> Observations
>  by Tolerance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Day One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dear Princess Celestia;

I'm submitting this letter not as a friendship report, but rather as an account of the recent events concerning the pony named Stein. Princess Luna has said that she would like me to recount these details to you in person, but I figured that it would be best to catalog what has happened while the events are still fresh in my mind.

Day 1:
It had been a slow day at the library, no more so than usual. Some time after the sun had set, I heard a rapid knock on the door. Having sent Spike to bed, I went to answer the door myself. Before I could even reach the entrance, the speed and intensity of the knocking had increased substantially. As soon as I opened the door the visiting pony had managed to push his way into the library before I could offer so much as a welcome. I had barely enough time to recover before being bombarded with questions by a cloaked stallion of indeterminate age. I held my hoof up in an attempt to halt his verbal onslaught long enough to enter the conversation myself.

Noting my confused expression the pony introduced himself, “My apologies, I have been awaiting this moment for quite a long time. Allow me to introduce myself, my full title is Von Nicht aus Stein, but you may simply refer to me as Stein.” As he removed the hood from his head, he asked, “This is the residence of a Ms. Sparkle? Twilight Sparkle, if I'm not mistaken?” I only nodded noting his odd accent.

Finally able to observe the stranger for the first time, I note that, for his attempt at being a bit civilized, Stein appeared to be very unkempt. I could not determine if his disheveled appearance is caused by the distance he must have had to travel to get here or a something else entirely. The unicorn's light blue-gray coat was fairly dirty wherever his cloak failed had to cover, His mane and beard were both silver gray but had been either cut improperly or had been torn out in small clumps. My only thought at this point was that Rarity would nearly faint at the sight of this stallion, whom I could only assume was as old as my parents. I noticed, finally, that his pale green eyes never seem to focus on anything for any period of time, almost as if they were trying to take in every scant detail of his surroundings in the shortest amount of time possible. Refocusing myself, I dismissed these points as I finally answered Stein.

“Yes, I am Twilight Sparkle. Might I ask what brings you to visit the library at-” I strained to look at the clock, “-such a late hour?” 

“I am only here regarding the research into the subject titled 'Pinkius Piecus'. I believe that your data may benefit my own research.”

Now, you might recall my Friendship Report regarding my discovery that I didn't have to completely understand something in order to believe that it was true. That lesson was brought on my a close study involving my friend Pinkie Pie and her “Pinkie Sense,” as she calls it. During my research, I had sent out some requests for information to see if abilities similar to Pinkie's had ever been observed before. Every one of those requests had, until that moment, gone unanswered.

“To be honest, I have pretty much stopped looking into the subject.” I said. “There hasn't been a positive response from any of the institutions that I had requested information from. Without any additional information, I'm afraid any additional research can only be considered anecdotal.”

“Sometimes it can take a substantial length time for news to reach me,” Stein replied. “I hurried over here as soon as I had heard of your request. Do you still happen to have any of your research on the subject at least?”

“It should be around here somewhere, but I usually let my assistant, Spike, handle this type of thing. Are you sure I can't just get my notes to you sometime tomorrow?”

“No, I'm afraid my need for this research is quite urgent. If I can just review your notes I can get back to my project as soon as possible.”

“You never did say what it was you were studying, or what it has to do with Pinkie.” I said, still shuffling through my desk for the notes. I notice him shift uncomfortably under his cloak. 

“I'm afraid that information is, proprietary, at the moment,” he answers hurriedly, “but how about this? I can offer something else as an exchange. Some of my own research, for some of your's.”

“Okay...” His constant dodging of my questions had started to grate on my nerves at this point.

He reaches into a pouch hidden underneath his dark cloak and pulls out a clear vial filled to the stopper with a luminescent red liquid. “This substance, which is called Flux, is one of my side projects. I'll let you study a sample if you let me peruse your notes.” 

“What is 'Flux' exactly, and why would I be interested?” I said, knowing full-well how hard it is for keep myself from jumping at the chance to study something new. Stein, however, just seemed to be a little off in how he carried himself, even if he did seem to choose his actions, and words, carefully. 

“Are you saying that somepony, as studious as yourself, wouldn't be interested in observing what happens when a magically attuned crystalline lattice is infused with an incredible amount of energy? So much magic, in fact, that it turns to liquid whilst still retaining its magical properties?”

And with that, Stein had managed to make me refocus entirely on locating my notes. 

Shortly after finding said notes, and trading them for only a single drop of the flux, Stein asked if he could review them here in the library. I gave him permission so long as he didn't disturb Spike who was sleeping upstairs.

After offering to hang his cloak by the door, which he refused, I took my newly acquired sample with me into the lab downstairs so that I could get a better look at it. Firstly, I confirmed that it was indeed a magic crystal. This single drop contained enough magical force to continuously cast a low-level spell for nearly a week! Thinking back on it, I'm amazed that Stein was brazen enough to carry a full vial of the stuff with him. I'd hate to think of what would happen if it ever got out of hoof. I had run a few more tests before deciding to call it a day. As I headed upstairs, I noticed that Stein had moved to a corner of the library and was still reading through my notes. I had asked him if he needed anything before I turned in for the night, but he barely registered my presence. Just as I was getting ready for bed I woke Spike up in order to send you the letter asking about Stein's credentials as a researcher.

Spike grudgingly sent the letter only after I had filled him with a few of the details of Stein's visit. His task complete, Spike promptly went back to sleep, but before I did the same, I made sure to double check all of the locks on my door, both magical and otherwise.
> Day Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 2:

I awoke at my usual time, to the smell of Spike's cooking. On my way to the kitchen, I noticed that Stein was nowhere in sight. I asked Spike about it, and he said that Stein had just left to 'take care of some things' in town. Stein had also said that he would be back soon and that Spike wouldn't have to worry about cleaning up the papers that he had left on the floor when he left. 

It was at about this time that your response to my request returned. Your news that nopony by the name of Stein had ever been registered among any magical research group was of no real surprise. The fact that I had never even heard of the method Stein described of empowering magic attuning crystals brought me to the conclusion that either he was from a very distant lab, or he was just lying about what he did for a living. I made a mental note to ask him where he's from the next time I spotted him. Whether or not I would receive the truth from him when I did, was another matter entirely.

I asked Spike if he knew where Stein had headed.

“He didn't say, but man, that guy seems to be more of a night-owl than even Owlowiscious!”

“Oh? Stein was still awake when you came down this morning?” I asked.

“That's right. I thought your study habits were weird but didn't he just get here?”

“Yes, he got here late last night-Wait, what do you mean my study habits are weird?”

“Um, I mean, didn't he give you something science-y last night?”

“Oh, I think Stein called it Flux, which is actually some sort of magical attune-” I started before I had noticed Spike's blank stare. “It's a newer form of magic. One that is usually used to give a spell to an object, like the Levitation spell we used on Rainbow Dash's pet tortoise.” I finished.

“Well, why didn't you just say that?” 

Spike isn't known for being studious, so any further discussion wouldn't really benefit either of us. There were a few more tests that I could perform on my sample before I started to run out of material, so I decided to head back down to the basement until Stein returned and I could question him again. 


~@~


A little background information about what I had learned about attunement spells may highlight my interest in the new material. In order to help Rainbow's pet, Tank, keep up with her. I had created a flight charm, which basically consists of a magically charged crystal attuned to the same type of magic as the type of spell that is needed. In this case, the Levitation spell is affixed to the metal casing of the charm through engraving it onto the metal casing of the charm itself. Doing so allows non-unicorns to be able to activate the spell as long as there is a sufficient amount magical energy within the central gemstone. 

Depending upon the size of the crystal used in the charm, and the energy needed for the enchantment, the spell can be cast multiple times without needing to be recharged. The only downside is, that the charm can only be recharged by a unicorn who has skill in the type of spell being used. What Stein had given me, however, seemed to defy any of the limits of crystal charge that I had previously known about.

As I had mentioned earlier, the small sample that I had been given held a tremendous amount of power despite its small size. I'm not even sure how it could be used in its current state. At least, with the way the inscriptions are added to most enchantments. Unless a charm could be carved out of the inside of a sealable container, I still failed to see how any amount of energy could be tapped from the Flux safely. The level of expertise and equipment required to produce the amount of Flux that Stein seemed to be carrying was simply astounding. 

Every time I tried to work everything out I only seemed to generate even more questions. If he wasn't being employed by anypony in Canterlot, then who was providing the funds for his project?  Also, if he was supposed to be this secretive about his other projects, why did he bother to share this piece with me? Hopefully, I wouldn't need to enlist the help of Applejack, the Element of Honesty, to help me get past Stein's attempts at derailing any line of questioning.


~@~


As soon as Stein had returned from whatever it was he had been doing out in town, he went straight for the corner where my notes were still strewn about. It was then that I decided to start up a casual conversation with him, in hopes of gleaning some answers to the increasing number of questions that I had started to run into.

