//------------------------------//
// Appearing 
// Story: SHIFT 
// by A_guy_from_Earth 
//------------------------------//


“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and prince Shinig Armor will arrive in two hours, as you asked, Your Highnesses.”
“Good. Did you find what was stolen?”
“Yes, one tome of “The Luminary”.”
“Well, and what about traces? Do you have any results?”
“Yes.”
“Then report.”
“Well, we all saw how this monster jumped out the window. But there is a mile high steep slope. Thought it was – as we suppose – a magician, but if you are falling from such height… We expected to find only a body, but, as appeared, our runaway successfully landed.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It seems so that he even wasn’t injured. So we immediately began to look for other traces. Soon we found them. And they are leadinng to Ponyville.”
“Hmm… Interesting… I think that in this case we should visit it.”
“Are you sure, Your Highnesses?”
“Yes, sir. We think that with help of princess Twilight we will solve this mystery quickly.”
“And what about princess and prince of…”
“Call them and tell to go to Ponyville. They have a radio on their train.”
“As you wish. Your chariot will be ready in twenty minutes.”
“Thank you.”




“Yes!” – Augusto exclaimed, - “We found it! We found it!!!”
“Really?” – Zhao and Josiah couldn’t believe that they finally got lucky.
“You detected it exactly?” – asked Mahmoud.
“Yes.” – navigator answered, - “We established a bond with only one living being. It’s definitely the host!”
“Then what we are waiting for?” – exclaimed Max.
“Yeah!” – added socspec.
“Wait!” – captain stopped them, - “You will always have time to die, lads. We have to discuss what we need to do.”
“There is nothing to discuss, cap’n.” – pilot interfered, - “We rush down there, turn masking shields on, put suits on, get off the ship, took the device, scoot away. And that’s all!”
“It won’t be so easy, pal.” – said Augusto, - “And what about these akiras?”
“The host always near them!”
“Max is right.” – sighed Josiah, - “We haven’t even a week to wait for opportune moment. We have to do it being near them.”
“So we have no choice.” – spelled Mahmoud, - “Then we’ll do the next. Now we will turn holocamouflage on and get down. We will stop near this settlement, at the edge of the forest. Then we get into “Exo-5” and go to bring the suit back.”
“Fifth? These hulks?” – exclaimed socspec.
“Yes, they are bulky, but they have the best camouflage.” – mechanic interfered.
“Okay then.”
“Well then, I think that we agreed.” – captain summed up, - “Max, take course there.”

Pilot nodded and directed the ship downwards. Completely renewed, she quickly approached the surface, passing atmosphere layers. In the area of thin air she, thanks to dampers, remained unnoticeable even when she moved at speed of Mach twenty. But when the density increased, they switched to subsonic speed, because otherwise dampers would be overloaded. In thirty minutes they reached the settlement.

“Gieob” stopped near the edge of the Everfree Forest a two hundred meters above the treetops – it was sufficient altitude, as locals almost never flew there. After it crew activated automatic control, left the bridge and moved to the main lock. There guys got into exosiuts and, having activated the gravity warp generator, got down to the surface. When the last one came out from beam, they deactivated the generator, turned on the last hiding systems and went to the town.

Although “Exo-5” itself weighted about three-quarters of ton and was almost three metes high and meter wide, it made no sounds and didn’t raise clouds of dust – whole set of devices that imitated elephant’s manner of walking and dispersed the weight, allowed this. They approached the edge, when Mahmoud stopped everyone:

«Wait!»
«What’s wrong, cap’n?» – other surprised.
«We need at least one scanogram of local. I want to be completely sure.»
«Don’t worry.» – Augusto transmitted, - «We have already a candidate.» – and he pointed to the nearest forest path. There was lonely stallion that returned to the town.
«Great. Do it.» – captain answered.

Navigator nodded and sent handheld scanner on the pony. In a moment stallion shivered and after this froze. He was still as statue for twelve minutes, while Augusto was getting the data. Then the process finished, “Gieob” crew hided, and disgruntled because of sudded headache stallion continued his walk.

