Chapter 1
"Good morning, sister!" Luna looked a little tired, but her face and mane retained specific mysterious luster and freshness as always.
"Good morning! I already rose the sun and took the castle protection spell upon myself, you can go relax or join me at the throne room. Girls will visit us today, I think we have something interesting to listen"
Celestia was on the throne and sipped her morning coffee. Spoon in a cup slowly stirred sugar under Celestia’s magic. Luna smiled and took a seat beside her. Infront of Celestia levitated a parchment with to-do list.
"Something interesting today?" Luna tried to peep in list
"Let's see... Twilight will meet us in the morning, then we need to visit new art gallery opening and we must be at the student’s Academy of architectural art awards ceremony, so, I think, we’ll split up..." - "Gallery on me." - "As you wish, in the afternoon we waiting petitioners, council meeting and other things that you dont love in general.. "
Luna laughed. It's funny that despite all what happened between them, they can simply sit and discuss royal things...laugh. Luna looked away and confused for a second.
"Celestia, I feel something ... wrong."
"Yes, I, too," Princess said looking at the parchment as before. She took a sip from the cup. Suddenly Celestia's eyes narrowed, she frowned and looked at her sister.
"What happened, sister?" Luna suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"Magic wards. It seems that in our to-do list will appear an unplanned meeting. "
---
In the throne room light penetrated through the stained-glass windows, merging with gold paint he gave a magnificent view of the hall. Empty room with a high ceiling has an oppressive effect. Anypony feel very small in such room. It looked like the castle was built for the giant pony, who disappeared a long time ago, and a new civilization captured his home. The hall was as much quiet as you could hear dust flying.
A loud crack, like thunder, swept around the room. A huge door opened and brown pony walked through. His face was covered by a cloak collar. There was no guard near the door. It looked even worse than detective thought.
Grim stopped in his tracks, shoked by the splendor of the hall, incredible lights and majesty of silks and tapestries around. But all of it couldnt impress as much as two figures on the thrones. Two alicorns looked intently at him. Their coat was more shiny and silky than any of the finest silk. Their manes were waved on a magical wind that nopony can feel except them. Their faces expressed nothing, only silent question.
Nevertheless detective smiled and muttered to himself, "Are you all day sitting there?"
"Come to us!" Ordered the princess of the day.
"Open your face!" Ordered the princess of the night.
"Mares ..." mumbled detective. However, he obeyed. "Detective Grim, Princesses. I arrived here on the night express train from Ponyville ... with breaking news of the paramount importance."
Two sisters looked at each other. The elder said, “Twilight, my student, came here recently. She did not tell me such things. Explain yourself! "
"Because the events happened last night, my princess. The portal was opened at the Everfree. It seems that we taking visitors from other worlds. They called themsalves...humans "
"Did you really passed this way just to tell us the baize?" Celestia frowned. "Moreover, you secretly penetrated into the castle! Crowd tells tales about this forest not the first year. It’s not the first time when pony stands in front of us proving that we all threatened with imminent death. "
"Do not be an ordinary pony who can’t distinguish between a real threat amd filly's firecrackers!" Grim began to lose patience. "I am not a market charlatan! I doing my job. I would not come here If it wouldn’t concern the whole Equestria "
"Detective Grim. Are you a hero Canterlot? I remember now, I awarded you personally." Said Luna," How's your family name? "
"If you please! I forgot it, and I dont particularly eager to recall it." Grim adjusted his hat and made a grimace of disgust on his face.
"I think it would’t hurt if I will make a proud for our guest and will go with him in Ponyville." Luna said and looked at her sister, looking for her approval. Celestia closed her eyes, sighed, and nodded to her.
"The bright idea from the dark pony… I know what irony is." muttered the detective, and headed for the door.
Princesses stared at each other for a few minutes, and then Celestia put guards back and Luna ordered to equip the carriage.
---
The detective squeezed his hat in front of the castle. Is it enough to convince the princesses? What if it's too late and humans already captured Ponyville? Definitely, he was must to stay and watch them. What with Gros? Maybe a friend under tortures or even eaten. Gosh, Grim did not even recognize what humans eat. He scratched his head with short red mane.