I should note that, upon his return, Stein had 'freshened up' quite a bit. His mane had been trimmed, and the hair on his snout had actually been fashioned in such a way that even Rarity would approve.  All of this led to a much more dignifying appearance. Although he still wore his cloak, he had at least managed to clean himself up quite a bit. Stein now looked less like some kind of insane pony and more like a member of one of the Canterlot noble houses. 

I started my conversation with him by asking if he was tired after pulling an all-night study session. His response was no less mysterious than any of his actions thus far.

“I believe I've slept enough of my life away for the time being. That, and this 'Pinkie Pie” might actually be the answer to my problem. She is still in the area, is she not?”

Recalling Pinkie's penchant for being the unofficial one-pony welcoming committee for Ponyville, I was kind of surprised that she hadn't already run into him. I simply replied that I was surprised he hadn't already spotted her as she was hard to miss.

“Perhaps you could introduce me, Ms. Sparkle? She may prove key to my…dilemma.”

“Yes, well I think I might need just a teeny bit more information about your project before I simply hand over my friend to you as some sort of test subject.” My tone of voice might have betrayed more of my concerns than I had thought because it took him awhile to reply.

“I would love to share my findings, but things are quite complicated on my end. My theories have not exactly been accepted in the past, and I would prefer to keep them quiet until I can refine them further. You do understand, don't you?” he hesitated.

“Oh, what kind of theories? Does it have anything to do with that 'Flux' substance that you've made?”

“You are quite the scholar, aren't you? As I said, I'm hesitant to reveal any of my research until I have the irrefutable proof that I need to back it up. That is also precisely why I must speak with Ms. Pie. No offense, but your notes are more focused on whether or not her abilities are real, and they contain very little information on the origins, or limits, of her abilities.”

I had to admit that Stein had a fair point. In my haste to prove Pinkie wrong, I had focused a little too much on the abilities themselves and not their effects. Come to think of it, I didn't do any follow-up research after I had accepted Pinkie's gift as fact.

“Tell you what,” I said, “It looks as though you're not quite done going through the data I've collected so far. How about I ask Pinkie if she would be okay with meeting you. If your theories rely on her as much as you seem to think, she should at least have a say on how this study should continue.” Pinkie, of course, wouldn't hesitate a bit at the prospect of meeting another pony for the first time. I, however, was still having my doubts, despite the aura of credibility that Stein seemed to be giving off.

“That sounds like a reasonable deal, Miss Sparkle. I shall respect her decision, and yours, whatever the case may be.”

Again, I was getting sidetracked from my line of questioning, but still had one question that had priority over everything else. “Alright,” I said, “but before I go I still need to ask you one more thing.”

“Alright, go ahead and ask.”

“Well, Mr. Stein, you never said anything about it last night. I was just wondering where exactly is it that you've come from?”

“Oh, of course. I work for a little-known group near Stalliongrad.”

“Hmm, I still not quite sure what to think about you Mr. Stein, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. I'll let Spike know where I'm headed before I go talk with Pinkie. I have some other things to take care of in town, though, so I might be a while. Talk to Spike if you need anything while I’m gone.”

I had decided to talk to some of my other friends to get their views on the subject before I headed over to Sugarcube Corner. At the very least, I was going to talk to Applejack. She is an excellent judge of character, after all. Before I left though, I made sure Spike sent you the letter which contained most of the new information that I had managed to glean from my guest, including his credentials and the information on the flux.


~@~


Luckily I only had to travel into the town marketplace to talk to AJ , seeing as she was running her family's apple stand that day.  

“Hey there Sugarcube! Wat'cha up to Twilight?” Applejack called out heartily. 

“Good morning AJ, how are today's sales coming?”

“There as good as any day, I guess. Now are you here ta' talk 'bout apples, or did ya have somethin' else on yer mind?”

Caught red-hooved, as it were.

“Actually, I did have something that I'd like to run by you. If you have the time, that is.”

“Well shoot, Twi, I always got time fer my friends. Now, what did ya want ta talk about?”

“OK then. Last night I had this unicorn stallion show up at the library at a fairly late hour, and he-”

Suddenly I had an orange hoof in my mouth, “Twilight! Is that really sumthin ta be bringin up in the middle a' town?” AJ said, worriedly glancing at both vendors and possible customers that happened to be within earshot.

Unamused, I remove AJ's foreleg so that I can explain. “No, It isn't anything like that Applejack. A pony calling himself Stein came by asking about my research involving Pinkie's 'Pinkie sense.'”

“Oh, well then why didn't ya jus' say so!”

I rolled my eyes. “I just wanted to know what you would do if some strange pony wanted you to introduce him to one of your friends when you don't exactly trust them yet.”

“So I’m guessing that this stranger of a stallion came to ya last night and demanded to see Pinkie?”

“Well maybe not so forcibly, but yes. Now that I think about it, he was being pretty civil about the whole thing.”

“There ya go, Sugarcube! Now I jus' gotta wonder how somepony managed to wander inta Ponyville without running into Pinkie Pie in the first place. Anyway, It's not like Pinkie is some little filly. She can handle herself.”

“It's just that Stein seems so shifty, he hardly answers any of my questions!”

“No offense Twi, but when ya first got here, and Night Mare Moon showed up, ya weren't exactly answering all the questions that were asked of ya. And knowin' ya, you've probably been questionin' the poor stallion since he got here.”

“Eh-he he, I guess I may have been a little inquisitive. Either way, the decision to meet him still lies with Pinkie.”

“Uh, Twi? Are ya even listenin to yourself? Ain't no way is Pinkie gonna pass up meetin' somepony new.”

“That's precisely one of the things that I'm afraid of,” I said as I turned to leave. 

“Well good luck, Sugarcube, it sounds like ya might need it!” Applejack finished as I left the square.


~@~


As I approached Sugarcube Corner, I come across a fairly lengthy line of ponies waiting to get inside. This led me to the conclusion that Mr. and Mrs. Cake were having some sort of promotion. Instead of trying to worm my way through the crowd, I went around the back and knocked on the kitchen door.

Pinkie was the one who answered the door, but before I knew it I had been pulled into the bakery's kitchen and was surprised to learn that I was suddenly wearing a chef's hat.

“Twilight, I'm glad you're here! I've been so busy with my latest tasty treat that I haven't even had time to say hello to anypony. Except for you that that is, because you're right here! Anyway, to make a long story short-” Pinkie rapidly inhaled, before rapidly hurling a seemingly endless tirade of sentences towards me. Most of what she said was lost to me, but from what I could make out it something to do her borrowing the Cake's kitchen while they were out. She may also have said that her snack was some sort of explosive device, but by then the one-sided conversation was lost on me.

I let Pinkie, and myself, have a chance to recover from her verbal onslaught. “So then why am I wearing this hat?” I asked.

“Oh! Well, Mr. and Ms. Cake are busy dealing with all of the customers, so I'm stuck in here trying to fill all the orders for my new treat. Also, I'm the only one who knows the recipe. But If you can help me, Twilight, I'm sure we can get all of this baking done in a super hurry!” Pinkie finished.

“Baking? Pinkie, I don't even know what it is that you are trying to make. 

“They're called CinnaBombs, silly, weren't you listening?

“And what, exactly, is a Cinnabomb?”

“Well, It all started when I got to thinking how great cupcakes are, and how tasty candy is, then it hit me! Why not have both at the same time!? So I borrowed the Cakes' kitchen, when they were out with the twins, and attempted to create perfection! The CinnaBomb is a delectable piece of cupcake packed into a cinnamon candy shell! But now that everypony else wants to try some, I haven't even been able to hold a 'New Tasty Snack Invention Party,' or anything!”

With that last bit, Pinkie visibly deflated a little, so I decided to go along with her plan. “Alright, if it's to help a friend, I would love to help you Pinkie. But I should probably try to stay away from any actual baking...There's a reason I let Spike do all the cooking.”

“Okie doki, loki! You can mix the ingredients for the candy half, and I'll work on the cupcake half. That's my favorite part!” As she said this, she bounced over to one of the ovens and promptly opened it up. “They're done!” Was all I heard before I was hit with an overwhelming wave of cinnamonny scent.

After recovering from an onslaught of my senses, and after getting specific instructions as to what Pinkie Pie wanted me to do, I started to whip up batches of what I can only assume were near lethal amounts of candied cinnamon coating that would be used to cover the cupcake concoction that Pinkie had created. It was only a couple of hours after that when we finally managed to break even with the morning's orders, and Pinkie managed to get the recipe to Mr. and Ms. Cake so that they could start making more for anypony else.

“Finally,” I said to Pinkie, when we had gotten a break, “I originally came here to ask you something.”

“Ask away Twilight! I'll answer anything, except oatmeal. There is no answer for oatmeal...” Pinkie replied, with a sudden serious look on her face.

“Okay... Anyway, what I wanted to ask about is this: There is this unicorn named Stein that has taken interest in your 'Pinkie Sense.' And he has requested that I introduce you to him-”

“You mean to say there is a pony in Ponyville who I haven't welcomed yet? I need to go get my welcome wagon and hold a 'Belated Welcome to Ponyville Party' before it's too late!” 