Soon infornation that they got was assimilated by exosuit’s computers, and all five men were able to understand locals. They entered the town and started to move to the place where the host was. Central streets were crowded, so they needed to go in backstreets. They have to freeze regularly to let ponies to pass and slink. But ponyvillers didn’t notice the hided hulks. So “Gieob” crew breathed easily and mover further.

In an hour they finally reached the library. But there they faced with sudded and greeat problem.

«Dammit, they all are here!» – Augusto cussed.
«And what we have to do now? We can’t wait forever!» – Zhao transmitted.
«You’re right, we can’t. So when we will see the host, we paralyze, then grab him and run away. In the forest we’ll get the thing out, erase host’s memories and free him. Then we’ll skedaddle out of here.»
«Get ready!» – Josiah transmitted, - «He’s appearing!..»




Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity gathered in the library to agree about organization of picnic near one of local lakes next weekend, when somepony strongly knocked on the door, and big shadows appeared in the windows near the door. Alicorn became a bit nervous because of sugh large number of guests, but stood up, approached the exit and opened the door. There were rulers of Equestria, Crystal Empire and ten gurads that surrounded them.

Spike since yesterday was on alert, so when he only saw silhouette of white alicorn in the door gap, realized everything, and, having blurted: “I’ll be in kitchen!”, when all other processed this information, whisked in the mentioned room.

“Princess Celestia, princess Luna, Shining, Cadance, sirs, what brings you here?” – Twilight surprised.
“We came here on a special case.” – Celestia began, - “Last night Canterlot library was robbed.” – other Bearers shuddered, - “Magician that used invisibility spell intruded the castle and took one of the most valuable tomes. And all traces lead here, to Ponyville.”
“Oh no! It’s horrible! Horrible!!!”
“We look forward to your cooperation, princess Twilight.”
“I will do everything what I can. But what exactly was stolen?”
“The Lumi…” – Luna began, when suddenly Spike’s terrified scream came from back side of tree.

Ponies, having forgotten about the conversation, rushed there. They ran around the great oak and froze in horror at what they saw: screaming little dragon was four steps above the ground and desperately floundered, like something intangible held him there. But Shining Armor, Luna and Celestia with guards didn’t panic and smote this diablery with powerful magic charges. Spike was freed, and place, where he got captured, disappeared in bright flash.

When the light dispersed, ponies saw five metal monsters. Bearers of the Elements screamed. Princesses and guards got ready to unleash their powers again, when one monster shouted in loud artificial voice:

“Wait!!!”

Surprised ponies froze. Metal monster meanwhile continued:

“Listen to us, please.”
“Why do we do it?” – growled Shining Armor.
“Because we can explain.”

Ponies looked at each other and consented.

“About two weeks ago near here meteorites had fallen. There were twenty four of them. If you had seen them up close, they must have seemed very strange: just like blocks of building stone, but melted a bit. One or some ones might be damaged, crackled. Well, these thing, in fact, were containers with our cargo. And your friend,” – monster pointed to dragon, - “apparently was near the crash site, so got under influence of one device. Because we missed only one thing, when we took the containers. And we want it back.”
“Refresh your memory. Did something strange happen to your friend lately?” – added other monster.

Ponies started to recall the events of last two weeks. And they shuddered. Fixing of the roof, banishing of Tartarus mice, fails of Trixie and Discord and other things… These creatures know!

“It-t’s true?” – asked Twilight in trembling voice.

Spike got confused, looked at ponies, then at monsters behind him, grabbed his head, but then wilted, sighed and confessed:

“Yes! It’s true! Twenty four melted clumps, all with perfect form! I was in the forest when they fell into the swamp. When everything got calm and quiet, I got curious and decided to look. One of this things was broken, and several small boxes fell out of it. I approached one and… this… substance, that was in it, somehow hit me and infiltrated my body. I changed, and all these weird thing began!.. Look…”

Little dragon raised his right paw, pointed to the library, the slowly began to move his limb. And soon royal chariot appeared  from behind of the oak tree. It slowly moved through the air and then landed near shocked ponies.

