....that's impossible..." "Hey, you were able to levitate stuff that one time, Rodney," John said, and Rodney made like he was going to say something. He stopped halfway and frowned. "Just saying..." "Yeah, but I was genetically altered..." Rodney started, but stopped when he noticed the now pony-human hybrid visitors were staring at him in confusion. "...Nevermind..." "Well, anyway... This is the power of the Elements of Harmony. I'm sure my friends appreciate having their special abilities back, but Dr. Weir, I'd like to learn more about these Wraith." Twilight walked up to Dr. Weir. "I feel like I need to know as much about them as I can." "Actually, I think John Sheppard and his team would be able to do that a bit better than me..." Weir glanced over at the other five girls, "I can take your friends on a tour of the city while you talk with them." "Oh, uh... Okay?" Twilight walked over to the rest of the Lanteans and Dr. Weir led her friends out of the room. "Perhaps I should go with Elizabeth...?" Carson muttered, making to go. "Beckett..." John warned, "Stay. I'm sure there are things you could contribute to this conversation." Carson sighed and sat back down. "Okay, so you all know my name, but I don't really know yours..." Twilight mumbled, "Uhh, you're Rodney and you're John..." She turned to the doctor. "I thought I knew your name, but now I might be a bit confused...and I have no idea who you two are." She pointed to the two other people sitting at the table in the conference room. "Ahh, okay," John said, "Well, I'm John Sheppard, that's Rodney McKay, the good doctor's name is Carson Beckett. As for those two..." He gestured to the other two. "The woman is Teyla Ammogan and the man is Ronon Dex. He doesn't talk much." Teyla stood and approached Twilight. "It is nice to meet you," she said, "You have not ever encountered the Wraith?" Twilight shook her head. "Then you and your people are very lucky, and you should go back to them." "Well, according to the Princess, I may have accidentally ended that particular lucky streak..." Twilight mumbled, chuckling nervously. "You?" McKay asked, "How?" "Well... I may have, accidentally, turned on the ancestral ring...." she mumbled sheepishly. "The stargate? You turned on a stargate? ...How?" "Well, there was a crystal out of place, so I sorta just...put it back?" Twilight muttered, "I don't really know more than that." "Oh! Your people removed the crystal so they could escape the war," Rodney said, "Not uncommon, but that usually doesn't work because the Wraith have ships..." He hesitated. "How have you all survived this long without being...culled?" "Culled?" Twilight asked, looking a little uneasy. "That's what they do," Ronon said gruffly, "They take the people away and them they feed on them." Twilight's purple face paled. She didn't like where this was going. "And....what do you mean by 'feed on them'...?" she asked, feeling like maybe she didn't want to know. "They drain the life out of you with a special....mouth on their palms," John said, a bit too casually for Twilight's liking. The young princess suddenly felt very warm, and everything started to spin. She swayed gently, a sickly green coming to her face that greatly contrasted the purple. Carson, realizing what was happening, stood and rushed to her side. "Missy Twilight, perhaps you ought to sit down..." The doctor gently took her hand and led her to a chair. The purple human put her head in her hands. "Sorry, Twilight," Sheppard said, "Didn't realized you'd be so....squeamish." "No, no, I'm the one who's sorry..." Twilight muttered, still feeling like she was gonna be sick, "I...I didn't mean to--" She raised a hand to cover her mouth. "Okay, I think this conversation is over," Carson said, gently rubbing Twilight's back, "You four. Out." They made to protest, but Carson gave them a glare and they left. "I don't suppose your friends would have taken that information any better than you?" Twilight shook her head. "I...I doubt it... We're a relatively peaceful society. But this....this is....awful." She shivered slightly. "Och, I'm so sorry," Carson said, "Try not to think about it the way they've described. The Wraith...er....feed because they have to. It's like eating for you or me. Normal food doesn't satisfy them..." "I...I understand that..." Twilight said, nodding, "But still...." "I know, I know... The idea makes me a bit sick as well..." the doctor said, "...I guess I've gotten used to it now..." There was a short silence. "Are ye feeling a bit better now?" "Yeah..." Twilight mumbled, turning to him. Her face was still a tad pale, but at least she didn't look green. "I need to tell my friends about this... They need to know." The Spell"Are ye sure?" Carson asked, a bit concerned, "I mean, look what it did to you, lass. If they react much worse than that..." "I know, but they need to know what were up against here..." Twilight sighed, "We'll just need to be a little more...gentle with them." She smiled slightly. "I'm sure we can calm them down if it...you know...disturbs them." Her smile faltered. "Right, yes..." Carson nodded, taking a moment to look at Twilight's wings. He gently reached out and touched the feathers, making Twilight shiver. "Please, Dr. Beckett, don't touch my wings. I have enough trouble with them as it is." Twilight said, making him flinch back. "...Trouble?" he asked after a second, "Why would ye have trouble? Yer blue friend with the crazy hair seemed to have no trouble at all." "Her name's Rainbow Dash, and that's understandable..." Twilight muttered, "I only got my wings a few weeks ago, so I'm not really used to them." "What do ye mean, you 'got' yer wings?" Carson asked. "Well.... I didn't always have them... I used to be a regular old unicorn, but when I created new magic, I was transformed into an alicorn and became Equestria's newest princess." Carson was staring at her in both confusion and slight awe. "New magic? Ye mean there's more than just than levitating thing?" he asked, genuinely curious. "Of, course! Levitation is just a simple example, but I created a new spell..." Twilight thought for a second, "Come to think of it though, that spell only seemed to turn me into an alicorn, but that couldn't have been the only thing it did..." She glanced over at the doctor. "Would you mind if I tried it out now?" Carson took a step back, "Perhaps a bit later? Shouldn't