//------------------------------// // 1: Do You Even Rift? // Story: Equestria Girls: Manifest Destiny // by Rey_JJJ //------------------------------// Equestria Girls: Manifest Destiny Chapter 1, Do You Even Rift? Well, do you?? 1:24 PM. Monday, so the kids are at school. Sky? Clear (means someone's doing their job). Indistinct noise level for the town--average. It could mean something or it could mean nothing. What she means to do, though, is walk on forward into that fabled little town what was home to the modern-day heroines of her world. Coated in fur the same shade of blue as a mediocre painting of the sky, topped--and trailed--with sleek, silvery hair ending in a short, sharp curl at each extremity with a stray strand here and there for a balanced look. Eyes--two of them, she's no freak--reminiscent of diluted grape juice with no lack of lashes. Magic powers lay stored in a slightly ribbed cone that was more than a skull extension above her forehead. Two ears, not the perkiest, and not the droopiest; closer to the perkiest. Walking on all fours, the four protected from the elements (though it's not necessary in the current environs) with nearly circular box-lid-looking things you call "shoes." If you haven't drawn a sexy image of the Great and Apologetic Trixie yet, you may need some glasses. Or a visual aid. Or a visual aid that glasses aid you in seeing. My meaning is that unicorn Trixie is the subject of the next few paragraphs (normal, no anthro, no humanoid) and I couldn't live with myself if I told you that in just 1 or 2 sentences...and you'd better believe she's in Ponyville right now. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Area 1: P o n y v i l l e -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Hey, look! It's Trixie! You mean the fake show-pony? I heard she changed her name! She apologized to Twil--uh, Princess Twilight! Only a hoofful of townsponies who saw her today commented since they recognized and remembered what had happened in the past year-and-a-half with the stage magician Trixie. The difference was that after her second scuffle, she came clean and resolved to be of relative good will (like chaotic chimera, Discord!) and was on good terms with the latest and greatest princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle, formerly just a student but still a renowned heroine with multiple magical accomplishments...brainy beyond belief...a natural leader...drank a Red Bull so now she has wings...and Trixie's target to talk to today! So Trixie trotted and trotted. "Her place is just around the corner. Golden Oaks Library--aha! Found it!" she said as she did what she said. The surprise awaiting her was no less than the par set at her meetings with the other magic-using girl, and arguably about as castrating. *Knock, knock, knock!* ...no hoof-steps from within. Was she sleeping or away? But she had an assistant: Spike the baby dragon, who would answer the door if he was home, so Trixie exercised her much-needed patience practice and waited a moment to see if at least he could greet her and point her the right way. As it were she didn't have to wait long before the purple pony's purple protégé promptly appeared for the magician's calling. One short, scaly, purple-and-green, fire-breathing tween boy with his tween boy voice said to her, "He-hey! If it isn't Trixie! What's up, what are you doing in Ponyville today?" "Hello, er, um...ah! I don't believe I ever got your name!" "Spike." "Spike, yes! I came to see Twilight today; where might she be?" "Probably...sitting on her throne at the castle." "Oh, dear! I'm so terribly sorry, but I asked you to speak up without cleaning out my ears properly to listen with!" She rubbed the insides of her horsey ears with her hooves, one after the other, then clonked herself lightly but audibly on the skull and rubbed her horn, tip-to-base, once, swiftly, and opened her eyes again to pose the question once more. "Where did you say, S-Spike?" The answer, of course, would not be different, and the boy would not expend any effort in inventing a new way to deliver it. "Probably...sitting on her throne at the castle." Blank. Stare. Felt almost like the Cutie Mark fell right off her hips, even. Had she received news like this only a couple months ago, she would've become homicidal or suicidal, torturous or emo. But this is HUGE! So much bigger than she ever fathomed! She knew Twilight was bigger news than she managed to make with her travelling show (which she modified and utilized as a part-time money-making gambit since becoming "Great and Apologetic"), but throne, castle, means princess, princess, p r i n c e ssssssszzzzzzzzzzz-- (Blackout! Trixie fainted on the spot! Now Spike has to do something about her because she's in the doorway.) ... ... ... (...she didn't have time for dreams, but when she woke up, Trixie did see the girl she had come to see.) "PR-INCESS TWI-LIGHT! OB-JEC-TION!!" was the exclamation from a magician in a waking stupor. "OB-JEC-TION OVERRULED!! Tee-hee!" was the response not from any previously mentioned character but from notorious laugh-monger