Before she could rush off I grabbed her with some telekinesis magic. “Wait! Before you run off, Pinkie, there is something you should know. Stein hasn’t exactly been forthcoming on what it is that he needs to study you for. And, although he has been only kind and courteous, I just can't bring myself to trust him fully, at least not when it concerns my friends.”

“Silly Twilight, as long as he's not being a mean-old grumpy pants, I'm sure he's a nice pony. Besides, how can I turn down a pony who has asked so politely to meet me. Just watch Twilight, as soon as I can get this pony to smile for you, you'll see that I'm right.” Pinkie finished, her smile nearly infectious.

“If you insist. Just try to tone down your welcoming party, although Mr. Stein seems nice, I'm fairly certain that he wouldn't appreciate a loud surprise as much as your average pony.”

“Okie dokie, Twilight! Just leave everything to Auntie Pinkie Pie!”

Now that the discussion was out of the way I released my grasp on Pinkie, who then promptly disappeared out of the room with a blur.


~@~


With the task I had set out to do finally completed, I returned to the library to tell Stein that Pinkie would be over later. I also asked Spike for his account of what happened in my absence. That was when I received news of your latest letter, which I have provided a transcript of here, for future reference:



Dear Twilight Sparkle,
We've received the additional information that you have sent. What we have found since your first message has been troubling, to say the least. The records maintained in the Canterlot archives do, in fact, mention a pony named Stein. What is cause for concern is the fact that there is no further documentation describing any scientific endeavors associated with this pony. I regret to inform you, my dear student, that the Stein you know may very well be lying.

While I expect you to use only your best judgment on this matter, my sister, Princess Luna has expressed interest in helping you directly. When she learned of Stein's possible deception, she has discussed with me what she may do to assist. She should be arriving in Ponyville shortly. I should also note that she has requested no formal reception, as it may interfere with how you are able to deal with this situation.

I only ask that you remain safe and keep your friends out of trouble to the best of your abilities. A pony should have no reason to lie to anypony normally, but I can only show concern for any situation that would cause one of my precious subjects to do so. When my sister arrives she will expect to be debriefed, should circumstances permit. Finally, in this as in all things, please be careful Twilight Sparkle.

Yours Truly,
Princess Celestia

P.S. Don't forget to remain calm, Twilight. The other Elements will surely be of assistance, should you require it.



As I read through the letter one more time, my eyes locked onto the sentence that informed me of Princess Luna's arrival. Spike approached in my shock and informed me that I needed to calm down. He also let me know that he had taken care of the place and that everything was going to be fine.

“What!?” was all I could manage.

“Well, that message came hours ago, and I wasn't really doing anything so I read the letter. After I saw that Luna was already on her way, I decided to clean up the place. So now everything here is squared away for when the princess arrives. No need to worry!”

“Ah, T-thanks Spike, I don't know what I'd do without you. I guess that the letter also says that Luna doesn't want the welcoming committee informed of her visit, so I guess there's not much else to do anyway.” It was just then, that I realized that we probably shouldn't be talking about this in front of Stein, or whoever it was that Stein claimed to be. “Um Spike, where's Stein?” 

“Oh, he told me he had finished going through your notes and was going to go out for a bit. He also said that he'd be back soon and eagerly awaiting Pinkie's answer. Except, he used Pinkie's really long name instead of her normal one. Also, he left shortly after the Princess' letter arrived,” Spike dutifully answered.

“Excellent work, my number one assistant. Too bad for us, it seems as though Pinkie actually does want to meet our mysterious guest.”

After doing a quick assessment of Spike's cleaning job, I heard a knock at the door. Spike was still trying to gather up the last of the notes that had been left out for Stein, so I answered the door myself.

I was greeted by a unicorn mare with a midnight blue coat, and a light blue mane. Besides the fact that I was unable to see her cutie mark, I almost didn't recognize your sister, Princess Luna, through her magical disguise. She looked more akin to her appearance when we had just released her from the influence of Night Mare Moon than how she looked normally. The glasses she wore were a nice touch, though. 

“Twilight Sparkle, it is a pleasure to see you this day!” Luna said in a normal outdoor voice for once.

“So good to see you Princ-”

“Ms. Sparkle! It would probably be best if you refer to us as Dusk, at least while I look like this,” Luna – now Dusk said, gesturing to her disguise, “I am trying my best to 'fit in' with everypony,” she added with a whisper.

“Of course, Dusk, glad to finally see that your speech lessons are being put to good use.” I replied, noting that she had left off the royal 'we' in her previous sentence.

“I am still in your debt for the suggestions which you have offered, Ms. Sparkle, but you should know that I am here for a more urgent matter, yes?”

“Oh, right. In any case, please come inside. Although if I'm going to simply refer to your majesty as 'Dusk,' you can just call me Twilight.” I said as I stepped aside to let her in.

“So I take it that your guest is not currently here?”

“Nope, Spike says that he left a little while ago. He should be back before Pinkie gets her 'Welcome Wagon' over here though.”

Princess Luna's form looks around the library before speaking up again. “Then we should discuss the matters at hoof with urgency, Twilight. Perhaps going somewhere more secluded?”

“Will the kitchen suffice? I can make some tea.”

“A sound plan. After you, Twilight.”

We entered the kitchen together. Once I had the tea started, Luna and I exchanged what little information that had uncovered since our previous correspondence. I was shocked to learn that Luna's suspicions were far more ghastly than my own. She suspected him of several unsolved crimes that had taken place in Canterlot recently. I, however, had doubts that Stein could be responsible for some of the acts that the Princess of the Night had described, even if I did mistrust him a bit.

Surely, there was some alternate explanation for the thefts that had occurred. And as much as I held my own suspicions for Stein's motives, I highly doubted that he would deface one of the statues in Canterlot Gardens (I was sure to ask if the statue that was destroyed happened to belong to a certain Draconequus, but Luna assured me that the statue in question was no longer kept in an easy-to-access location). I made my doubts known to your sister.

“Lu– um, I mean, Dusk. I'm not quite ready to judge Stein just yet. Besides the deception in telling us what he's up to, he has been nothing but civil. Are you sure some foal isn't just trying for a prankster cutie mark?”

Her expression was grim, she obviously hasn't spent any time near the Cutie Mark Crusaders... “You are right, Twilight, we must not hurry to place blame on somepony until we get proof of their deeds. I am just unsure how to go about trusting a pony that refuses to tell me their name. If he is willing to hide such base information, one must wonder what else they might want to remain hidden.”

Before I can answer Spike enters the kitchen with news of Stein's return.


~@~


“Welcome back Stein, I take it you got what you could from my notes?”

“As much as one could considering their unfocused nature, perhaps. Were you able to converse with Ms. Pinkamena Pie?”

“Yes, and Pinkie has agreed to meet with you, albeit on her own terms. She should be on her way now, actually.”

“Good, good. By the way, who might this be?” Stein asked, as he gestured towards Luna.

“Of course, this is my friend, Du–“

“Dusk, just Dusk is fine, your name was Stein if I'm not mistaken?” The disguised princess interrupted.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, I'm sure. You are a friend of Twilight's, yes? Do you have anything to add to my inquiries regarding this 'Pinkie Pie'?”

“I'm afraid I have only known of Ms. Pie for a short time, and even then I haven't really spent a lot of time getting to know her.” Dusk/Luna replied.

“It's quite alright, Miss Dusk. It is Miss right?”

“Oh, um I – “

It was my turn to interrupt. “Oh look at the time, Pinkie should be here any minute. A word if you wouldn't mind, Dusk?” 

As we secluded ourselves to another corner of the library, I alerted Luna to what I had just witnessed. “Dusk! Snap out of it,” I said in a hushed tone, “Stein seems to be able to derail conversations in a way that keeps anypony from getting any information. We need to have a plan if we're going to get any evidence of what Stein's up to.”

“I'm sorry Twilight, I am not sure what came over me. I will attempt to keep my guard up upon my next conversation with him.”

“Alright then, besides that, did we get anything so far?”

“I'm afraid not, from what little has transpired thus far. I will agree that he does not seem the petty criminal type that I had pegged him as earlier. He seems to be quite the charmer.”

“I guess I could have warned you about that, though to be honest, even I didn't give his ability to steer conversations as much thought as I probably should have. Seeing him do it to you as well, certainly highlights it as being problematic for us.”

“It will surely make things difficult, Twilight. Perhaps one of us should simply observe his actions from afar while the other tries their hoof at conversation?”

“That's not a bad plan, but which of us will do the talking? To be honest neither of us has much, um, practice with social situations.”

“Seeing as I have been sealed away for the past millennium, and you have had more time to interact with Stein already, I think that you would be most suited for the task. Although I wouldn't mind if you chose to observe instead.”

“I don't think that will be necessary, I'll do the talking. As you said earlier, you don't know much about Pinkie or her abilities. I might be able to glean more information from him concerning the subject.”

“As you wish, Twilight Sparkle. It looks like your friends are arriving, however...”