we find yer friends now?" "Oh, right. Of course! After all, the spell seems to be directly linked to the Elements. They should all be here if I'm going to try it...." She hesitated. "...and I suppose it could be a distraction for them after we tell them about the...Wraith..." The princess nearly whispered the last word. "Och, yer right..." Carson sighed. "We had better get that over with..." The doctor started to lead her towards where Weir had gone with the others. He figured that he knew where the tour would be heading, so he led Twilight there. "So, yer a fancy princess then?" he asked as they walked, unable to keep himself from reaching out and poking at her horn. She winced. "I wouldn't say that," she muttered, gently slapping his hand away, "I may be a princess, but I still live in Ponyville with my friends. I don't really rule anything." "Really now? That seems quite the shame. You definitely have the leadership of a ruler..." the doctor said encouragingly, putting an arm around her shoulder. Twilight looked over at him, blushing slightly. "Och, someone's blushing," he mumbled in a singsong voice. "Shush, Dr. Beckett!" Twilight hissed softly. "Just Carson is fine, lass," the doctor amended, grinning as the door in front of them opened and they found themselves face to face with the rest of the Elements of Harmony. "Twilight!" they cried, running up to her and hugging her. They seemed to have mastered walking on two legs. Twilight embraced her friends. "Girls, we have something that to talk to you about, and it's not going to be pleasant..." Twilight muttered, frowning suddenly. They stopped hugging and Twilight tried to, gently, explain to them all what their enemy was. "These Wraith that they talked about... they're.... well, they're...." "They're what, Twi?" Applejack asked. Twilight glanced over at Carson before muttering "so much for being gentle" under her breath. She sighed. "They're monsters that feed on the life of others." Her friends stared at her in confusion for a moment before the message sunk in. Pinkie's usual smile dropped to a horrified frown, and the others followed suit. "They....They're...." Applejack tried to say, her face paling. Carson grimaced. "That wasn't very gentle, Twilight..." "How do you gently describe the Wraith?" Twi answered, raising an eyebrow at him. The doctor hesitated and then shrugged. It truly was a difficult thing to do. Her friends were staring attach other in horror. None of them seemed to have reacted quite like Twilight had. But it took quite awhile to calm them down. Fluttershy looked haunted, and Rarity had burst into tears twice. Eventually, they did manage to calm down though. "Okay, let's just stop thinking about that for a bit, girls," Twilight said, approaching them. "I want to do something." "Sure thing, Twi," Applejack said, "Anything to distract us from....that." "Okay, good! I want to recast that spell that I rewrote from Starswirl the Bearded. I want to figure out if it had another purpose." The studious alicorn smiled. Rarity spoke up. "You're right, dear. The spell only seemed to have been created to turn you into an alicorn, but that can't have been what it was for..." Twilight nodded. "I know. Everypony stand back. I don't know what will happen." She concentrated and her horn began to glow a soft magenta. Smiling, she recited the words she had written when she created the spell. "From all of us together, Together we are friends, With the marks of our destinies made one, There is magic without end." The Elements began to glow bright in pulses, until light exploded out from them. However, instead of being in the middle as she had been the first time, Twilight was part of the circle. A bright ball of light began to grow in the center of the circle they had made. Twilight could feel the growing energy of the ball, and the weakening of her own energy as she held the spell. The Elements were pouring all of their power and then some into that sphere of light. There was a bright, prismatic flash and a concussive wave of sound as the Elements released their energy. The sphere spread out, its bright light encompassing all of Atlantis. Drained of energy, Twilight swayed and fell, her last thoughts before passing out being 'Oh, no. What did I do this time?'
Prologue: The RingIt's almost impressive how easy it can be to get lost in the Everfree Forest, but Twilight was so sure she had followed the map. How hard was is to find Zecora's house? She had been there plenty of times... The amateur princess huffed in frustration. She walked around the next bend and gasped. Well, it certainly want Zecora's house waiting around the corner. It was...a huge building built similar to the old ruined castle that was in this very forest. The unicorn approached the building and walked inside. It didn't seem quite as ruined as the castle, but she wouldn't wanted to live in a building that looked like it. "What is this place?" Twilight asked aloud to no pony in particular. She walked along the halls, her hooves clacking against the stone floor. She came to a doorway leading into a very large room. She trotted into the room and looked around. There didn't seem to be much in there except for a large metal ring and another metal thing with....was that a crystal on the floor next to it? Twilight approached the metal contraption and levitated the large red crystal into the air. She looked at the small metal contraption. There seemed to be a place where she could slide the crystal into place... Figuring it couldn't hurt, she did just that, causing the tiny bulbous dome in the center to light up. She hopped back in alarm. What was this thing? Maybe it wasn't safe to be here messing with things she knew nothing about on her own... Twilight decided that she'd better not, and galloped out of the building and back towards Ponyville. She made a point to remember the route to the strange building, so she could find it later. "What is that's strange thing? Maybe the princess knows what it is... I should write a letter to her about it..." she mumbled to herself as she galloped through the trees. By the time she reached Ponyville, Twilight had forgotten her primary motive for visiting the forest in the first place. She quickly scribbled up a letter for the Princess. Dear Princess Celestia, I somehow managed to lose my way in the Everfree today, and I stumbled across something