"Oh,goddess, are you really stood in front of princesses? When you washed your body last time? Dusty clothes ... where are you from?" A guard approached to the detective
.
"It’s not a part of your damn business! You came to scoff or what?" Grim even didnt look at him. He looked at his hat
.
"Pfft ... Luna is waiting for you in the chariot. But I would hesitate to even look at her if i would look like this." The guard pointed at the gate leading into the courtyard of the castle. It seems that the chariot will start from there.
"I bet, you would not."
---
Red-mane pony closed the door of chariot and sat on the one of empty sofas. Chariot was with roof. It seems that the visit was planned as secret. But what a fool does not notice the royal carriage in the sky, although it is closed?
Grim looked at the Luna and nodded quickly. He looked out the window, watching the beautiful garden at the courtyard and noticed that it’s the most beautiful garden he ever seen.
"Seems you came here in a harry, you are sweaty a little bit." Luna decided to start a conversation first.
"I've heard this compliment already..." He looked at the princess, but she smiled amiably, it looks like she doesn’t want to hurt him. "If you don’t every simple day deside to assault the window on the third floor of the Royal Castle you will seaty too, i’m sure. You have terrible security, i must say, you need to fix it. Next time it can be not me. "
Luna giggled a little.
"What's so funny?" Grim frowned.
"We knew about invasion when the hook caught the window. We were interested in our convesation, so we put off our protection, detective Grim. "
"You are too careless ... like everypony here," muttered the detective.
"Tell me, Grim, who we gonna meet there. Has anyone else seen the creatures? "
"To tell the truth, I was alone. They ... are high, with long hooves, but their hooves are different. Front hooves with some sort of long outgrowth such as stumps of tails or something like that. Back hooves looks like fins of maremaids. They using only their back when walks ... "
"They walking on the flippers?"
"Yes, something like that, but it is not important. They are intelligent. They talking, solving something. There's a scientist and chief, leader … errm, Rush and few more ... humans. They came here with weapons. I dont know how it works with magic maybe. They surely have magic, I have seen when they emit bright light wherever they want. "
"This is very interesting, it is difficult to dream up. I believe you. But I see something oppresses you, Grim" Luna touched his hoof and looked carefully into his eyes. Grim answered with worried look. He replied with a face full of suffering. It seemed like he suffers alone for all Equestria.
"They are dangerous, Princess. I feel it with my heart. But what could I do? I can not speak on behalf of the nation" He pulled away and looked back out the window. Clouds floated behind it. He did not even notice when they left the ground. Royal level. "It was impossible to not leave them like that."
"You did right. We will deal with this case, my friend." Princess said and nodded.
Grim did’t answer, just sighed.
---
Chariot gently landed at Ponyville’s square. One of the pegasus, which was harnessed ran and opened the door for a princess. Grim crawled from the other side. He looked at the town. There were a few ponies on the street, they froze where they was when they saw the princess, but still something wrong here. It's already noon, but here were’t as many ponies as usual. The crowd whispered.
"This is Princess Luna!"
"What? What she doing here? Where's the mayor? "
"She must be here to explore the forest."
"Who is it with her?"
"Is it Detective paranoid?"
"Why she need this crazy pony?"
...
"The residents of Ponyville! I came here with the purpose to deny or confirm the rumors about the creatures near forest! Please, stay calm and continue your businesses! "
"Princess! There is no need to confirm. We all already know, creatures settled on the forest border, they put boxes like wall and don’t let anypony to walk up, they said that they will talk with "representatives of the official authorities" only" Sky-blue coat mare bowed to princess and finished her report.
"Grim! Can you keep me a company?" Luna headed to forest, with her dark custody. Grim wanted to stay little more. He went to the mare.
"They threatened you? They used magic? "
"What? no! I mean, yes, there are always a lot of light, like their horns don’t get tired, but they did not threaten anypony. They welcomed a pair of ponies, maybe two, but humans left them alive and healthy, someponies says that they just asked questions, others that they poked them with some sticks, devices or something I dont know... Actually, I've to prepare my shop, maybe these visitors decide to buy something, and I have not done anything yet!" The mare left Grim alone, he nodded and ran to catch up with the princess.