I rushed past Spike, who had just opened the door, and pulled the door closed behind me. “Hello, girls,” I said, seeing as Pinkie had invited the rest of our friends, “I take it you're all here to meet Stein too?”

“Well, it is a party, silly!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Didn't I ask you to keep your usual party throwing antics to a minimum?” I asked.

“I know, and that's why I didn't invite the whole town this time.”

Rainbow Dash chimed in, “I really just wanted to meet the pony who managed to avoid Pinkie Pie for two whole days. That's gotta be a record!”

“Doncha worry none, Twilight. I already told the girls that ya might still be feeling a might uneasy about introducin' us all. But we all promise to be on our best behavior and help out if need be.” 

“Thanks. Alright then, there's just one more tiny thing to discuss. Stein isn't the only new pony here. The unicorn mare inside is called Dusk, but for reasons I'm sure can be explained by either her or myself, I need you all to act like you already know her.” 

“...Uh, pardon?” Applejack questioned.

“I think what she means to say, girls, is that we just play along and treat this Dusk as though she were one of our acquaintances. Any questions we might have can be answered at a later time,” Rarity suggested, “They will be answered later, I presume?”

“Um...yes, yes they will. Now that that's out of the way, I'm sure the others are wondering what it is we're up to, so I think it's about time we all go inside and I finally introduce you all.”

As we entered the library together, Stein and your sister happened to be conversing quietly with one another. I politely interrupted, “Stein, Dusk, if I may? Stein these are my other friends, The orange pony with the cowpony hat is Applejack; The rainbow-maned pegasus is Rainbow Dash; Next is Rarity, the unicorn who operates the boutique down the street; Fluttershy is the yellow pegasus hiding behind them all; And finally, Pinkie Pie, whom is the one you've been asking to meet. Everyone, this is Von Nicht aus Stein, and Dusk, whom you already know.” I said nervously.

“Hiya!” Pinkie started, “Welcome to Ponyville! I would've said hello sooner but I’ve been really super busy over at Sugar Cube Corner. But now I'm not, so here I am!” Pinkie finished her greeting by throwing confetti everywhere.

“Why yes, hello Miss Pie. I o– “ Stein started.

“Where did you get this outfit!?” Rarity interrupted, “It's unlike anything I've ever seen before!” Rarity then proceeded to circle Stein in an attempt to observe his cloak from every angle. “You simply must tell me the name of the designer.”

“There is no designer.”

“Pardon?”

“I said that this didn't come from a designer. I made this.”

“But I thought you were a researcher from Stalliongrad,” I said, “where did you find the time to make your outfit?”

“Umm, well, when I arrived in Canterlot. I decided I needed some clothing to fit in. Since I had no money to spare for such luxuries I obtained some raw materials and proceeded to produce this outfit.” Stein's reply was the first true indication that something wasn't right with him. I don't think he expected anypony to be so enthralled with his cloak.

Rarity expertly tried to pry more information about how he created his ensemble but was held at bay by Stein's own hoof. “Please, Miss Rarity, was it? I would just like to have a discussion with Miss Pie. So if-”

“Hey, I gotta ask you a question,” this disruption brought by Rainbow Dash, “Just how did you manage to not run into Pinkie the whole time you've been here? She's usually the first to run into anypony that comes to Ponyville for the first time. Are you a spy?”

“Rainbow! That's no way to talk to somepony,” Applejack scolded. “I'm awfully sorry, Mister Stein, Dash here can get outta hoof if'n we're not too careful.”

“It's quite alright. I-” The poor stallion seemed destined to not be able to finish a sentence for at least a little while. 

While he was being 'greeted' by my friends I decided to talk with your sister again, to find out what she had been discussing with Stein while I was out. 

“So, anything new?” I asked.

“Nothing substantial, I can confirm that he is at least not using magic to steer conversations in his favor, but he is adept at using his charismatic nature for his benefit.”

“That could prove useful. What were you talking about anyway?”

“I simply asked him about the weather for starters. That is how one attempts to start a conversation these days, is it not? After that, I attempted to inquire about his occupation as a scientist.”

“You just went outright and asked how his research was going?”

“No, I asked him if he was being compensated well for coming out here for a mere interview regarding his studies. Throughout all of this, I have come to the conclusion that Stein is not the most cunning of liars, Twilight.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, for one he didn't seem bothered with how much warmer the Equestrian climate is when compared to Stalliongrad. I mentioned as much when I pointed out that he must be miserable wearing that cloak of his in this weather. Also, his explanation about the amount he was being paid to conduct his research out here does not fit with what I know about what the normal rates are. Other than the lies, his overall conduct is somehow familiar. Whether this is due to his charismatic personality or not I've yet to determine but know this Twilight Sparkle, we will crack the barriers that Stein has constructed. Only a bit more time will be required.”

I write here that your sister has a level of determination that even I find overwhelming. As she finished her tirade, she looked almost maniacal in her determination. Luckily, everypony else was too occupied with keeping Stein busy to notice.


~@~


Stein's efforts at maintaining a meaningful conversation with his intended subject were consistently being delayed as a result of my friends near constant questioning. As the day wound down, Stein was only able to make an appointment to meet with Pinkie the following day. After everyone had left, save your sister, Stein, and myself, I asked what Stein was going to do for the night.

“If it's alright with you Miss Sparkle, I believe I will be taking my leave for the evening. There are some preparations that I need for my interview tomorrow.”

“Oh, alright then. Take care Mr. Stein.”

“I plan to,” Stein said as he headed for the door, “have yourselves a good night.”

After he had left, your sister and I debriefed each other to see if we had been able to garner any new information during the party. The results were less than spectacular, I'll admit, even when considering the investigative exuberance that Luna had displayed earlier.

“If there is nothing else to discuss at the moment, I must take leave as well, Twilight. Though nothing has surfaced thus far, perhaps some quiet reflection will prove useful.”

“Do you really think that will be any help?”

“To be honest? No. But perhaps I might be able to at least watch over Stein from above for a while. Perhaps a pegasi-eyed view will help discern Stein's actions.”

“You mean spy on him?”

“Precisely, but to do so I must leave soon, else I miss Stein entirely.”

“Well good luck then, I think I'll clean up here and then look into that Flux substance some more.”

“I look forward to your findings, Twilight. I shall return if I discover anything.”



~@~


After I had finished cleaning out the last remnants of celebration from the library, I made my way into my lab. I spent a full two hours attempting to come up with a solution to how I might be able to harness the incredible energies that Flux contained before I finally gave up, no such answer in sight. Unless I could convince Stein to part with more of the material all of my guesswork would remain theoretical. I'm sure Stein had his own theories on how to use it himself, but direct questioning hasn't exactly proved fruitful thus far. 

So I left the basement and decided to write a quick summary of events so that they could be forwarded to you at the earliest opportunity. My bed beckoned me towards its sweet embrace soon after.
> Day Three (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day: 3

The moment I had awoken, I had intended to have Spike send you the summary that I had prepared the night before, but I soon learned why that would not be necessary. Your sister, who had arrived at the library at a very early hour (or would it be late for her?), had informed me that she had already discussed events with you.

Luna still deigned it necessary to not let me know what she suspected of Stein's true identity, which I believe she had started to sort out either during, or after, her conversation with you. In retrospect, I doubt I would have believed her assumptions even now, had I not witnessed things for myself. She did ask to see the sample of Flux that I still had, as though it would be enough to confirm her suspicion. 

One quick glance at my paltry offerings were no help, however. Luna did offer another theory regarding the method of the substance's creation. My original idea on how Stein had managed to charge the magic crystal with so much raw energy required several unicorns charging in unison. Luna suggested that it might be possible to do the same by giving the crystals a smaller charge over a much longer period of time. As it stands, neither theory can be confirmed at the moment.

I asked Luna if she ever managed to trail Stein after she left.

“I am afraid our efforts to covertly follow our quarry were met with vain.”

“Do you think he suspected you of following him?”

“I do not think that is possible, Twilight. There would have been no reason to suspect that anypony would have followed him the way we attempted to last night. There was simply no trace of him to be found within Ponyville, at least, he was not outside when we went to look for him.

“Do you think he might have used teleportation to get away?”

“It is possible, but it is of no consequence. He is bound to be conducting his interview with your friend shortly.”


~@~


With nothing better to do than wait for news regarding Pinkie's 'interview,' I decided to brew up some tea for your sister and I while we waited. As It turns out, neither of us had to wait long before we heard a knock on the library door.

“Hello? Who is it?” I said, as a certain yellow pegasus came through the door. “Good morning! Fluttershy, what brings you here?”

“Oh, well I was at the market...” She started, before noticing a disguised Luna in the corner.

“It's okay Fluttershy, anything you have to say to me Dusk can hear as well. Do you mind if I tell her?” I asked Luna.

“No need for secrets among friends, Twilight. You may tell her.”

“Alright. Fluttershy, you should know that Dusk here is actually Princess Luna in disguise. We would have told you all earlier, but we were trying to keep her disguise from Stein, and well... we just never had the opportunity to reveal it earlier.”