and professional baker Pinkie Pie, the bouncy Earth Pony. She was on the scene now too. Trixie wore a look of desperate confusion and denial--or, if you want, a gaping mouth and wide eyes with small pupils--as she glanced across the crowd of six. Yep, predictably for Bronykind, the "Six Mane Ponies" were back in the library, and each one had a saddlebag and then some. Earth Pony Applejack of Country Orange, bearing a load of considerable tonnage; pastel pegasus Fluttershy colored Butterfly Yellow, conserving wing strength by walking the ground with the rest of them; unicorn Rarity of the hue Rare White, looking pristine and equipped with fabulous travel gear; Pinkie Pie, a shade of Party Pink bobbing up and down restlessly; pegasus Rainbow Dash, floating around the room at a laughably small fraction of her average speed; and now lavishly decorated Twilight Sparkle with both magic horn on her forehead and a pair of broad wings (broad, unlike the slimmer wings of a pure pegasus) she cautiously exercises as she moves about. (New body part--you sort of have to work out the kinks.) Background noise--animals in the library? A few, yes, including a disgruntled white rabbit. But why? At least Spike seems to have them under control (no really, he does, have faith). ''Am I the only one here who doesn't know what's going on? Is that a--'' "Hi, Trixie!" came half a dozen voices at once. They weren't waiting for her to wake up, but they acknowledged it. But what!? What were they up to!? The Great and Apologetic Trixie took the initiative: "Twilight Sparkle," but was interrupted in record time by a hoofful of the same voices. "Princess Twilight Sparkle!" "Girls, relax! It's okay; I'm still me! We know each other," was the decree of the recently crowned alicorn herself. "Phew, at least you have sens--ah, ah, heheh! I mean," Trixie blushed, as she was talking to her ruler and had to tone it down a bit, "thank you, very, very much, Tw--, uh, Princess, for t-taking the time out of your, um...uh...I mean, that's what I was going to ask! What are you all doing right now? I came to visit, but it looks like you're fixing to leave? So soon?" And the princess decreed: "We've been planning this for over a week now, so it's not 'so soon.' Still, I'm sorry I have to run out on you like this, Trixie, honestly!" (Applejack sniffed.) "We've received orders from Celestia of the highest priority--the fate of the entire world depends on us!" (Not only is that par for the course, but Twilight seems to be on a first-name basis with the other Princesses yet also lower on the pecking order...although "order" may just be a label for "request" ....) Trixie began thinking about what she just told her, but a fluffy white bunny landed heavily on the lowly magician's head, turning her attention towards it momentarily. "An-gel!" cried Spike, who still had a little bit of friction with Fluttershy's prized pet pal. Twilight made for the door, Flutters trotted over to Angel Bunny for some last words, Spike stood by for her statement, Rainbow and Rarity were already out the door, Pinkie was being Pinkie, and Trixie finally moved from the spot she had been standing in order to talk more with the alicorn. "Twilight, my friend! Can't you tell me more--no, take me with you! I mean--talk to me, please!" Her desire to glean some magic from the master came back to her in waves. Her desire to cavort with whom she wanted as her best friend rose too. "I'm really, truly sorry, Trixie. I was also hoping we could spend some time together, here in Ponyville, but now we need to travel far away--so far, nopony could ever hope to reach us. I don't know if we'll make it back, but to make it up to you, sort of..." she looked more unsure than ever. She knew everything, she was everything, but now she was also unsure of her words. She didn't want to offend, or leave her friend empty-hoofed after whatever length she went to see the Awesome and Almighty Twilight Sparkle. "...no, I mean, if you want, take my stuff. I won't need it where I'm going!" --and her look of uncertainty gave way to a look that meant she didn't want to tell her anything. Denial, and a craze. She ran out the door because she was being ushered out by her Fearless Five. Trixie could not get a word in--they were either too fast, too far, or teleported away. Spike was still here, though. Trixie took another initiative: "Spike, you handsome devil!" "Whoa there, I'm Rarity's...." "Er, Spike, you...good Princess' assistant." "Yeah?" Her expression inched closer to anger as her impatience made its way to the surface since all her rulers were currently out of earshot, and she said bluntly, "Where are they going? Tell me!" "Sorry Trixie! I don't know," and then knowing that the women in his life turn vile (never Rarity, of course!) when angered, he added on, "but I did...I did get a look at their map." ... ... ... This was certainly not the beaten path, or a path in any respect, but it was easily walkable. Green, of every shade and applicable shape, under the sky of a late afternoon with more clouds than earlier but not so much that you could tell