---
"I am Princess Luna! You are on my lands. I am pleased to welcome you here, guests, but if you will show your friendliness and will stop hide from my people! "
Princess Luna stood proudly in the middle of a ponies crowd. They all bowed in front of her. Ponies who didnt bow was with a red mane. He stood behind the princess and unfriendly looked at human’s strengthening .
Pile of iron boxes were constructed forming a perimeter with a portal in the center, which still spit out flows of air. There were a lot of strange things inside, iron pillars, glass balls, more boxes.
People kept silent in the camp for a few minutes while they decided what to do.
A moment later, iron boxes moved away to the side forming a passage. Boxes were on wheels. The tall human passed through. He had a coat on the top of his head and few more on his chin. He was taller thаn Grim but not than princess. Three more humans came with him.
One of them was with an iron structure in the hands. Grim identified it as a weapon. He was with a light mane and keept a paper stick in his mouth. Paper burned. Human sucked smoke and let go out through the mouth. Detective had not seen nothing more disgusting than that before.
The second was the largest, with a suspicious look. He observed each pony in the crowd. His eyes stopped on Grim. They both narrowed their eyes. This man was with dark hair. He wore something iron on his hip.
The third was very close to the leader of Rush. On his head was some crazy devices. Another one in the hands, and he kept looking at it. It seems that he wasnt interested. He wrote something, then looked at device again and wrote back, looking at the crowd sometimes.
"My name is Rush and I am the leader of these people. My apologize ... " - "Princess Luna " - " ... Princess. I was afraid to break this delicate balance of mutual understanding between my people and your ponies. I ordered my guards to not to come into contact until we’ll know about you little more, after all who knows...we may offend some...pony.” Few of the humans smiled “I am very pleased that you have met us here as a guests." The man smiled happily. Luna liked what he said and she smiled too.
"Why you have come to us, Rush?"
"Oh, let me introduce my dear friend and the best scientist. Mr Schrodinger." With that words, he slapped slightly the man's back with strange devices.
"Oh yes, yes... I’m happy to talk with you, Princess. We are here not very time and I'm still trying to figure out if we are threatened by the local atmosphere. Well, we found this ancient artifact in our world. It lay under a thick layer of earth for thousands years, until the moment when..*cough* ... we found it. We saw an opportunity to find here useful resources, fuel and more, but now we looking for the opportunity to trade and scientific achievements exchange between new world. I mean with you, princess." The scientist finished and bowed. The man with the gun took off a paper stick, spat on the ground and took paper back to his mouth.
"I appreciate your friendship, Rush. It is so much to discuss. I invite you with your retinue to my castle. I would request other people ... to stay in your camp for the moment when we will come to some agreements." Princess pointed in the direction of the city with her wing. Leader Rush nodded.
"Princess, I deeply respect your views about friendliness and your predisposition to friendship, but I don’t think it's a good idea" whispered Grim quickly to her while Rush approached them.
"Do not be paranoid, Grim. Especially when castle have powerful spells. I can cope with any creature, even with four." Whispered Princess so that people couldnt hear her.
Grim morosely watched a healthy person with big iron on the hip. He answered him the same.
"Mihail, we going to the castle, behave normally. Pull out a cigarette from the mouth. And do not wave with your gun, you make all nervous... me too." Said Rush to a bright man, as they passed the crowd. Mihail spat the cigarette to the ground and stamped it with foot.
"Excuse me, sir, just I don’t like animals ..."
"You better keep quiet!" Growled a man with a broad chest and pushed smoker slightly in his back.
"Sam..." Said Mihail and raised his hands in a sign that he giving up. He put his gun on the shoulder.
Grim made a disgusted face and was about to go after them, but the Luna blocked his path with hoof.
"I think your role is finished. Do you agree to stay here and help people? In addition, you can watch them as you wanted. "
"What?" He presented princess an angry look, but seems she isn’t going to continue the conversation and walked after people.
"As you order ... Princess." The detective thought a moment and spat on the ground.
He went to the human's camp. What awaits him there? What will happen with Princess Luna? Grim started to think that he shouldnt leave her alone.