rather odd. It was an old building that looked like it was built sometime near that of the old castle. I went inside and found some sort of giant ring thing. I've never seen anything like it. I figured it would be good to ask you what it was, and ask if I could study it some more with my friends. It seemed very interesting. Oh, and I think I may have accidentally turned it on. I await you quick response. -Twilight Sparkle Looking around the immediate area, Twilight discovered that Spike was not in the library. She sighed in frustration, levitating the letter with her as she went looking for him. For some reason, she felt that this letter needed to be sent as soon as possible, but she couldn't send it without Spike. Where could he be? The boutique! Of course! Where else would that little dragon go? Everypony knew he had a huge crush on Rarity, and he would often help the unicorn when she was making her dresses. Twilight made her way towards Carousel Boutique, eager to send the letter. There was something so eerily ominous about that ring, and Twilight just had to know what it was. She swung the door to the boutique open just a bit harder than she had intended. "Rarity!" she called out, "Have you seen Spike? I need him to send a letter for me." The fashionista looked around the corner at her, seeming very startled. "Oh, Twilight, darling! It's just you!" she sighed softly and trotted over, "Don't scare me like that, dear. Yes, Spike is here, but whatever is so important that you had to come barging in like that?" The little dragon peeked around the corner before padding over to them. "Sorry, Rarity, but I really need to send this letter. I found something strange in the Everfree Forest and I was hoping she could tell me what it is..." She levitated the letter over to her assistant, who sent it off in a bright, swirling display of green flames. "Sounds mysterious, darling! Nothing dangerous, I hope?" "That's just it, Rarity. I don't know if it's dangerous or not. It seemed creepy to me..." Twilight shivered a bit. "Perhaps such things are meant to be left alone?" Rarity suggested, "Ah, well... I'm sure the Princess will be able to help you..." She smiled a bit. "You don't mind if I keep Spike here for a bit, do you? He's very helpful..." Twilight nodded. "Alright, but send him back to the library if the Princess sends a reply." "Of course, dear. Now, come along, Spike. We have some unfinished business to attend to..." The little dragon follow the alabaster mare back around the corner, staring at her lovingly the entire time. Twilight smirked. That little baby dragon of hers wouldn't be letting Rarity go anytime soon... She trotted out of the boutique and made her way back to the library. There was nothing to do now but wait, but luckily, Twilight would have something to keep her busy. There had to be something in her books about that weird ring...and that little thing she turned on too! It looked important, and important things don't just go away. No, there had to information on it somewhere, and if there was one thing Twilight was good at, it was finding information. The alicorn picked out a book that she hadn't read yet and got started. Looking for this information may take awhile, but if nothing else, Twilight was sure that she would at least learn something new from the books she would be reading. After all, you almost always learn something new when you read a book. That was Twilight's theory, anyway, and she had yet to be proven wrong. Twilight had only been reading for an hour or so when Spike entered the library, clutching a letter in his claws. Twilight smiled brightly and took the paper from him. She read the letter, frowning a bit as she did so. To my faithful student, It is somewhat unnerving to discover a letter such as yours right before meeting the royal court. Twilight, I know exactly what device you speak of, but I cannot explain what it is on this parchment. If you truly have turned it on, and I am guessing you have since you are quite the observant pony, then I must come to Ponyville immediately. I feel I must warn you, my dear student, that if you really have turned on that ancient device, we are probably all in grave danger. I will arrive in Ponyville within the hour. There may yet be time. Be prepared to enter the Everfree as soon as I arrive. -Princess Celestia Twilight stared at the letter, her heart sinking in her chest. This was bad, she knew it was bad. She looked over at her assistant, who had no idea what was going on. Should she tell him? What would she say? There was a long silence. "...What have I done?" Author's Note My apologies for any spelling or grammatical errors!
CommunicationsTwilight paced back in forth in front of the library, hoping that the princess would get there in time for...whatever it was she had to be there in time for. Twilight felt like she didn't know as much about the situation as she wanted to, and all this waiting was just making her antsy. She stretched her wings out and examined them, more for a distraction that anything else. "Twilight, my prized pupil," said the flowing voice of Princess Celestia. Twilight looked up. "I'm glad you were waiting for my arrival. Come quickly! We don't have much time. We could be discovered any minute." The monarch began to trot quickly towards the forest, and Twilight hurried after her, still not sure what was going on. It didn't make sense! Nothing made sense. What was Celestia talking about? Twilight followed after her mentor, realizing very quickly that Celestia knew exactly where she was going. At least they wouldn't have to look for the signs Twilight tried to remember as she was running away. It didn't take long for the pair of alicorns to reach the old, crumbling ruins. Celestia wasted no time to enter the building and make for the room that held the giant ring. "Celestia!" Twilight called, "I still don't understand. What's going on? What is that giant ring and who on Equus would...'discover' us?" The pure white alicorn looked back at her for a second. "That's just the thing, my student. They aren't on Equus." This left Twilight even more perplexed. She followed as her teacher began to speed up. This was starting to seem worse and worse all the time. What had Twilight gotten everypony in to? They were at a full gallop when they reached the room, and eight hooves screeched against the smooth rock floor as they came