the weather team had been slacking. Grass all around...sparse patches of flowers to the left, to the upper-right, behind the bend and in-between forest trees...distant chirping of springtime birds.... Strafing around the border of the Everfree Forest and dipping into it at a few points, some 5-7 miles away from Ponyville was the end of a semi-secret route to a meadow and a clearing. The coloration of loud green made way for some less saturated shades, and yellows were introduced to the palette...clouds became thinner and more scarce at this distance...the grasses clumped up thicker and were riddled with weeds occasionally...static electricity fizzed regularly against some boulders and the dirt on the ground...specks of dust and pollen gravitated towards an inconspicuous hole in the wall of space and time that swirled and swirled steadily.... Princess Twilight Sparkle's personal little A-Team rounded a bend and shuffled underneath a canopy of fruitless, leafy branches hanging low overhead and were taken aback! Of course nopony doubted the veracity of the Princess' statements (or doubted them since when she did lie she was still leading them to the truth), but they underestimated the spectacle of the target she last assigned them: the Void! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Area 2: T h e R i f t -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Void! A mind-bending expanse of stars and space, held loyalties to nopony--or "nobody" as most observers talked--twisted the truth around, absorbed laughter and kindness into its immeasurable reaches, proved any degree of generosity fruitless and was mastered by the magic of none, not even those who thought they had it, for any or all time. The Void! And this was the opening, the Rift. Almost perpendicular to the ground, the Rift was a roughly ellipsoidal hole in time and space that stood over the ground about 3 meters tall and 8 meters wide. It appeared to constantly be absorbing something, draining, vacuuming, but here in Equestria only a few specks of dust and a rock or two (and perhaps an unlucky bug here and there) were gone for good over much of the time the Rift was there. The Void! Princess Celestia allowed Princess Twilight (now her equal, or some might say, master) to look at some secret records that were secret for the simplest of reasons: to avoid a panic. The Rift had opened up 20, 30, 40, nopony (..."nobody?" Might they have to grow accustomed to using a "nobody?") knows, X number of years ago. It was before the princess-to-be and her amazing friends were born. Crime in Equestria is indeed rare, and the last time there was a confirmed and considerable number of ne'er-do-wells, Celestia worked with the pony police to turn the beat back on such hoodlums. They went towards the place where Celestia has logged that there is in fact a Rift and since then were never seen again. The Void! Not dead, just displaced. Luna had, on royal investigation duty and with 4 guards by her side, checked up on the Rift. With 3 guards by her side, she returned to Canterlot Castle with data that, when compared to Celestia's, revealed that the Rift measured over a meter wider than when Nightmare Moon was still a thing, and with 2 guards by her side was able to affirm that life exists beyond...and...well, past that, they need the power of...yeah, you guessed it...friendship. The Void! Ha ha, nope, they need science, magic, and tons upon tons of it! Twilight Sparkle could have passed for a fusion of Dr. Strange, M.O.D.O.K., and a box of black licorice, so of course they're going to use her. Besides, the throne isn't going to protect itself from a more qualified contender! We've been at it 2000 years and we're still not bored! Get out o' here, newbie princess! The Void! That's a lie. Celestia and Luna are better than that, and Shining Armor and Cadence would absolutely destroy them if they shuttled Twilight away with those intentions. Celestia's belief in the girls is just as strong as it was on October 10, just as strong as when nights and days were seconds apart and the ground and ceiling couldn't get along, when a flyswatter just couldn't save the kingdom, and when darkness reigned in a radiant garden beyond the snowcaps. Today, it was the fact that the planet, or any amount of home may not survive, and if something could be done about it.... The Void!!! Princess Twilight Sparkle, at the head of her squadron with Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy in staggered formation behind and about her, took on a shocked look all the same as the rest of the girls. They let loose a collective "GASP!!" as the sight of the Void leaked in through the Rift, however impossible it probably should've been. (In fact, you can't even see it on the way here or from behind; that was part of Celestia's citizen-protection actions and among the simpler spells to hold up for lengthy periods of time.) "That's the Rift?" "I'm scared!" "All right, now...." "Let's go over this one last time. Celestia warned me repeatedly of the dangers of the Rift...or the Void...or...it's all still confusing and nopony