“Oh,” started Fluttershy. Realizing she was in the presence of royalty subconsciously began to bow, “I'm so, so sorry if anything from earlier might have offend-”

“Please, Fluttershy,” Luna interrupted, “I'll have none of the normal formalities whilst I assume this form. It defeats thy purpose.”

“Anyway,” I continued, “you were saying, Fluttershy?”

“Oh, right! I was in town picking up supplies when I spotted Pinkie and Mr. Stein walking down the street, only something seemed odd about Pinkie. Now that I think about it, she wasn't bouncing around like normal, almost as if she were in a daze. I tried to approach them to see what was wrong, but after they both turned a corner there was a flash and then they were gone. At first I thought that Mr. Stein had brought her to the hospital, so I checked there first. But when I got there Nurse Redheart said that nopony had come in today. After that, I came to the library thinking that they were here, or at least that you might know where to find them.” 

“Stein just teleports Pinkie away and the first thing you do is check the hospital?” I asked, having somewhat lost my composure, “Why would you assume Stein was so concerned about how Pinkie is feeling? I bet he had something to do with it himself!”

“If that is truly the case, Twilight, we must hurry. There may still be time to trace Stein's teleportation spell.”

“You can do that? Nevermind. Fluttershy, we need you to take us to where you last spotted them.”

“Oh my, yes. I just hope Pinkie is feeling okay.”

The fact that both mine and your sister's concerns were unknown to Fluttershy was not lost on us. We hurried towards the marketplace where Fluttershy suspected that Stein had performed his spell. What we found out when we arrived however, was exactly what we expected, and exactly what we could never had guessed. 


~@~


According to the spell Luna was using to detect Stein's apparent teleportation, none of the normal indicators that such a spell had been used could be found. Luckily for us, we happened to spot something that Fluttershy had missed in her initial pursuit. Carved into the ground was a circular geometric diagram. Had we not been looking for things out of the ordinary we might have missed it ourselves. 

One of the most peculiar things about the diagram was the circle surrounding it that was made of a darker material than the rest of the alleyway. Closer inspection revealed that this material did not originate from the local area at all. 

“Twilight, what do you know about teleportation spells?”

“What do you mean? There is a lot to know in order to be able to pull off such a complicated spell. Like how you are not supposed to use the spell when you haven't observed that your landing zone is clear. That way you don't end up inside a wall or something. Also, long distance teleportation should be avoided because errors in the spell tend to magnify themselves exponentially with distance.”

“I see that you have come a long ways since you learned to use it against myself, Twilight. Although I am not sure how Stein has done it, he seems to have been able to bypass such limitations using this glyph. The source of this carving does not appear to be from this locale, but from wherever Stein had transported himself too.”

“Are you saying that they switched places? How does somepony even have enough magic to transpose two separate locations onto one another, let alone at a greater distance than we can detect?”

“Just think, Twilight. Isn't there some powerfully magical substance, that until recently, you have never seen? A substance that Stein's seems to possess in great amounts?”

“The Flux!” I shout, examining the magical glyph excavated sections with closer scrutiny. “He must have poured the flux into the carving in order to power the spell! Why didn't I think of that? Do you think we can just use the glyph the way Stein did?”

“I am not sure. There does not seem to be enough material here to power another such spell.” 

“Wait! I have an idea! From what Stein has said, Flux is just a magic crystal that has had a substantial amount of raw magical energy added, until it turns into a liquid. Do you think that we can pull together enough energy in order to repeat that process?”

“Again, I am not sure. I am not familiar with the creation of the substance.”

“What if I grab what's left of the sample that I have, and a bunch of crystals with similar composition? We might be able to coax the process along, even without working knowledge of the original procedure.”

“If there is no other option, then we must put forth our best effort.”

“Great. Now Fluttershy,” who up until this point in the conversation had been utterly lost, “I'll need you to go over to Rarity's place and grab all of the red gems you can find. In fact, bring Rarity too. We might need some of her magic power. I'm sure Dusk here will be happy to accompany you. I'll head off to the library to collect the sample and meet you all back here. Did you get all that?”

Fluttershy seemed to find herself being pushed along before she could answer, “Come on now,” Luna/Dusk said, “we have no time to waste. Twilight, what should I tell Rarity should she inquire what it is we intend to do with her merchandise?”

“Just tell her it's an emergency, which is the truth. Or tell her the whole truth, at this point it doesn't really matter.”


~@~


I decided against using teleportation so that I could conserve some magic for the task at hoof. By the time I arrived back at the alleyway, the sample safely inside my saddlebag, the others had been midway through your sister's explanation of what it was that we were about to do.

“YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHAT WITH MY PRECIOUS RUBIES!?”  Rarity demanded.

“Calm down, miss Rarity, I'll see to it that you are justly compensated.” Was the reply from your sister.

“That is not what I'm referring to. I am glad that these gems will be useful in finding Pinkie. I just wish that you didn't have to destroy such perfectly beautiful stones!”

“We all appreciate your sacrifice, but can we move on?” I said, in order to hurry things along.

“Right, of course, just tell me what to do so that we can rescue our friend.”

“Just stand over there and wait for my signal to start pouring raw magic into the crystals. You shouldn't need to cast any actual spells.” I gestured to a spot near the perimeter of the glyph, which I had been placing the gemstones over its carved surface. “Now for the Flux,” I said as I emptied the sample directly into the center of the glyph, “I hope that'll be enough. Is everypony ready?”

Nods all around. I had Luna start pouring some of her energy into the Flux itself, followed by the crystals touching it directly. I would have done it myself, but your sister insisted that she be the one to start the process. She did have the most magical energy stored up between the three of us, after all. Either way, after a few moments the nearest crystals started to glow internally. Soon after, they they had emitted enough light that they became painful to look at directly, this is when I nodded to Rarity to begin assisting Luna's magical stream just as I had started to. 

The process quickly sped up after we had added our combined power and soon the flux had filled up the glyph. The process was now complete, and I was confident that the translocation spell embedded within the carving could now be activated. There was only one problem, the procedure had literally sapped almost all of the magical energy available to it.

Luna was no longer able to maintain her disguise, and Rarity, now unconscious, was being helped back up by Fluttershy. I was also feeling quite drained, but was still able to function. Whether my condition was from a difference in how magic is handled by different species or whether I had an exceptional store of magic, I cannot be certain.

“Luna! Rarity! Are you two alright? Your disguise!”

“That was not something I wish to experience again.” replied a drowsy sounding princess.

“I think she's going to be fine.” Fluttershy commented on Rarity's condition.

“I think it worked! We should be able to go directly to Stein now.”

“Not we. You.”

“Huh?”

“Neither Rarity nor I still possess the energies required to use magic, but you still do Twilight. You must activate the glyph and stop Stein.”

“Are you sure you two are going to be okay without me?”

“We only need a little rest to recuperate. I will attempt to follow you as soon as I am able.

I stepped onto the still-glowing carving and began the process of activation.

“There is one thing you should know, Twilight. There is only one pony I suspect of being capable of so many feats of magical ingenuity. It is my firm belief that Stein is none other than Star-Swirl the Bearded, from ancient times.

“How is that possible? Only Alicorns are immortal!” The glyph started to actively shine, it would only be moments before it completed it's spellcraft.

“I am not sure how he managed it. but my only clue is his name. Stein means stone in an ancient tongue. I think he sealed himself away until he found-”

And then I found myself in another place.

> The Pie Transcription
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Pinkie Pie's Perilous Predicament


This is a transcript from Pinkie concerning her capture, at least as much as could be transcribed coherently from any conversation with Pinkie Pie (she even refuses to let me change the title).

“Right as the party started to end I was kinda feeling bad about Mr. Steiny not getting to ask his super serious questions, so when he asked if I could meet him for lunch the next day, I agreed to meet him.”

“Did you have any idea what it was he wanted to ask you?” I asked.

“Nope, not really. Every time he tried to ask me something at the party he seemed to get interrupted. Weird huh? You did say he wanted to know more about my Pinkie Sense, so he was probably going to ask me about that.”

“So, did he ask you about it or not?”

“Of course he did silly, as soon as we sat down at the table he started asking me about how often it starts, how long it lasts, how long between when my Pinkie Sense starts and when a prediction comes true. Stuff like that. Then he gave me a cupcake. After that he asked how old I was when my sense first appeared, and then our lunch arrived.”

“Wait, what was that about the cupcake?”

“Oh yeah! He said he wanted to thank me for spending the time to answer his questions. So he reached into this bag he had with him and pulled out a cupcake loaded with green frosting! I'm pretty sure he had more in his bag, but I was too happy with my treat to bother him about not sharing at least half of the rest.”

“Hmm, alright go on.” I said, letting Pinkie finish her tale.

