Millenia ago, when Discord first claimed control of Equus, he decided on a whim to send a random selection of ponies to a distant and inhospitable planet. As centuries passed, those ponies gradually forgot their home and their sudden exodus and remembered only myths of strange beasts and great rulers.

Nearly two years ago, when an astronomer discovered a distant star orbiting its planet and sending out huge amounts of magical energy, it sparked a space-race between Eris's two massive, technologically advanced superpowers; New Pegasopolis and New Unicornia.

Now, the pegasi are on their way to the strange world, and the unicorns are not far behind. Once there, these ponies will have to deal with the strange implications of their discoveries, and the residents of the planet will face challenges of their own. While none of the explorers from Eris embarked on a mission of conquest, the concept is far from a strange one to the ponies of that bitter and divided planet.

This story's prequel, Another Mare's Sky, details the events leading up to the launch of the ships destined for Equus. It provides context for these ponies' society, but reading it is not necessary in order to understand and enjoy this story.

Thousands of years ago, a large group of ponies found themselves suddenly removed from their homes and relocated in a dangerous and foreign land beneath strange stars. They assumed it one of Discord's evil pranks at first, but quickly realized they missed their time under his rule. Inconsistent and ever-changing, he may have been, but he also offered protection and a bounty of food that this new realm sorely lacked.

Millennia later, ponykind had forgotten their sudden exodus from Equus, and all that remained of that time were myths of a great and benevolent ruler who embodied their ideals of innovation and progress. Their society, while divided, plunged forward into new fields of magic and technology at a startling rate. When an astronomer discovered an abnormality in the orbit of a distant solar system and saw the amount of magic needed to sustain it, the two massive nations controlling Eris began a rapid space-race to find their leader and explore the stars.

This story addresses the events on Eris leading to the launch of the mission to Equus. It's sequel, Beneath Distant Stars, addresses the ponies' arrival in Equestria and the events following.

One thousand years of practically uninterrupted peace under Celestia's rule... And then, in less than half a decade, half a dozen world-threatening monsters suddenly crawled out from under their rocks and tried to overthrow the kingdom. Nearly every time, the same six mares eliminated the threat.

While that makes for a great story, and newspaper editors loved the idea of super-ponies empowered by the magical bonds of friendship, the average noblepony found this idea somewhat concerning. The security of the entire nation depended on six individuals. Following Tirek's return and the widespread damage he caused, the nobles resolved to create a secret division of the government to anticipate and counter any future threats of an extraordinary nature.

From this idea, F.R.I.E.N.D. was born. It was a collection of Equestria's best and brightest, backed by considerable wealth and dedicated to the defense of ponykind against anything that imperils it.