knows enough! That's why we're here to...." The path to the Void! Spike had pointed Trixie in the direction of the Rift, though neither knew about what lay at the end of the unimplied, hidden path; Trixie only narrowly managed to trace a mixed trail that alternated between heavy hoofsteps, cotton candy scents, and fallen feathers with a tracking magic trick she picked up between farming for rocks and learning that her magic buddy was allowed to pass laws, declare war, and, um, fly. Having also learned to ignore trivial messes better than Rarity can, she quickly caught up to the stupendous six (and very narrowly evaded detection from the winged ones) and trailed behind them, almost failing to follow them at a fork in the forest's edge, and finally reaching the clearing in the middle of nowhere where they apparently are supposed to stop. Stop they did. Their hearts practically followed suit. "...dragons. You also have to pay special attention to the layout of the..." Trixie found cover in the form of conveniently sideways-growing shrubbery and peered out. It's My Little Pony, so of course none of her spied subjects spotted her despite obvious rustling noises...her undetectability may have been aided by the Rift's perpetual background noise, of course. It gives off a gentle but fairly loud hum--or groan, you might think--and some static electricity can be seen and heard coming off its edges and into its gaping maw. "...you have spare clothes? ...double layered? ...emergency armor?" "Twilight, we get it!" "Right! Next on my checklist...." The humble blue magician listened intently, but at her safe distance at which only Pinkie Pie notices anypony there but mercifully chooses not to disturb her voyeurs, she couldn't really hear much of what the unstoppable Six Mane Ponies were saying. She might've gotten the gist, though. However, her thoughts were shared aloud by a high-pitched, almost squeaky voice nearby her, which was also hidden from the A-Team. "W-what's she saying?" "Ssshh! Be quiet, you dodo!" "I still don't know what that means!" "It means you're just a little--" "It means you shouldn't be snooping as you are!" Trixie came out. She startled the other amateur spies: three fillies, a low-saturation yellow one with red hair and a huge pink ribbon; a faded orange one with tiny wings and mussed-up pinkish-purplish hair; and a miniscule off-white unicorn with a swirly, multi-colored mane and tail. Respectively, Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, who collectively call themselves the "Cutie Mark Crusaders," who try anything and everything however illogical to try and find some thing they may just be exceptionally good at. They are remarkable failures at this, but have pulled off numerous interesting achievements in the process...regardless, they had been stalking their sisters (in Scoot's case it wasn't her sister, but she was as it were a true stalker) out of curiosity and concern. Applejack had tried to keep mum about her sextet's latest mission, but as the very essence of truth itself, my love Applejack had let a little bit of information slip to her little sister Applebloom, who promptly spread the news to her trio who then shouted out "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: WORLD-SAVING MISSION ASSIST YAAAYYY!!!" before saddling up with insufficient gear and rambling off to Celestia-knows-where...here, to be exact, right here next to an adult...er, you know, somepony else who was Applejack's/Rainbow Dash's/Rarity's age. Each "Crusader" was caught by surprise and took scared, defensive positions. Their actions really are in sync, aren't they? Trixie continued: "My dearest friend Twilight Sparkle is about to embark on a life-threatening journey from which she is not promised an eventual return! I had a sacred duty to follow her here to...ugh, what is it? You look like you're dying to say something." Old habits die hard, show-pony. "I am!" Applebloom came back with a reddening face vaguely reminiscent of Spongebob and her cutesy little angry voice that hits you like a rubber ducky, "Mah big sis Applejack is in this thing too!" "Rarity too!" said the even squeakier voice of Sweetie Belle. Seriously, are these kids' throats made of rubber? "And Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo predictably finished the set despite having no real ties...except that Rainbow Dash promised at an earlier date to take her "under her wing," and yet now she's going away for...pretty much forever. Huh. Scootaloo has a solid excuse for stalking this time. Kudos to that flightless chicken-bone. As those four went at it, the background noise was escalating; it was the kind that usually accompanies one of Twilight's area-affecting spells, with electricity crackling and some unseen energy humming, only this time, Twilight wasn't casting anything. The noise persisted and grew. The four spies stopped bawking, had sudden surprised looks, and turned towards the Rift. "Heeeeere goes, girls!" decreed Twilight Sparkle. "Three...two...!" "TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" "APPLEJAAACK!" "RA-RI-TYYY!" "RA!NB0W