“Who are you?” – trembled equestrians.
“Before we answer,” – said one monster, - “allow us to do one thing. We see that it’s hard for you to perceive us like this, so…”

Then loud hissing came, and stomachs of monsters got opened. And from them bipedal creatures, that wore something like biologial protection suits, appeared.

“We don’t want to harm you.” – said figure in the middle, - “We just want to bring back the missed thing.”

Other four confirmed it.

“You will just…” – spelled Spike, - “get this substance out of me, and everything will be ended?”
“Yes.” – bipedal ones nodded.
“Well then, okay… But allow me to confess…” – little dragon gulped and continued, - “Thanks to this thing I was able to fix barn’s roof so quickly and banish Tartarus mice. And I didn’t use the catapult then, I threw that boulder with my paw. Using this thing I spoiled Trixie’s show and Discord’s jokes. Because of this thing I felt bad at the dinner. Twilight, Shining Armor, princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance, please, forgive me. And… it was me who stole the book from Canterlot library!”
“What??? How???” – ponies exclaimed.
“I knew that Twilight badly needed it, but I didn’t know that Star Swirl the Bearded wing would be closed! I thought that the book was needed urgently, but I have no money. So I decided to do it.”
“But we all saw the silhouette of pony! And what about that monster?” – exclaimed Luna.

Spike sighed and right in face of shocked ponies and amazed bipedal ones transformed into that monster-robber. Guards helped Bearers not to faint, and Shining Armor did the sane to Cadance. Little dragon after this showed how he became invisible, then he took normal look.

“And I have to say one more thing…” – Spike spelled, - “I was Green Wine, Vortex and… Adamant Chain.”
“Wh-what? A-ad-d-dam-mant Ch-chain?” – Rarity muttered in trembling voice, - “O-o-o-ohh…” – and fainted.

Socspec appeared to be the fastest. Two jumps – and he was near pony. Then he opened his first aid kit, took silver cylinder from it and put its base to unicorn’s chest. A weak sound, just like the shot of the toy gun, came. Rarity opened her eyes and deeply breathed. Human put cylinder back to the bag and helped pony to stand up.

“Th-thanks.” – she spelled.
“You are welcome.” – answered socspec.

After this ponies changed their attitude to those bipedals. They understood that ones in suits really have no intention to harm them. But one thing remained.

“You did not answer our question…” – Celestia intervened.
“Pardon us.” – captain answered, - “Well, it’s obvious that we are very different from you. So we’ll be honest: we are from another world.”
“Another world? What do you mean? How?”

Captain didn’t say anything – instead he took a tablet from his pocket and touched several buttons. Right after this load gnashing spread over the town, which then turned into hum and soon disapered. And in few seconds “Gieob” herself, four-hundred-meter arrow, in all her splendor, appeared above the town. All ponies in the town after this just dropped their jaws.

“Is it?..”
“…yes, it’s the transport that allows to travel from one world to another.” – said captain, - “And, moreover, from one star to another. Huyndai-Daewoo EG-24 model, named “Gieob”. Excellent vehicle. And we are the crew. Max Kocor, pilot,” – he bowed, as all other will do later, - “Augusto Ortiz, navigator, Zhao Feng, mechanic, Josiah Mwila, medic and first assitant, and your numble servant, Mahmoud Rezaï, captain of the ship. We are from Terra Unity, which is 2,9 million light years away from here.”

Ponies petrified.

“H-h-how f-far?..”
“Yes, almost three milloin light years. Neighbouring large galaxy.” – Mahmoud continued.
“Incredible…”
“And one more thing. Please, don’t panic.”
“What after this would be able to surprise us?” – exclaimed Bearers with guards and pointed to the starship.
“All these days, which we spent above your planet, looking for the missing thing, we did several researches. Our instruments are precision, although we were… million steps away, we found one interesting fact: all our species originate from one planet.”
“WHAT???”
“How such thing is possible?” – exclaimed royal sisters, - “You told us that unimaginable distance separates our worlds yourselves!”
“It’s so. But ask yourselves the question: why our medic without any hesitation ran and helped your friend? Because he knew that the source will be cure for her, not venom. Thought we can’t even see your homeworld from our planet, just like you can’t see ours, but the Universe is billions and billions of stars. There are a lot of other planets in it. As other civilizations.”
“Other civilizations?”
“Yes. Whole population of your and our planets and, we’ll be honest, thirty other worlds are result of work of one incredibly ancient culture, which is known as Spreaders. They have been existing – I’m afraid to say – for six billion years.”