to a stop. Twilight observed the ring. "Princess, are those constellations on that ring?" "Yes, quite observant of you, Twilight. Now, if you give me just a second, I can--" Suddenly, the giant ring lit up to an eery blue color. It seemed that the ring had a slightly small ring inside it that had a bunch of constellations on it. They began to light up more. "It is too late..." Celestia whispered, backing away. "Twilight, come away from there!" She complied to her teachers wishes, watching as a blue wave reached out form the ring, then pulled back, forming what looked like a vertical pool of water. "What is that?" Twilight asked. "A magical thing, my student. Do not touch the wave when it comes out from the ring. It will harm you." Suddenly, another metal thing appeared, seeming to just spawn from the ring itself. It looked like there was some sort of camera resting on it, facing the two ponies. "Celestia, what is that thing? What is going on!?" "Calm yourself, my student. I believe this is some sort of communication device, though it is not the same as the ones I remember..." The sun princess approached the camera, glancing over at the smaller metal thing the twilight had turned on earlier. A small smile spread over her face. Twilight didn't understand. First, Celestia had been telling her things could be dangerous, and now she was smiling. She was about to confront the princess on the subject, but stopped when the white pony began to speak to the camera. "Atlantis, I know it's you. I'd recognize your address anywhere. Though I suppose none of you recognize me. There may be some information on this planet in your...databases, I believe they are called. We are a peaceful people. You need not fear us. Perhaps we can become allies again?" Celestia glanced over at Twilight. "Princess, what exactly are you doing?" the purple pony asked. "Introducing myself, my student. You are very lucky that Atlantis is the one who discovered us first. They will be on great help to us now that the galaxy can once again use this ancestral ring." "Ancestral ring?" Twilight asked. "Yes, Twilight, this device is known as the ancestral ring, or just the ring to Equestrians. It is used to transport to other worlds... Oh, speaking of which..." She turned to the device. "If you wish for me to send some of my ponies for negotiations with your people, please send through some sort of message." Just then, the blue pool disappeared from the ring. "...People...?" "You ask far too many questions, my student. Now, you may wait with me or collect your friends. Hero's are lovely to have at alliance meetings...." Twilight had never seen the Princess like this. She was much more stern that usual. Was she upset with Twilight? And what was all this about an alliance? Hadn't they just formed one with Saddle Arabia? "Um...okay, Princess Celestia..." She began to trot towards the door. "Oh, Twilight? Please hurry. From my experience, the Lanteans are not keen on waiting. They will almost certainly request that we send some ambassadors to meet with them on Atlantis." Still quite confused about their situation, twilight galloped off to collect the Element Bearers. "What is going on?" she asked herself and she weaves between the trees. "What is all that weird stuff, and why does Celestia know what's going on?" She reached the edge of the forest and started collecting the other five ponies that she called her closest friends. She couldn't tell them much, only what she knew herself, but she said that Celestia wanted them in the forest with her. Of course, they would never go against the Princess's wishes, so they gathered back at the edge of the forest. Twilight trotted up, Elements in hoof. "We had better bring these along, girls. Who knows what Celestia is going to put us up against? And well..." She put on her crown and passed out the necklaces. "They make us look regal, and Celestia seemed to think that was important." The others gave her confused looks, but Twilight only shrugged. She didn't know much about what she was saying either. She started to lead them through the trees, hoping that the Princess would be able to explain things to them once they got back to the old building. It took much longer for them to get there than when Celestia and Twilight and gone. The sun princess seemed to have known the route my heart, but the others certainly didn't. Celestia was waiting patiently when they got there. To Twilight, she seemed to have gone back to her normal self. No more strange ominous things. "Ah, my little ponies. You're here." As if one cue, the...ancestral ring...lit up like Twilight had seen it do before. The blue wave burst forth, and she jumped back, just in case. "It looks like we got here just in time..." "Yes, it would seem so..." A piece of paper floated out from the ring, and Celestia caught it with her magic, reading aloud. We would appreciate a meeting between your ambassadors and our people. Please redial the gate for Atlantis and send them through. We await your swift arrival. Celestia smiled a bit at this, waiting for the ring to shut down again before approaching the smaller metal device that Twilight had turned on. She pressed several buttons with her hooves, making the ring light up again. "Why didn't we just go before it shut off?" Dash asked impatiently. "The ring only works one way, miss Dash. Now, all of you, enter through the ring. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt. You can ask questions to the beings on the other side. They are probably more aware of the galaxy's current situation than I am." Bewildered by their princess's statement, the six ponies trotted forward through the ring. They were completely unprepared for anything like this. Upon reaching the other side, they all felt strange. Only Twilight recognized the feeling. Frowning slightly, she looked down at her fingers. "Not this again..."