DA$H!?" "...one!" And FLASH! Wind picked up; the area was flooded with white light momentarily, then the Mane Six were lit up! Glowing in a very light pink and pupils not visible, the girls rose up slowly into the air and drifted towards the opening. There was a great sound, a futuristic sound, of--and bear with me here--a hyperdrive (?) engine revving up--plasmatic energy charging to 120% capacity, and pew! pew! pew! pewpewpew! (You can forgive me for using that sound effect, can't you?) The girls became lasers and shot through! The energy given off blew over in waves, blowing the onlookers' manes back, blowing the bushes that concealed them all the way into the forest, blowing four little minds away and forcing their bodies to skid backwards several feet! "WAAAAAIIIIIT!!!" The onlookers jumped out from their cover. ... ... ... Trixie, Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle stood dazed and amazed. Blank. Stare. None of that happened at all. The bushes were rooted to the ground and largely unrustled save for the spots where three fillies and a mare poked through them. They had imagined it--somehow all four girls had the same crazy vision of Twilight and co. taking off through some spectacularity, but that wasn't the case. They simply walked into the Rift and were gone, jetted away at Rainbow Dash-caliber speeds but without the noise or the friction. Trixie composed herself first and talked at the younger girls who recovered from their stupor a little more slowly. Was this...? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Area 3: P o n y v i l l e (again) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Where're we going?" Applebloom asked with her squeaky voice. "Back to town, it looks like!" Answered Scootaloo who was ahead of her ranch-raised friend thanks to a pint of meager wingpower. She, her friends, and the lowly magician were fast-trotting back into town. A little disoriented from what just happened and trying to decide what must be done next (because not doing anything could prove to be a grievous error, no?), the Great and Apologetic Trixie reached the edge of Ponyville with three worn-out, talentless fillies at her tail and continued onwards with little slowdown. This day, she talked down one monarch (and stalked down too), so she could talk down another, right? But then would that really be a monarch since there's more than one? How easy is it for me to get an audience with the longest-reigning, incumbent Princess Celestia, anyhow? And isn't that background noise I hear now the fanfare for the daytime arrival of the daytime alicorn? Oh my Celestia, it's Celestia! Floating down briskly to a spontaneously organized pack of ponies in a non-specific street in town was Princess Celestia in a carriage--which stayed parallel with the ground for reasons unknown--pulled by 2 armed and armored pegasus soldiers and guarded by 2 more off to either side. This alicorn was an off-white, but unlike lady Rarity whose hue leaned ever-so-slightly towards gray, Celes leaned towards salmon pink--I do believe that's the color of her vector outline only on Tuesdays. She was also tall and slender unlike the 95% of the pony population that was the exact same size and shape (Celes shared a body shape with just two others: the aforementioned princesses sans Twilight). Princess Celestia in Ponyville only ever meant one of two things: Foreign Policy or Twilight Sparkle. Neither one was here today. But both will be there tomorrow.... Trixie and Crusader companions arrived late, so they had to follow formalities from the back of the crowd. They bowed down to the ground, heads down, eyes closed, legs folded as though they were sitting or sleeping (the difference is negligible, but at least with them, they can differentiate, unlike a certain red, rotund fruit with a face), ears perked, tails settled...and then everypony rose. The Princess was almost taken aback, but she had a king-tier poker face and maintained her usual composure; with herself looking no different than a picture of herself save for the fact that her multicolored hair undulates constantly, she waved aside the flood of respect given her. Either she was going to tolerate less recognition of royal status now that 4 Princesses were logged in the townsponies' memories, or something was less than perfectly all right. One mare in the audience had a heart attack due to that possibility. Trixie planned aloud, "There she is: Princess Celestia! I need to ask her about Twilight and friends, but what do I say? I can't just tell her that I was...stalking. Or wait! What about you?" She considered the Crusaders. "Does she have a strict punishment for misleading minors?" Trixie's face bore a concerned look and she brought one hoof to her muzzle as her teeth lightly clenched. "I'm pretty sure she doesn't know who I am, or remember what I did to make up for what I did. Oh, dear, I knew I needed to talk to her but now seems almost too soon. But! Twilight," and again she motioned to the two fillies beside her, "and honest Applejack and almost-as-magical Rari--Ra--" Two fillies. Two? "Applejack