“So after we ate, things started to get a little fuzzy. Not like a super soft teddy-bear fuzzy either, just fuzzy. I do remember Mr. Steiny asking to walk me home, and I said something about not feeling good. So I stood up and tried to go but I had trouble standing up. Then all I remember was my Pinkie Sense trying to tell me that something was going on but I couldn't quite make it out due to the fuzziness. Next thing I know, I wake up in some weirdo cave with magical lights everywhere. Kinda like your basement, but without as many roots.”

“The fuzzy feeling was mostly gone, but when I tried to get up I couldn't. Then I noticed that my hooves had been all tied up. That's when Stein noticed that I wasn't asleep anymore.”

“He said: 'Ah, Miss Pie,' he never called me Pinkie for some reason, always Miss, anyway, 'I see I've underestimated your sugar powered metabo-something(sic. metabolism maybe?). You should still be asleep.'” Pinkie said, attempting to mimic Stein's voice. 

“So I asked, 'Mr Stein, why am I all tied up? What's going on? Where are we?'”

“And then he said: 'It's just a precaution, Ms. Pie. I needed you to physically be here in order to start the experiment. As to where we are, this is my lab. It was built underground a long time ago.'”

“And then I was all, 'Underground?, Wait a minute, I know this rock! And that one over there! These look just like the rocks from... The Farm!'”

“So he was like: 'A farm? Interesting. How exactly did you manage figure out where we are?'”

“'I grew up here, I'd know this type of granite anywhere! But how did your lab get here without anypony knowing? The elder Pies wouldn't let just anypony build near here. Are you after our secret rock recipe too?!'”

“'Calm yourself, Ms. Pie. I am not here for your family's secrets. All I need is you and my machine here. As for our current location, you should know that this place is very old, built deep underground so that it would remain undiscovered and undisturbed until I needed it. Your family must have moved here built their farm above at a later date. You might even say that they now the unaware caretakers of this place. It is indeed a small world. To think that the key would eventually be tied so closely to this place.'”

“'Why do you need me for your sciency stuff anyway? Will it be fun? I like having fun!'”

“'If it were entirely fun, Ms. Pie, I would not have needed to tie you up.'”

“'Oh, right. So what are you building over there? Can I help? I'm really good at building things you know.'” 

“'As much as I appreciate the offer, I cannot afford to release you of your bonds just yet. This won't take much longer anyway, all that's left is a unicorn's careful touch.'”

“That's when this light on the floor on the other side of the room started to glow red. I couldn't see it myself, but Mr. Stein didn't seem too happy about it. He grabbed a couple more of the glowy vials off his desk, and went over to the red light before pouring some of  the blue one and the yellow one on the ground. I guess the colors mixed on the ground, because then the floor started to glow green! I bet he could make all sorts of cool light shows with that stuff! 

“While he was messing with the glowy stuff, he said, 'It looks like we're in luck Miss Pie. Your friends have managed to activate the other glyph, and should be arriving shortly. Observers of this historic event.'”

“'Well Twilight is really good at magic, it's even her special talent! Speaking of special talents, did you know that mine is throwing parties! I love parties! Oh I forgot to ask. Did you like the welcome party I threw for you Mr. Stein? Twilight said that you wouldn't like my normal parties, so I made that one special, just for you.'”

“'I do appreciate your company Ms. Pie but I must concentrate on my work. I must get as much done as I can before your friends attempt to thwart my research.'”

“'Awww...'”

“'It was a splendid party, however. Now I must insist you quiet down.'”

“'Yay. You liked my party!' I said, trying my best to smile. Although smiling really big kind of hard to do while tied up on the floor though, I wonder why?”

“Anyway, Right after that, there was this loud whooshing sound, and that's when you appeared on the other side of the green light!”

“Okay then, thank you for your help Pinkie. I think I can fill in the rest of what happened.” I said. Pinkie's story now finished.

“Okie doki loki!”
> Day Three (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


~Day 3 Continued~


The disorientation I felt after that trip was nothing like I had ever felt from any of my previous teleportation attempts. In those, one's body knows it is traveling, and responds in kind. This type of spell, which I believe operates on principles of Translocation, throws one's head into a spin as if it knew that it was where it shouldn’t be. This form of transportation was not going to catch on very fast. At least now the floor matched the rest of the floor.

“Congratulations Twilight, you're just in time to observe one of the greatest moments in history! Here today, I will finally open the gate to another world!”

I jerked my self up off of the stone and attempted to dash toward his workstation only to slam, snout-first, into some sort of glowing, green force-field. “What is this?”

“Just another sample of what Flux is capable of, my dear, and although I'm not sure how you managed to re-activate my translocation spell, you will find that this glyph will be far harder to bypass. This field of pure magic is maintained by the runes on this side. It is completely impenetrable while there is enough Flux to power it.”

“It wasn't just me who activated your spell, and as soon as they're able, Princess Luna and the others will get here to help me stop you!”

“Ah so that's how you managed it. I've always suspected that you were in communication with others concerning my affairs, I just wasn't sure as to whom it might be. It does not matter, even an alicorn won't be able to break this barrier, Not before my test has been completed anyway.”

“Princess Luna told me who she thought you really are, your real name is Starswirl, isn't it?! Well the Starswirl I know would never abduct a helpless pony just so they could experiment on them. He would never even think of harming somepony! Just how is Pinkie supposed to help you open a gate to another world anyway?”

“So she did manage to figure it out, well, most of it anyway. It's too late to turn back in any case, so I'll let you in on my little project. What I am building here is not just a gate to any world, but a gate to all of them. At least all of ours. As my theory stands, our world is connected to many other worlds just like it, almost exactly the same, conceptually. There may be, however, some subtle differences. Maybe the you in one of these other worlds decided she didn't want to eat oatmeal for breakfast this morning, and instead chose an apple. A seemingly harmless detail, lost among all of the other minutia.”

“What does my choice for breakfast have to do with anything?”

“You still don't get it, every choice you make has consequences, an infinite number of worlds with an infinite number of outcomes. Imagine what alternate choices might have done to our world. What if the princesses decided to not rule over the lesser races, but instead, had kept to the background as they had done since the beginning of time? What would our world be like then? This machine is the gateway to such worlds, and Ms. Pie here is the Key to it all.”

I was dumbstruck by what Stein, now Starswirl, had to say. The possibilities! For all of the times in my life where I had made a wrong decision, there was a world out there where nothing had ever gone wrong. A perfect world. But what of my friend? I couldn't just use her, or anypony, as a tool just to see what could have been. No! I would not accept, I could not accept what, Starswirl was doing. Nothing was worth sacrificing others to obtain. And the fact that somepony I had nothing but respect for, a pony who had an entire section of the Canterlot Royal Archives named after them, could do such a thing! Before that moment, I had never felt as much anger as did towards my old Idol at that point in time. 

“NO! I won't let you use my friend as some sort of tool just so you can see some other world that may or may not even exist. You can't do this Starswirl. I. WON'T. LET. YOU!”

I charged up all of the energy I could manage before I unleashed it upon the Flux-powered field. The contact between the offensive and defensive energies was enough to shake the cavern. The barrier held fast, but I quickly realized that, even if I was unable to destroy the shield, I might still be able to chip away at  the rock around it.

“Stop this at once! Are you trying to bring the ceiling down on top of us?” called Starswirl.

“Twilight! Please stop!” This time from Pinkie, the strain in her voice audible even through the loud clashing of energies.

I did stop. “But Pinkie, he's just using you. All for some delusion of his.”

“That's not what this is about though. In the short time I've known him, I've never seen Mr. Stein smile. Not once. But when he was telling you about his plan to open the gates or whatever, I could tell then, that he was truly happy.”

“That may be, but what he's doing is dangerous. That machine that you've got there, what is it capable of? I imagine that all of the energy required to power a hole in our world isn't safe to be around at all!”

“I assure you, Twilight, that I am taking every precaution.”

“See, He doesn't want to hurt anypony. He just wants to do his Sciency thing.” Pinkie replied.

“Is that true? Can you promise that no harm will come to my friend?”

“Just as soon as my machine is finished, then all of my safegaurds will be in place.” Starswirl answered.

“If you're okay with this, Pinkie, then there's not much I can do to say no, is there? But if She's willing to help you, Starswirl, the least you could do is untie her. It isn't helping your case any.”

“Fine, as long as she stays out of my way. This procedure is very delicate.”

With a simple flicker of magic the bonds were gone, and Starswirl continued with his work. Now that I had calmed a bit, all I had left to do on my side of the barrier was to observe the machine which was reportedly nearing completion. The process of construction was deceptively simple. Starswirl had more vials, of what could only be Flux, floating around him. The red colored one I recognized from the sample I had earlier, the blue and the yellow vials I could assign to some of the other types of magic crystal. The fourth vial, much larger than the others, was filled with an opaque, almost opalescent, white substance that would readily absorb whatever mixture of Flux that Starswirl had prepared. This was usually the final step in the production of the individual components of the machine before they were installed. 