On AtlantisBeing human was not a feeling that Twilight missed. She looked around at her friends, all wearing their Elements and looking around in confusion. Well, Pinkie Pie wasn't confused, but then again, when was she ever? She was happily admiring her bright pink dress like nothing was different. Twilight looked around the room, spotting a few people at the bottom of a flight of stairs. She determinedly walked up to them, noticing that she stood a bit shorter than them. They all seemed to have the same colored skin, even though her friend's colors were their normal coat colors. Her friends attempted to follow her, but they didn't know how to walk on two legs. Except Pinkie of course, who quickly hopped up behind Twilight. The purple skinned human rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "Hello, I am Twilight Sparkle, fourth princess of Equestria and bearer to the Element of Magic." "Her skin is purple..." one of the humans muttered, and he was quickly awarded an elbow in the side for speaking. "Rodney, be polite..." another man muttered. "I am Dr. Elizabeth Weir," said a woman, ignoring the two men behind her, "Leader of the Atlantis expedition." She hesitated before continuing. "We have a lot to discuss, but first, I think our medical professionals would like to give you all a quick check up, just in case..." Twilight glanced back at her friends, who were still learning to use their legs, and blushed. "Ahhh, yes, that might be a good idea. They make need a little more time to get used to their human bodies." "Human bodies?" asked that man who had scolded the one called Rodney. "Yes, I was wondering about that..." Rodney himself now spoke, "How did that happen exactly? The beings we saw through the malp were equine. Ponies of some sort." "Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. I've only seen this ever happen once before, but it was definitely not under the same circumstances..." Twilight said, frowning, "I suppose I'll have to ask the Princess when we return..." "Wait, I thought you were the princess," Elizabeth Weir said. Twilight shrugged. "I'm a princess, but there are three more. Princess Celestia is the oldest, so ponies usually refer to her as the Princess." The humans looked at each other with confused expressions, but nodded anyway. "Well, alright then, Princess Twilight..." Dr. Weir said, tilting her head over to stare at the wobbly new humans who were just now learning how to walk. "And, the other ambassadors are...?" "Oh, these are my friends. This is--" "I'm Pinkie Pie!" said the happy pink-skinned human giggled, "Element of Laughter!" She ran over to her friends. "This is Applejack and Rarity and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash!" "What do you mean, Element of Laughter?" asked the man who had scolded Rodney. "It's probably some sort of mythological thing, John. I doubt it's important," Rodney muttered, making Twilight scowl at him. "It's no myth...Rodney," she hissed, "The Elements of Harmony are the most powerful artifacts known to pony kind. Me and my friends are the only ponies who can control their power. This crown..." She pointed to the crown on her head. "Is the Element of Magic. These necklaces..." The princess gestured to her friends' necklaces. "Represent the other five elements: Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, Kindness, and Honesty." "This is starting to sound like a cartoon..." Rodney mumbled, as a small group of medical people approached them. "Is this them then? Should I take them to the infirmary, Dr. Weir?" asked a kind voice with a Scottish brogue. "Yes, Carson. I think it would be best for them to get checked up while I have a quick discussion with a few people..." Weir shot a glare at Rodney and John. "Alright then, come with me, lassies. This won't take long..." The physician led the six oddly colored humans towards the infirmary, wondering if it was his imagination, or if there skin actually was that color. And their hair had to have been dyed. Twilight and Pinkie had no trouble walking next to him, but the others stumbled along behind. "Ye alright there?" he turned back to look at them. "Yeah, yeah... Just getting used to these weird legs," Rainbow mumbled, "and not being able to fly." "Fly? Did ye say fly?" Carson asked, oblivious to the fact that the girls he was leading had been ponies less than an fifteen minutes ago. "Yeah, fly! Gee, Twilight, why didn't you tell us we were gonna lose our wings? I can't stand this!" Rainbow complain, huffing in frustration. "You are not the only one, Rainbow Dash," came Rarity's silky voice, "My horn is gone! Twilight, how ever will I do anything without my magic!?" "Magic!?" Carson repeated, "Are ye sure you're alright?" The poor doctor had absolutely no idea what was going on. "Um, yes, we're all fine... You sound like you've never heard of magic before..." Twilight joked, "And don't worry, Rarity. If we activate the Elements, they should give us back our horns and wings. Or at least, that's what they did last time..." "Last time? You've been in this situation before then?" Carson asked, ushering them into the infirmary. "I have...sorta. I was sent through a mirror to an alternate world where I was a human. I met human variations of my friends who helped me retrieve my crown from Sunset Shimmer." "...I'm afraid I don't quite understand, but that's alright. I believe ye," Carson said, starting to give them each a check up. Other than their odd skin and hair colors, the six girls seemed in perfect health. "Well... We could always show you... Couldn't we?" Fluttershy asked softly, "I mean, I'm sure everypony would appreciate have their horns and wings back..." Carson couldn't help but chuckle at the word 'everypony,' even if he was still pretty lost. "Everypony?" he asked, stifling more chuckling. "I suppose our languages are slightly different...." Twilight said slowly, "Considering that we're actually ponies..." Carson stared at them, not speaking for a moment. Then, he tapped the headset attached on his ear. "Dr. Weir?" he asked. "Yes, Carson? Is something wrong?" the Atlantis leader replied. "Erm, I'm not exactly sure... These girls that just came through the stargate just said something about being ponies. Do you know anything about that?" There was a short silence before Weir responded again. "According to Rodney, they were ponies on their own planet, but they somehow turned human when they went through the stargate." "...Is there a reason I was not informed about this?" Carson asked, still a bit confused. "I guess we forgot in all the confusion. Sorry, Carson, it won't happen again." "Well, alright, but....but they were ponies?" he asked, the thought making him have to hold back his laughter again. "Carson, please. They're ambassadors. Try not to upset them." "Ambassadors? They seem more like children..." "Carson!" "Alright, alright! I know! I'll send them up." he chuckled more and turned back to the six visitors. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that these were former ponies he was talking to, but he tried not to think about it too much. "So, you're all in perfect health. I'll take ye back up to Dr. Weir now. I'm sure ye'll all have a lot to talk about." "Oh, yes! We'll need to start discussing....whatever the hay it is we're here for..." Twilight said uncertainly. "Oh?" Carson raised an eyebrow, "I mean no offense here, but it sounds like ye don't really know what you're doing..." "We don't," Applejack said, shrugging and tipping back her hat, "I mean, Twilight knows some, but I fer one don't have any clue about what is going on here." "Well.... I'm sure if ye go talk with Dr. Weir, she'll be able to answer a few questions. She knows more about this than I do. I'm only a doctor, after all." Carson walked the six girls up to the conference room. "Here we are, Elizabeth. They're all as healthy as horses." "We're not horses, silly!" Pinkie chimed, "We're ponies!" Carson rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Well, sit down. We have a lot to discuss..." Weir said, and Carson made to leave, "You too, Dr. Beckett. You are one of our senior staff, after all." "Yeah, come join the party, Doc," said John, who was sitting the next chair over from Elizabeth. "Aye, I suppose..." Carson muttered, sitting down in a chair. "I'm sorry for the medical procedures," Elizabeth started, "It's routine. Now, I think we should get down to business..." She smiled a bit. "As I'm sure you already know, you are on Atlantis." The girls gave each other looks of confusion, but Weir didn't seem to notice. "Now, I am sure your Princess sent you here to form an alliance against the Wraith." "Wraith?" Twilight asked. "Nasty creature things," John said, "We fight them." The girls paled slightly. "Yes," Weir continued, "and in the war against them, we are going to need allies, but the question here, I suppose, is what can you offer us? We have power and knowledge and weapons to offer you. What can you give up in return?" Ever since they had been betrayed by their last partner, Altantis stood on high guard. "We can offer....um.... We can offer...." Twilight glanced up at her crown. "Ah ha! You may have weapons, but what my friends and I wield is far more powerful!" She looked at the other five girls with a determined smile. "Our friendship!" Someone snorted. "Friendship?" McKay asked, "How does friendship fix anything like this?" "Mr. Rodney, perhaps you need a demonstration," Twilight said, standing up, "Girls?" They all rose and walked over to stand beside her. Grinning by now, Twilight closed her eyes, and so did the others. To the Atlantis dwellers, nothing seemed to be happening at first, but then, out of nowhere, the gems on each girl's jewelry began to glow.
The Elements"I hope the Elements will still work, even if we're not fighting anything..." Twilight muttered to herself. They were glowing softly, that was a good sign, and it wasn't like they had ever not worked before. Twilight felt the familiar power surge through her, and she closed her eyes, letting the energy pool around them. The air began to crackle around them. Twilight smiled slightly, waiting just a few moments more before beginning the transformation process. "Whoa, I'm detecting huge power readings..." Rodney said, and Twilight smiled more, "Like, seriously huge!" Twilight opened her eyes, which glowed a bright white. There was a collective gasp from the onlooking Lanteans. "Oh, it is huge, Mr. Rodney..." Twilight said in a slightly detached voice as she and her friends were lifted by the magic and began to hover. The bright light from her eyes burst outward, first going to Applejack, where it steadily moved up her body from her feet. Her hair braided and grew long, giving her the appearance of having a tail. Two obviously equine ears appeared on her head on either side of her hat. Her necklace glowed bright, rainbow colored ribbons extending from it and stretching out on either side. AJ chuckled and wiggled her ears as the light exploded off her. "Honesty!" Twilight said in the same distance voice. Next, the light passed to Rainbow Dash, who grinned, happily awaiting the return of her wings. The light moved up her, transforming her in a way similar to how it had changed Applejack. Her ears appeared and she smiled as the light formed wing shapes on her back. Her necklace glowed bright as well, and she watched the rainbow ribbons seeming to grow out of it. The light exploded off her as well, uncovering two large, cyan wings. "Loyalty!" Pinkie Pie hopped up and down in excitement as the light began to envelope her. Her hair grew, much like the others' had, and she giggled as her ears materialized on the top other head. She reached her hands up to feel the short fuzz that covered her pony ears. The rainbow ribbons also began to flow from her balloon shaped necklace, and she stuck her tongue out. The light left her form, making her giggle again, which was pretty fitting for what Twilight said next. "Laughter!" Rarity watched in fascination at the light that began to circle around her feet. The fashionista smiled and struck a little pose. She still had to look amazing while they were transforming, didn't she? Her pristine white ears appeared on her head, and she looked up at them. The girl's smile widened as she noticed the light slowly forming a unicorn horn on her forehead. She was looking forward to being able to use her magic again. Like the others, her necklace began to glow and formed the rainbow ribbons. The others' ribbons had already begun to twist and entwine themselves together. The light burst out from her, and she posed again. "Generosity!" Then the light moved on to Fluttershy. The shy pony-turned-human squealed softly in alarm, but didn't do anything to stop the transformation. Her already long hair grew longer, almost reaching the floor by the time it stopped. She hid her face behind it as the light spread out to form ears on her head and wings on her back like it had done to Rainbow Dash. Her butterfly necklace glowed bright and its rainbows reached out to connect with the ones that belonged to her friends. The light exploded off her, revealing her canary yellow wings. "Kindness!" Finally, the light converged on Twilight. Her eyes still glowed white, and there was a determined