Ponies and little dragon felt themselves unwell, very unwell.

“Oh yes… And, by the way, the thing that was lost, was made by another civilization. They called themselves Kniyrhe.”
“Really?” – surprised gathered, especially Spike.
“Yes. We would have invented such thing only in three thousand years at least.”

Then lads, having apologized, returned to exosuits and took from their “backpacks” six small devices: five metal rings, to which cabels were attached, and some kind of metal box with display. Then they approached little dragon, put rings on his paws and waist and joined free ends of cables to the box. After this they told Spike to get ready and be patient and persistent. Little dragon nodded, and bipedal ones switched the devices on. Metal box started to hum, Spike trembled. Three minutes of work – and nanites of shift-suit were removed from his body.

Later the conversation continued. People and equestrians fell into talk rather quickly. When ponies began to introduce themselves, “Gieob” crew, which knew very well about not always successful experience of previous expeditions and contactees, having learned WHOM they met, turned white almost as fresh snow, fell prone and began to assiduously apologize and beg. Confused alicorns, Bearers of the Elements and prince of Crystal Empire had to do a lot of attempts to persuade them that they shouldn’t do this – equestrians even tried to lift the guests with their own hooves. But eventually terrans got calm and stopped to ask for forgiveness.

And the conversation soon became quite friendly and pleasing.

“Um, guys, why you still wearing these… suits?” – Pinkie Pie surprised, - “They can’t be removed or what?”
“They can be removed, but we can’t do it.” – answered Josiah.
“Why?”
“About three hundred years ago outbreak of very dangerous disease happened on our planet. Hundreds of species were infected, and we had to made incredible efforts to find the cure. Now all terrans have the immunity, but also we are carriers now. So for avoiding the accidents we can’t put off the suits untill new world will be immunized.”
“I see…”
“Wait, and what about containers? And other yer machines?” – Applejack exclaimed.
“Well, machines are always clear, and containers… They are sterile inside, and speaking about their outer surface – all viruses die in outer space because of radiation, and if something would remain, then it will be just burned away. Because dropped containers and ships move very quickly through the air.” – said socspec.
“And how fast are they?” – wondered Rainbow Dash.
“In the atmosphere our ship, for example, can reach seventy speeds of sound. And in the space she can be thousand times faster than here, because resistance there is almost equal zero.” – answered Zhao.

Pegasus just dropped her jaw.

“How such huge thing can be so fast?” – she exclaimed when she came to her senses.
“Well, you need very big and very powerful engine. On our ship it takes one-third of total volume.” – continued mechanic.
“Wow…”
“Um, allow me to know, why do you need this strange metal glove, and why you are wearing only one?” – asked Rarity after rather long examining of mechanic’s right hand.
“Oh, this…” – Zhao paused a little, - “You see, it’s not a glove, it’s prosthesis.”
“Prosthesis?”
“Yes. We found how to make them really good in last two centuries.”
“What happened to you then?” – exclaimed Fluttershy.
“Honestly… I worked on the energy transport system, lingered a bit, then one little carelessness, and my arm was just burned away.”
“Oh, it’s terrible!!!”
“Please, don’t worry! Everything is fine now! Well, to be honest… among all of us only Josiah hasn’t any artificial parts.” – socspec waved, - “Cap’n after one accident has no own ribs, Augusto to save his eyesight had to transplant both eyes, and Max since the very birth lives with artificial heart.”

The latter appeared to be the most impressive for ponies.