Each piece was first shaped into a general structure, out of the white 'filler' material, which was held entirely within the confines of Starswirl's magic. Then a mixture of the different Flux types was added to the white 'filler'. The combination was seemingly mixed in exacting proportions in order for it to produce a specific material when added to the filler. Whether the process was chemical or alchemical in nature was difficult to ascertain, but the results were clear. Starswirl was able to build a very complex machine using only the materials he was able to conjure from the Flux.

Starswirl seemed to notice my attentive observation of his progress. “Magnificent isn't it? While Flux does contain vast amounts of magical energy, the Prima Materia allows the energies to transform into solid structures.”

“So it is Alchemy then.”

“Not quite, while my work with Flux borrows ideas from alchemical studies, the belief that it is possible to create substance from nothing is impossible. All I am doing here is converting energy, stored within a substrate, into matter.”

“To be honest, I had no idea that something like this was even possible. It makes me wonder why you're so dismissive of this stuff.”

“Because it's not my work!” Starswirl said, voice risen.

“What do you mean? I've never heard of the stuff before and I consider myself a student of the magical arts. You're Starswirl the Bearded! If you didn't come up with it then who did?”

“I'm sorry, I did create the Flux, but I based the idea off of sompony else's theories. That's why this gateway is so important. It is the first true research project of mine that is based entirely on my work, and my work alone. Nopony else, to my knowledge, has ever even heard of multiple worlds theory, no doubt all thanks to your beloved princesses.” 

The confused look on my face must have been exactly what he was looking for as he continued on. “I know you have some innate connection with the rulers of Equestria, but I knew them before this country was even founded, before they even decided to place themselves at the very seat of government. No, by the time I had met either of them they were still content to simply help anypony they came across. They were always interested in any magical research that was happening at the time, the darker one especially. It was only when I had announced the multiple world theories to them that the lighter one showed her disapproval. She quickly and quietly cut all funding for the project as well as had all records destroyed. In no time at all, the one project that had transcended what was known about the world, was gone. I vowed that day to begin anew once another subject had revealed themselves.”

“I've known the Princess for years and I know that she would never seek to stop something without a reason. You must have been something as unethical as abducting ponies in order to earn her scorn.”

“That wasn't the case at all. The last Key was eager to perform, almost as eager as I. She bore a remarkable resemblance to Ms. Pie here, with the exception of coat color and wings of course. In the end, she too was taken from me. No, the reason my prior research was stopped was left at the cryptic 'This world is not ready for such things, you should continue to focus your research in the areas of your other successes.' Shortly thereafter, I came up with the plan you see coming to fruition today.”

“So you think that the world is ready for your project now?”

“I never believed it wasn't. The only reason I am here now is the fact that your requests for certain information happened to trigger the spell that awoke me. Luckily, the statue in which I resided had maintained a certain level of fame. Enough so that it would survive the weathering of time and be relocated to a safe place as needed. So now I stand here before you, ready to complete my work. Nothing can halt the progress of science!”

Starswirl clicked the last piece of his machine into place. It's final form included three curved spars that centered around a central point. A total of six circular devices were attached to each end of the spars and every one of them was wired to a platform and a control panel located off to the side.

“Oh, oh! Can I do something now Mr. Stein?”

“Haven't you been listening? His real name is Starswirl, Starswirl the Beared.”

“But he doesn't have much of a beard, silly. He needs to have at least sixty-three percent more beard for me to call him that.”

“Unfortunately, neither the bells on my cloak nor my namesake beard survived the awakening spell intact. Regardless, Ms. Pie, if you could kindly step aboard the platform here,” he gestured to the platform next to the control bench, “then we can finish this.”

“Okie doki loki!”

“Wait, you never did explain why Pinkie was needed to open the gate. If she is going to go through with this then she should get an explanation at least.”

“Ms. Pie's 'Pinkie Sense' is what I believe to be an intricate link to other versions of herself in some of the other worlds. Her predictive behavior is the result of unfortunate consequences that have yet to manifest. The reason for this, I believe, is  that these other worlds are slightly farther into the future than our own. It also stands to reason that there might be worlds which exist in our own past as well. By using Ms. Pie as the basis for specific energy signatures, I'll be able to amplify them with increasing amounts of magical energy until the gate is forced open.”

“Ooh, Ooh! I wanna throw the lever!”

“That's my-” Pinkie was across the room throwing the main switch and then back on the pedestal before he could object, “-job...”

Static energies quickly started to jump from each of the devices on the spars to a central point between them. There was a bright flash and then it appeared. I can only describe it as a dark tear, rough around its edges, which lacked color altogether. When I moved to get a little perspective on the tear I perceived no change at all. It looked exactly the same from all angles that I could see it from.

“Alright, you opened your gate. Now what?” That's when I noticed him standing over Pinkie, who had lost consciousness sometime during the start-up. “Pinkie Pie! Are you okay?”

“She'll be fine, she's only resting.” Starswirl turned from the sleeping mare and walked towards his workbench, where among the clutter he had installed some gauges. “This is it, Twilight. The link appears stable.”

“So now what? If you are right and there are an infinite number of worlds that that thing connects to, how are you going to navigate through it to find what you want?”

“Let's not be hasty, Twilight, I only intended to open the gateway. More study is required before it can be deemed safe for anypony to travel through it.”

“Oh, so now you're worried about safety?”

“I'll admit that this is as far as I have ever gotten, but I am not incompetent. After they took Surprise away, I promised that I would never let anything endanger somepony I-” just as he approached the tear, it began to destabilize. Starswirl quickly pulled out his blue Flux and and poured some of it into his magic, forming an intricate glyph mid-air, and pointed it towards the rift. “See, I told you I have taken precautions,” he said, his suppression seemingly working, he walked over to his gauges once more, “The gateway is starting to destabilize. I guess it has remained open long enough. Time to shut it down.” He flipped the switch that Pinkie had thrown earlier, but nothing happened. 


We both realized that something was wrong almost immediately, “Starswirl, what's happening!?”  I say with a little alarm.

“The gateway is getting power from somewhere else!” he briefly deactivated his suppression glyph, causing the rift to shake violently–breaking one of the machine's spars. “And I don't believe it's coming from this world. Twilight, I'm going to need you to take Ms. Pie back with you the way you came in,” He put up three more suppression glyphs and placed them in a staggered perimeter around the rift, “this place is no longer safe."

Sensing his concerns, I ask, “Isn't there anything I can do to help?”

“NO! You must leave at once,” he used his magic to gouge a hole into the glyph operating the green barrier, causing the flux to pool up and the barrier to collapse. 

“But-” it was all I could say before he unceremoniously threw Pinkie at me with telekinesis, knocking us both back onto the transport glyph in a heap, “Ow, could you be more careful?” 

“I'll not endanger you any longer. Now GO!” The look on his face was stern with concentration as he struggled to keep the gateway steady.

I didn't argue any further, I only activated the transport spell.


~@~


More ponies had arrived at the alleyway back in town, whether due to the sudden appearance of your sister in town, or the sudden pulses of magic that the glyph emitted when activated, I did not stay long enough to find out. I quickly pushed Pinkie off the area affected by the transport spell and activated the glyph once more. “Take care of Pinkie, I have to go back and help him.”

“Wait Twilight Sparkle, I have nearly recovered and should be there to assist in his apprehension.” Luna declared.

“There's no time to-” was all I could say before the world disappeared once more. 


~@~


“-waste.” I finished. I steadied myself from my momentary disorientation. The rift had grown noticeably in size, even though Starswirl had added more suppression glyphs to the gateway in my absence. 

“What are you doing? I've warned you away for a reason!”

“You need my help to stop this. You can't have enough magic left to hold this problem off for long by yourself.” to prove my point, I forced what was left of the Flux in the vials that had been discarded on the floor and copied Starswirl's glyph exactly.

“Very well. Thank you, Twilight, for returning to help me.”

“I didn't do it for you. It's my duty to the princesses to remove threats to Equestria, and your gateway is proving to be one of them at the moment.”

“I see.”

“Do you have a plan to stop this or something?”

“In a manner of speaking, do you remember me explaining how I've managed to stay alive for as long as I have?”

“A few moments ago I didn't even know who you were for certain. But didn't you say something about a statue?”

“Correct. I sealed myself in stone, magic and all. Disguised as a statue that would only be revealed a few years after my disappearance, so that it could be added to either a museum, or a park until such a time when the awakening spell could be activated. I believe they named the statue A Tribute to Magic or something.”

“And what exactly does that have to do your plan?”

“I might be able to seal this up using the same spell.”

“So, then what's the problem?”

“I developed the spell in order to seal myself away in stone. It only works on the pony who casts it.” 

“Can't we break you out of it like you did last time?”

“You underestimate what it took to devise the trigger I used. There simply isn't enough time.”

“Then there has to be another way, we could-”

“No! There isn't any time for anything else. I... It must be this way. I'm not so sure that I want to be remembered for this. As the sort of pony that was willing to potentially harm others just for the sake of the very spell that's trying to destroy us.  I made this, and I'll hold myself responsible. Let me do this one last thing Twilight.”