smile set on her lips. If this didn't convince the Atlanteans, nothing would. Her ears appeared on the top of her head, just like each of her friends' had. Then, the light split, one part beginning to form the large wings on her back, and the other moving up to form the horn on her head, which was just a bit longer than Rarity's. Her feathery, lavender wings and matching colored horn were revealed as the light went to her crown, which was now releasing the ribbons that were completing the connected circle that the others had formed with their own ribbons. Just as all the light energy entered the crown, Twilight muttered, "Magic!" A flash of light rushed out, releasing the extra energy that they no longer needed. The six girls fell to the floor. Carson Beckett stood and rushed to them automatically. They politely mumbled that they were fine, declining any help from him as they stood up. While the transformation had been occurring, the light had been quite bright, and none of the Atlantis personnel were actually sure if anything they saw was real, but as the girls stood, they knew. All of the Elements were still giving off a slight glow, probably pent up energy that they could use now that they had tapped into the Elements' power. Of course, they didn't need it yet, so they would stay that way. Rainbow Dash immediately spread her wings and took flight. She was a bit wobbly, being in a new body with a different center of gravity, but she managed just fine. "Is this enough proof to you all that we can be of use?" Twilight asked in the most regal voice she could muster. There were several awed nods, which she smirked at, but some didn't seem as convinced. "So, how does this help you at all?" Rodney asked, "Yes, you can fly, but so can birds, and that doesn't really save you from the Wraith." "I still don't know exactly what these Wraith things you keep talking about are," Twilight replied, "but there is more to pony kind than pegasi." Her horn began to flow a soft magenta color, and she levitated up a cup from the desk. "Levitation?" Rodney said, seeming quite a bit more impressed now, "That's....that's impossible..." "Hey, you were able to levitate stuff that one time, Rodney," John said, and Rodney made like he was going to say something. He stopped halfway and frowned. "Just saying..." "Yeah, but I was genetically altered..." Rodney started, but stopped when he noticed the now pony-human hybrid visitors were staring at him in confusion. "...Nevermind..." "Well, anyway... This is the power of the Elements of Harmony. I'm sure my friends appreciate having their special abilities back, but Dr. Weir, I'd like to learn more about these Wraith." Twilight walked up to Dr. Weir. "I feel like I need to know as much about them as I can." "Actually, I think John Sheppard and his team would be able to do that a bit better than me..." Weir glanced over at the other five girls, "I can take your friends on a tour of the city while you talk with them." "Oh, uh... Okay?" Twilight walked over to the rest of the Lanteans and Dr. Weir led her friends out of the room. "Perhaps I should go with Elizabeth...?" Carson muttered, making to go. "Beckett..." John warned, "Stay. I'm sure there are things you could contribute to this conversation." Carson sighed and sat back down. "Okay, so you all know my name, but I don't really know yours..." Twilight mumbled, "Uhh, you're Rodney and you're John..." She turned to the doctor. "I thought I knew your name, but now I might be a bit confused...and I have no idea who you two are." She pointed to the two other people sitting at the table in the conference room. "Ahh, okay," John said, "Well, I'm John Sheppard, that's Rodney McKay, the good doctor's name is Carson Beckett. As for those two..." He gestured to the other two. "The woman is Teyla Ammogan and the man is Ronon Dex. He doesn't talk much." Teyla stood and approached Twilight. "It is nice to meet you," she said, "You have not ever encountered the Wraith?" Twilight shook her head. "Then you and your people are very lucky, and you should go back to them." "Well, according to the Princess, I may have accidentally ended that particular lucky streak..." Twilight mumbled, chuckling nervously. "You?" McKay asked, "How?" "Well... I may have, accidentally, turned on the ancestral ring...." she mumbled sheepishly. "The stargate? You turned on a stargate? ...How?" "Well, there was a crystal out of place, so I sorta just...put it back?" Twilight muttered, "I don't really know more than that." "Oh! Your people removed the crystal so they could escape the war," Rodney said, "Not uncommon, but that usually doesn't work because the Wraith have ships..." He hesitated. "How have you all survived this long without being...culled?" "Culled?" Twilight asked, looking a little uneasy. "That's what they do," Ronon said gruffly, "They take the people away and them they feed on them." Twilight's purple face paled. She didn't like where this was going. "And....what do you mean by 'feed on them'...?" she asked, feeling like maybe she didn't want to know. "They drain the life out of you with a special....mouth on their palms," John said, a bit too casually for Twilight's liking. The young princess suddenly felt very warm, and everything started to spin. She swayed gently, a sickly green coming to her face that greatly contrasted the purple. Carson, realizing what was happening, stood and rushed to her side. "Missy Twilight, perhaps you ought to sit down..." The doctor gently took her hand and led her to a chair. The purple human put her head in her hands. "Sorry, Twilight," Sheppard said, "Didn't realized you'd be so....squeamish." "No, no, I'm the one who's sorry..." Twilight muttered, still feeling like she was gonna be sick, "I...I didn't mean to--" She raised a hand to cover her mouth. "Okay, I think this conversation is over," Carson said, gently rubbing Twilight's back, "You four. Out." They made to protest, but Carson gave them a glare and they left. "I don't suppose your friends would have taken that information any better than you?" Twilight shook her head. "I...I doubt it... We're a relatively peaceful society. But this....this is....awful." She shivered slightly. "Och, I'm so sorry," Carson said, "Try not to think about it the way they've described. The Wraith...er....feed because they have to. It's like eating for you or me. Normal food doesn't satisfy them..." "I...I understand that..." Twilight said, nodding, "But still...." "I know, I know... The idea makes me a bit sick as well..." the doctor said, "...I guess I've gotten used to it now..." There was a short silence. "Are ye feeling a bit better now?" "Yeah..." Twilight mumbled, turning to him. Her face was still a tad pale, but at least she didn't look green. "I need to tell my friends about this... They need to know."