“Yes, it’s so.” – pilot confirmed, - “Or else I would have not survived. But now I’m very glad: it works perfectly, so I usually more fresh and calm than other! It’s as good as native, and sometimes even better!”
“Okay…”
“Hmm… And what if…” – Cadance began thoughtfully.
“Eh, next time, please, Your Highness.” – blurted Max as he already knew about special talents of pink alicorn.
“Tell us,” – almost at the same time began Twilight, Shining Armor, Celestia and Luna, - “How it’s even possible to travel from one star to another?”

After this questions lads paused and got a bit confused.

“You see… How to say it better… Eh…”
“It’s necessary to accelerate protected by reliable electomagnetic force field vehicle to the certain speed and submerge into convective zone of a star to cause the collapsing effect which will bring you to hyperspace.” – blurted Augusto.
“Umm… What?” – muttered almost all gathered.
“I don’t get it.” – said Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
“Explain everything again, pease, and in more simple way.” – Twilight asked politely.

Guests looked at each other, then nervously at white alicorn, gulped and finally decided to do it:

“You have to sundive…”

Celestia’s expression after these words could be interpreted in different ways. 

“When you are submerging into the depth of a star, combination of colossal pressure and high speed of vehicle causes one particular effect which we called collapsing .” – navigator began to explain, - “The thing is that such combination of conditions leads to, in fact, just pressing into another dimension, where geometry of space is completely different. Moving there it’s possibe to overcome thousand light years in a day. Leave it you can if you make powerful explosion near your ship. Then the opposite effect, recollapsing, will throw away the ship in convective zone of other star. But all this possible only if you use strong protection – intensive electromagnetic field, or else the vehicle will be crushed.”
“Ow…”
“And what next?” – Luna asked.
“Well, ladies and gentle…colts, wait for scientific expedition.” – Mahmoud answered, - “A lot of scientists will arrive to explore your world and your nations.”
“So… When all this will happen?”
“And how many ones will arrive?” – Celestia added.
“Preparations always were rather long thing, plus twenty days of flight, so… Your Highnesses, wait in hundred and seventy or hundred and eighty days.”
“Okay.”
“But we want you to be ready, so… Zhao, bring ansible here.”

Mechanic nodded, ran to his exosuit and took from its “trunk” quite big device that looked like subwoofer.

“Via this device you will be informed about the arriving.” – Mahmoud said, - “It’s simple, works almost like usual radio.”
“Thanks!” – ponies and Spike nodded.
“Only one more warning: ship that will arrive will be… well, approximately three hundred times bigger than our “Gieob”.” – Zhao said.

Several equestrians chocked.

“Hundreds will arrive.” – Josiah continued, - “Representatives of tens of worlds.”
“Well, something like this…” – Mahmoud sighed, - “But now we have to say that we can’t stay here – our fuel reserves and food supplies are almost ran out, and we stood out from all the deadlines.”
“And stay a little bit more?” – Pinkie imploringly asked her new friends.
“We are sorry, but we can’t.” – Josiah said, - “We have to go now. But we will return – as discoverers we surely will be in the new crew.”

Ponies rejoiced.

“Thank you, friends. You are wonderful!” – exclaimed lads, - “Goodbye!”
“And thank you too! See you!” – equestrians answered.
“And, please, provide the conditions!” – asked pilot.
“We will!” – alicorns smiled.
“See you!”
“See you!”

“Gieob” crew bowed and returned to their exosuits. In a second place, where they stood, was hit by beam of gravity warp generator, and they climbed aboard. Vessel began to turn. Equestrians waved. Starship, havig given sound signal, started to gain height. Soon it become little black dot and then got out of sight.

Spike and ponies for some time stood there and looked up. Then they, still surprised, began to come to their senses and, discussing the event, return to their homes and jobs. But they weren’t sad: guests will return, and there will be a lot of them. They need to prepare for the meeting!




In a day “Gieob” reached the star and dived into it, and in due time, fourteen hours, after this arrived at staging post. They had returned.




And in six month, as it was promised, the expedition arrived. Then equestrians opened all the breadth and grandeur of the Universe, and the Universe opened itself to them.