I could only stand there and look at him. One of the greatest minds concerning the field of magical studies was willing to sacrifice himself. What could I say to him? “Okay, but what if it doesn't work?” 

“It must work. It is the only thing we have left." 

"Then just do it already!" I yelled, shouting just to be heard over the sound coming from the rift.

"Thank you, Twilight Sparkle, for everything. Now, quickly, take a hold of these glyphs for a bit.”

“Alright, I've got them. Are you ready to go?”

“Almost. Just one more thing, Twilight, you said that the Starswirl that you knew from history would never do the things that I've done here today. I would be honored if it could stay that way, but if you deem it necessary to let others know what I’ve done here, I'll understand.  It occurs to me now that the Alicorn may have known more than what she spoke of when she stopped me the last time. She never was any good at explaining her motives. Alas, I bid you farewell, Twilight, you have a bright future ahead of you.”

He placed  a protective bubble over himself and jumped into the malformed gateway. Almost immediately, the tear began to rein itself in. The force pulling towards its center was incredible. I lost my grip on the suppression glyphs, and was worried I would be pulled in myself for a moment. I dropped to the floor, but it wasn't necessary. Starswirl's gamble had paid off. The rift was sealed.

In the gateway's place was a perfect sphere of missing granite where the machine had once been. A pulsing, jagged crystal, slightly smaller than the size of a dinner plate, was all that remained of the once great unicorn and his self proclaimed 'greatest achievement.' No small amount of energy was still coming from the crystal, so I decided against picking it up for now. Instead I made my way towards his workbench.

The gauges had all been torn away, and many of the materials that sat upon the table had been strewn about the cavern. Canisters of what remained of Starswirl's Flux sat next to one of the real articles of interest–Starwirl's journal. I picked it up and was about to start going through it when Princess Luna activated the transport glyph. Noticing her disorientation, I set the journal down and rushed to her aid.

“I do not look forward to using this form of transport anytime soon,” Luna said, gaining her bearings in the dimly lit cave. “Where has Starswirl gone off to? We were supposed to apprehend him.”

“He's gone.” Was all I said, still unsure what to think of the whole situation.

“I see,” Luna said after a moment, surveying the room. “What exactly was he attempting to do here that required the presence of Pinkamena?”

“Before I answer, do you mind if I ask you something?”

“Twilight, you do not need to ask for permission.”

“Yes, well then, just how did you figure out that Stein was really Starswirl?”

“To be honest, I'm not quite sure when I figured out exactly who he was, after all, I thought that the great Starswirl the Bearded had passed on eons ago. I'd only met him a few times back then, but I do remember what his personality was like. When my memory of him finally struck me is when I had to double check the details on the recent crimes in Canterlot. I must say that if it weren't for Discord's previous escape the thought wouldn't have struck me at all.”

“What made everypony think that Starswirl had died?”

“Things back then were not as they are now, Twilight. If I remember the stories correctly, he had set out to obtain some rare magical reagents as he often did, and simply never returned.”

“Then that's where the broken statue comes in.”

“Precisely. Starswirl had apparently figured out how to seal himself in stone. Before he did, He convinced somepony else to donate it as a monument some years after his disappearance. ”

“He said something about leaving a trigger that would awaken him if a search was run for some specific information. I'm guessing it was set to flag an inquiry into predictive behavior. A trigger which I had activated. Unfortunately, Starswirl didn't have time to set up another trigger before he left.”

“Then he is sealed within a statue once more? I do not see one.” 

“No statue, just the crystal sitting in the crater over there. That's all that's left of him and his experiment.”

“So he really is gone then. A shame. I admittedly was not as interested, at least as much as my sister was, in most of Starswirl's research. From what little I did know, he would never have gone so far as committing the crimes he hath performed today. He was only focused on learning the magical arts, especially the ones involving the other clans.”

“From what I understand, his motivation had something to do with an acquaintance of his named Surprise, and the fact that a project he was working on at the time were both taken from him.”

“I do not recall such a thing occurring, though the name Surprise does ring a bell. She was a white Pegasus that had lived with mine sister and I in the castle for some time. A time shortly before...  before Starswirl had gone missing, actually. I do believe they may have been acquaintances of some sort before then.”

“Then you really had no idea what it was the Starswirl had been up to?”

“No, but I do intend to have a serious discussion with mine own sister when I return to the castle.”

“Well, even I don't understand, fully, what Starswirl was up to, but I do know is that he was attempting to open up a gateway between worlds. He said that every decision can result in multiple worlds existing as a result of each choice made. At least, I think that that was what he was saying. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. What I do know is, that whatever happened in the past was what caused his actions today.”

“He came up with a theory regarding multiple worlds? I was unaware of anything like that existing.”

“I think it has moved a little beyond theory at this point, he did manage to open his gateway after all.”

“With such a machine as this was, I am sure anything was possible. Is this all of his research documentation over here?” Luna asked, motioning towards the workbench.

“As far as I know. I think I'll head back and let the others know that this is all over, and that I'm fine.”

“Very well,” she said, looking up from some of the papers strewn about, “I've already sent for some guards to ensure that this, laboratory, as it seems, can be secured.” Your sister, at this point, must have noticed that my attention had focused elsewhere. “Is something the matter?”

“No, it's nothing really, just make sure that you take extra good care of that crystal.” I gestured towards the crater. “Not only is it the final memento of one of the greatest magical minds to ever exist, but if the gate sealed within were to open up, nopony else knows the spell to seal it back up again.”

“I see. Then I will attend to it myself. Take care, Twilight.”

With nothing else left to do, I activated the transport glyph and left.


~@~


Back on the surface, I was happy to learn that my friends had recovered. I asked Fluttershy and Rarity to send for the rest of our group so that we might meet up later. I wanted to let them know about everything that had happened, and to explain why I had been so secretive the night before. Curious to learn of any events that may have occurred between Pinkie Pie and Starswirl before I arrived in his lab, I had Pinkie follow me to the library in order to have her discuss her ordeal. The resulting transcript of that discussion has already been placed above. 

Soon after, I was able to tell my friends about everything that had happened involving the pony they knew as Stein, at least as far as his project goes. I'm hesitant to tell them of his true identity, but I'm not entirely sure as to why. I doubt I'll ever truly understand his motivations. What I do know is that I would like some serious answers from you, Princess Celestia. 

I know that Luna had no knowledge as to what happened to Starswirl before his disappearance. Since he mentioned an Alicorn's involvement, that can only leave you. Why did you do it? Starswirl was arguably one of the most cunning researchers of all time. He almost single hoofedly brought about a magical golden age. So why then did you repay him for all of his work by taking away his research and his friend? How can I be sure that you'll never do the same to me? Surely there was some other approach you could have used to get Starswirl to seek another field of research, if you felt his current one was too dangerous?

Please, I need answers to these questions.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
> Concerns of a Deity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Celestia put down the parchment she had just read for the third time. As was her custom when her student sent her a report, the Sun Princess pulled out a blank parchment of her own with which to write down her reply. Only this time, she found it quite difficult to pen an answer. Anything she would normally write about how there are 'dangers that one is better off not knowing' would likely drive her student toward those very dangers. Just as Starswirl had done. 

Had the princess known that Starswirl had found a way to seal the gate, she might have not been so firm in her reaction. “No,” Celestia corrected herself, “I still stand by my decision. Nopony should have to sacrifice themselves to save others. That is the true reason that Luna and I chose to represent the three tribes. That they might one day never suffer the true horrors of this world is the reason ponies were driven from their native lands in the first place.”

The old stories were a reminder of such things, and even though some of the elder beasts still cross the borders into Equestria, they could still be kept from the destruction they once wrought. The gateway that Starswirl had opened was a portal to other worlds, that much was true. What he couldn't possibly know was that the space between worlds was more or less alive. Celestia, in her youth, had been warned that this gateway contained one of the few beings that would worm their way into this world at any chance it got. Discord was one of them. But as Discord was content with just causing as much chaos as he could, the others were much more greedy, their appetites not easily sated. 

Celestia could think of nothing else at the time to keep Starswirl from opening a pathway to the Observer between worlds other than taking his key, Surprise, from him. Without the key, it would prove impossible to open the gateway at all.

“And now it seems that I have managed to completely underestimate him. To think that Starswirl would find a way to seal himself in stone, immune to time, in order to await discovery of a new key. So much dedication. Twilight is no different in that respect. In fact, I believe she may prove to be worse.” That brought a quiet chuckle to the Sun Princess. As amusing as some of Twilight's faults were, she always tried to carry herself in as serious a manner as possible. 

The memory of Twilight using her 'Want it, Need it' spell to enchant her doll, just so that she would have a friendship report to give to her mentor, came to mind. Maybe it would be best if she explained the reasoning behind her actions regarding Starswirl. After all, the dangers are still just as real now as they were then. That, and the journal Twilight mentioned had not shown up in the guard's recovery manifest. "I think I might even let her keep it." the princess thought with a smile.

Celestia dipped her quill in some ink, finally ready to answer her pupil, and began to write...


~~The End~~