had a sister who was right here...oh, deeeaaar." Applebloom, o bravest bumbling tween pony girl, marched on up to the fair princess. If not for her ribbon doubling her height she probably would've only come up to the height of Celestia's golden shoe-like things. She squeaked upwards loud enough for her to hear, and was rebuked by no guard (though she received more than a hoofful of scared looks from the older denizens) with an "Ex-cuuuse me, Princess," and if you read that in Link's voice, props for you but I'm sorry to say that that'd be inaccurate. It is only Applebloom. Celestia's good nature overwrote any action she was fixing to issue herself and she devoted a moment for the ridonculously brave, little, little pony addressing her, so she responded, "Yes, what may I help you with, My Little Pony?" "A friend o' mine reeeaaally needs to see you, Princess Celestia! It's real important-like!" "Is that so? I'll be happy to help; but first I have important business of my own I've already set out for. I need to see My Faithf--I mean, Princess Twilight Sparkle." Old habits die hard, sundrop. It was at this point that from between two front-row viewers a cornflower-blue mare hopped forth, bumping them on the way causing them to flinch an inch to either direction, and landing with a cl-clop in the opening looking almost as brave as Applebloom was, but quickly looking two times as foolish when Celestia's foremost two guards slid together and formed a wall with two wings and two spears and with two voices said two words, "Halt!" and "Stop!" But Applebloom turned around three times as quick and used her squeakiness to exclaim, "Wait!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle found their way in-between mares to get to the front-row to assist if necessary; Trixie calmed down in a few seconds as Applebloom continued her plea, "That's who I's talkin' about, Princess." "Twilight's not here!" Trixie declared, to help her case. All she did was get the townsponies to GASP! louder than the Six Mane Ponies at the Rift previously, save for one or two who already knew since they witnessed Twilight's personal army waltz off the town limits. "I, um, uh...and, uh...." Uncertainty again. Can't win 'em all. Celestia opened her mouth and had an ever-so-slightly startled look of her own (which the guards watching her movements gritted their teeth to) for a few seconds, then devised a new plan of attack. First she had to convince her beloving subjects that this was, in fact, an informal visit and nopony need be on super-duper-hyper-extra-best behavior for the duration of her stay (though general friendliness is advisable as always for her solar empire). "Citizens of Ponyville!" And everypony listened like their lives depended on it. "I am here today on a...personal visit." Every shopkeeper in town blitzed to polish this, that, and the other to gleaming perfection. "Please, settle down!" At this command all eyes save for the four guards' and the four spies' partially closed and heads bowed slightly once more. "I am only here to pick a few things up from the local library." An Earth stallion in the far back of the audience called aloud, "The librarian is out today," but he was met by a burly pegasus' "SHUT UP!" One of the flower-named mares (Lily, Daisy, etc.) suggested, "Go tell the librarian's assistant!" and another flower-named mare saluted and galloped off to Golden Oaks to alert the Number One Assistant of his impending life-or-death situation. Pop quiz, how many mares have yet to draw the connection that their senior librarian is also the new princess? Trixie looked over the audience sarcastically and thought to herself, "Is this what Twilight will have to put up with? Maybe it's better her than me after all. Wait--what am I thinking? Did I want to become a princess?" Celestia waved off her followers and her guards and glanced at Trixie. She winked at the show-pony and tilted her head towards the library; Spike, Owloysius, five million books, a horse-head statuette, and a very important conversation awaited these controversial women. The Cutie Mark Crusaders followed Trixie and Celestia to the door, but the older girls asked them politely to wait outside while they talked. Nothing would stop them, obviously, from stacking up into a filly tower and pressing their horsey ears up against the wood (splinter-free, don't worry) and asking themselves, "Do you hear what I hear?" only to reply amongst themselves in sassy, unproductive ways--as such is the way of the underaged Crusader. These three don't get to glean much from the ensuing exchange. "You are Trixie, the show-pony?" began Celestia in a welcoming tone. "Yes, Your Highness." Trixie, the show-pony, wondered what else she knew beyond the name. It certainly wasn't that her show was so renowned that the Princess held an interest. "Princess Twilight Sparkle has told me a little bit about you in her letters and in our more recent conversations. As I understand it, you humiliated my subjects once and at a later date returned to terrorize them all, even 'banishing' Princess Twilight from Ponyville for a time." Trixie's heart sank, and she withdrew and affirmed, "Yes, Your Highness...." "...but in the end, you learned very valuable life lessons about friendship and apologized to everypony you offended, even going so far as to re-name yourself 'Great and Apologetic!'" As Celestia's tone rose, so too did the magician's. "Yes, Your Highness!" Celestia chuckled. "You may stop that, calling me 'Highness' every time. It is more important that we discuss the matter at hoof." "Yes, You...yes." "I had hoped to speak with Princess Twilight Sparkle and the other wielders of the Elements of Harmony before they departed." "Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash..." Trixie counted on imaginary digits. "...Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, correct," finished Celestia, "I've sent them on a mission of the utmost importance, though I think you already knew that--and maybe you were wondering where your invitation was! Hohoho!" "Heheh...yeah, I was thinking something like that." "If you had come here a week earlier, we would have tested you to see if you would qualify to accompany the girls on their journey, but it's too late for that now. Besides, I'm confident that together, they can overcome the great obstacle that lie ahead of them." "When they left, they just disappeared." "All part of the plan, My Little Pony. They went somewhere you cannot reach by land, sea, or air...or even magic." Trixie was definitely taken aback by this unbelievable statement. "What?" Celestia jumped straight to the fact: "I've sent them to a world inhabited by neither ponies nor dragons nor griffons nor even creatures like Discord." "'Draconequus,' to be exact," blurted Discord himself, spirit of chaos, disharmony, and whatnot, who made an instant entrance by popping out of Celestia's side suddenly to answer the monarch's cue. "さよなら！" He then swirled out of sight leaving each non-chimera in the room stunned briefly. The princess continued her story: "In this distant galaxy is a kind of animal never seen or heard of in Equestria. It is an extraordinarily dangerous creature." Trixie looked her straight in the face. "The most foul..." Trixie's mouth opened slightly. "...violent..." Her eyes widened. "...destructive..." Her jaw dropped. "...murderous..." She shrank back and lifted an eyebrow. "...disharmonic animal in existence. I've sent them to a World of Humans." The shocked magician flew into a rage. "You sent them THERE!?" Spiteful. Stare. Celestia's dead-serious tone vanished after a few seconds during which anypony within a miles could just feel the dread emanating from the poor show girl. Suddenly wearing her usual, moderately cheery expression, Celestia casually approached the door, looked back, and said one last thing to Trixie: "...but, I'm sure they're going to be just fine! I have my full faith in them. This is what they do, right?" Celestia winked. Then she was out the door and gone. The Great and Despairing Trixie looked back down to the ground with a pout. "I'm not so sure." "Heeeeere's tea! ...whoa. Trixie, just you?" It was Spike, who had scurried off to the library's kitchen (yeah, it has one) once he realized the princess of longevity was in the hizzouse to brew up some tea, which was the polite and proper thing to do at the very very least for such a guest. "Spike," Trixie stated with a very business-like voice, "take a note." ... ... ... 9:16 PM. Monday, and it's a school night. Sky? Dark (nopony in their right mind would be outdoors). The padded noises of daintily armored hooves don't travel very far, but they do notify any spies of the substantiation of their prey. This traveller has a mission. A dire one. A vital one. One that holds the fate of two worlds in her hooves...and not just hers. Coated in fur concealed in part by a generous length of performer's cape, topped--and weighted--with a matching, pointy hat leading any viewer to believe in the wizardry and witchcraft held within. Eyes--two of them, she's no slouch--locked on to the future of the dearly beloved and the restless living. One unicorn horn proven less than the best but itching for a re-re-match for title of "The Very Best." Two ears, not the most-hearing, not the deafest; closer to the cutest. Marching on all fours, the four protected from environs to come (though this will prove unsubstantial) with semi-cylindrical, buttoned things you call "shoes." If you haven't drawn a smexy image of the Great and Powerful Trixie yet, you may need night-vision goggles. Because it's night. And it's dark. It's dark at night and you'd better believe...that's when she is right now. Trixie, filled with resolve, proceeded to rework the path. Celestia's words echoed in her head; she was playing the most dangerous game of all. She tried not to think about Humans as Celes put them because it was scary to think about something like that. It was something you definitely couldn't tell the kids (good thing Spike was in the other room then)...but knowing that Alicorn Princess Twilight Spar--buck it. Plain old Twilight Sparkle (going to pretend the wings don't exist soon too) and co. would