The Spell"Are ye sure?" Carson asked, a bit concerned, "I mean, look what it did to you, lass. If they react much worse than that..." "I know, but they need to know what were up against here..." Twilight sighed, "We'll just need to be a little more...gentle with them." She smiled slightly. "I'm sure we can calm them down if it...you know...disturbs them." Her smile faltered. "Right, yes..." Carson nodded, taking a moment to look at Twilight's wings. He gently reached out and touched the feathers, making Twilight shiver. "Please, Dr. Beckett, don't touch my wings. I have enough trouble with them as it is." Twilight said, making him flinch back. "...Trouble?" he asked after a second, "Why would ye have trouble? Yer blue friend with the crazy hair seemed to have no trouble at all." "Her name's Rainbow Dash, and that's understandable..." Twilight muttered, "I only got my wings a few weeks ago, so I'm not really used to them." "What do ye mean, you 'got' yer wings?" Carson asked. "Well.... I didn't always have them... I used to be a regular old unicorn, but when I created new magic, I was transformed into an alicorn and became Equestria's newest princess." Carson was staring at her in both confusion and slight awe. "New magic? Ye mean there's more than just than levitating thing?" he asked, genuinely curious. "Of, course! Levitation is just a simple example, but I created a new spell..." Twilight thought for a second, "Come to think of it though, that spell only seemed to turn me into an alicorn, but that couldn't have been the only thing it did..." She glanced over at the doctor. "Would you mind if I tried it out now?" Carson took a step back, "Perhaps a bit later? Shouldn't we find yer friends now?" "Oh, right. Of course! After all, the spell seems to be directly linked to the Elements. They should all be here if I'm going to try it...." She hesitated. "...and I suppose it could be a distraction for them after we tell them about the...Wraith..." The princess nearly whispered the last word. "Och, yer right..." Carson sighed. "We had better get that over with..." The doctor started to lead her towards where Weir had gone with the others. He figured that he knew where the tour would be heading, so he led Twilight there. "So, yer a fancy princess then?" he asked as they walked, unable to keep himself from reaching out and poking at her horn. She winced. "I wouldn't say that," she muttered, gently slapping his hand away, "I may be a princess, but I still live in Ponyville with my friends. I don't really rule anything." "Really now? That seems quite the shame. You definitely have the leadership of a ruler..." the doctor said encouragingly, putting an arm around her shoulder. Twilight looked over at him, blushing slightly. "Och, someone's blushing," he mumbled in a singsong voice. "Shush, Dr. Beckett!" Twilight hissed softly. "Just Carson is fine, lass," the doctor amended, grinning as the door in front of them opened and they found themselves face to face with the rest of the Elements of Harmony. "Twilight!" they cried, running up to her and hugging her. They seemed to have mastered walking on two legs. Twilight embraced her friends. "Girls, we have something that to talk to you about, and it's not going to be pleasant..." Twilight muttered, frowning suddenly. They stopped hugging and Twilight tried to, gently, explain to them all what their enemy was. "These Wraith that they talked about... they're.... well, they're...." "They're what, Twi?" Applejack asked. Twilight glanced over at Carson before muttering "so much for being gentle" under her breath. She sighed. "They're monsters that feed on the life of others." Her friends stared at her in confusion for a moment before the message sunk in. Pinkie's usual smile dropped to a horrified frown, and the others followed suit. "They....They're...." Applejack tried to say, her face paling. Carson grimaced. "That wasn't very gentle, Twilight..." "How do you gently describe the Wraith?" Twi answered, raising an eyebrow at him. The doctor hesitated and then shrugged. It truly was a difficult thing to do. Her friends were staring attach other in horror. None of them seemed to have reacted quite like Twilight had. But it took quite awhile to calm them down. Fluttershy looked haunted, and Rarity had burst into tears twice. Eventually, they did manage to calm down though. "Okay, let's just stop thinking about that for a bit, girls," Twilight said, approaching them. "I want to do something." "Sure thing, Twi," Applejack said, "Anything to distract us from....that." "Okay, good! I want to recast that spell that I rewrote from Starswirl the Bearded. I want to figure out if it had another purpose." The studious alicorn smiled. Rarity spoke up. "You're right, dear. The spell only seemed to have been created to turn you into an alicorn, but that can't have been what it was for..." Twilight nodded. "I know. Everypony stand back. I don't know what will happen." She concentrated and her horn began to glow a soft magenta. Smiling, she recited the words she had written when she created the spell. "From all of us together, Together we are friends, With the marks of our destinies made one, There is magic without end." The Elements began to glow bright in pulses, until light exploded out from them. However, instead of being in the middle as she had been the first time, Twilight was part of the circle. A bright ball of light began to grow in the center of the circle they had made. Twilight could feel the growing energy of the ball, and the weakening of her own energy as she held the spell. The Elements were pouring all of their power and then some into that sphere of light. There was a bright, prismatic flash and a concussive wave of sound as the Elements released their energy. The sphere spread out, its bright light encompassing all of Atlantis. Drained of energy, Twilight swayed and fell, her last thoughts before passing out being 'Oh, no. What did I do this time?'