be up against them, and an entire world? A whole planet chock-full of them? What did Celestia expect them to do? Repel their evil? Stamp them out? Show them the Magic of Friendship now available in 28 different languages worldwide? What if they're no match for humankind? What if Twilight was already dead by the time Trixie caught up? Fear, now! No--fear me, now! She thought maybe a true friend would get revenge...or something. The stage magician destined for greatness picked up the pace--and so too did the triad of blank-flanked fillies up way past their bedtimes. Finally, Trixie reached the location of the Rift again. She ducked under the vines, rounded the bend, sidled between the bushes and said, "Whoops!" She wound up in some other clearing where there was nothing noteworthy. Must've taken a wrong turn back there. That forest edge...whatever. 10:01 PM. Finally, Trixie reached the location of the Rift again. She rounded the bend, sidled between the bushes and evaded two potholes (but tripped a third one) and "Yes! Made it," she exclaimed. The Rift was right in front of her, static crackling and anti-gravity humming and lifting up small pebbles and cobbles with dust from the dry soil. Inside it was a mess of mass, space in swirls, a vacuum to your vision! Really, a Rift! Trixie boldly stepped forward but before she crossed the threshold of no return she felt something wasn't quite right. In a surprise move, she whirled around 180 degrees and called out, "You three!?" "Dang, so close!" "I told you you were being too loud!" "We're comin' with ya, whether y'all like it er not!" "Girls! Don't be stupid!" combatted Trixie. "HEY!" (Super-squeaky.) "No 'hey!' Do you even know what's beyond that Rift!?" "Do you?" "Yes, I do." That surprised the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were silently hoping Trixie was just as naïve as they were in this case, because, come on...the Void! Trixie explained, "Beyond this portal lies the Human World," but caught herself. For one she didn't want to riddle the youngsters with nightmares beyond their wildest night mares; for another she didn't want to believe the account Celestia gave her of this chaotic place. She also realized that without a very creative excuse she couldn't turn the tenacious tweens away from their target. She thought fast and made something up. "You know, if you enter the Human World before you have your Cutie Marks, you'll never get them!" "What? Why not?" (Didn't believe her.) "Because...it's the world where you turn into a human. Humans are animals that don't get Cutie Marks," Trixie explained from the depths of an omniscient plot device, "and if you go in without one, you can no longer get it to appear." Trixie herself was startled by the explanation. Sure she could have guessed it given some thought, but why did she synthesize that information so soon and deliver it so sure? Regardless, that was the deciding factor. The Cutie Mark Crusaders chased a goal they would not give up on and maybe it really was better to just leave it up to the mares. Just what in tarnation is a Human, anyways? I guess we don't have to follow our sisters in...besides, we have faith in them! They saved the kingdom twice and twice again for the empire! Still, one last thing clicked between the travelling show-pony and the destiny-diggers. Trixie gave them a task, knowing they'd pride on it for at least a day. "Applebloom. Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo," turning to look at each one when she called their names. "Yeah...?" "Stay here and watch the Rift. I don't mean sit here all night and wait for something to happen, but check up on it daily. Nopony else is supposed to know about it, but since you do, you may as well make sure nothing bad happens, right?" The fillie's eyes opened wide and their heads all perked up; this was a thing they could do! Something they could try! All the way out here, far enough away from town that no mares or stallions would be awakened and nearest the portion of the woods where no woodland creatures dared stay due to cosmic disruption issues, they let loose their collective, characteristic cry: "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: VOID-WATCHERS YAAAYYY!!!" Trixie withdrew slightly from the unexpected volume amplified by the ambient relative silence but cracked an honest smile that her ideas were still being taken by the younger generation. Bravery at the max, fanfillies no longer paying attention, saddlebags weighing down along with cape and hat, Trixie meaninglessly muttered, "I don't know if I'll make it back, or survive," and forced herself to put two feet in front of the others, two steps at a time, into the hole. "Just like Twi," who stepped forward and blasted off into the unknown at a finer hour of the day and in good company. "Here goes, Great and...Careful..." and for the last four steps, she took off running! "Get ready, girls! Here I coAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUHHHHHMMME!!!???" She didn't jet forward like she was supposed to. She fell straight downwards, down into the depths of... the Void!