Daniel slumped down into his chair, letting out a long tired sigh. Despite having gotten back the previous afternoon, it had taken until the morning to get all their guests settled. The villagers had refused to be near the changelings, meaning both had to be put into separate buildings. Thankfully, everything had calmed down enough for him to get a break.
"Finally, we've got all of our refugees settled in and introduced to the city," Carter said, slumping into her own seat.
"It's like the Jaffa and Tok'ra all over again," Daniel mused, casting his gaze over at her.
"Yeah, let's just hope that we can get changelings and ponies to get along during their stay here," Carter replied. "I'd rather not have any serious incidents between the two."
"Now that we have some breathing room," Daniel straightened up, suppressing a yawn, "we should probably discuss those ponies that attacked us."
"You're right, these 'shadow ponies' as you described them are quite interesting," Carter nodded. "Being able to use Jumpers is reason enough to take an interest in them."
"They thought I was from Atlantis," Daniel said, rubbing his neck.
"So they're informed about the Ancients." Carter's brow furrowed in concentration, "Things are certainly getting more and more complicated."
"When aren't they?" Daniel joked, letting out a tired laugh.
"You make a good point," Carter admitted. "You'd think things would get easier now that we've dealt with the Ori."
"Could always quit, retire to some quiet place with a fishing pond."
"Are you kidding?" Carter asked with a tired smile. "I've got plenty of service left in me before I plan on retiring."
"Must be what keeps Jack going."
"You've got a good point there." Carter started to laugh. He joined her, the tension bleeding out of them. "I can't even imagine the look on his face when we tell him about what we've found on this planet."
"He'll start making horse puns," Daniel pointed out.
"And Teal'c will just raise his eyebrow like always," Carter added with a grin.
"Good times."
"Oh yeah, good times," Carter said. "Like the time we went to Hell. Or the time we were stuck on a Goa'uld pyramid ship when they were about to destroy Earth."
"Think we'll get the recognition in our lifetime?"
"Jack's been griping that we haven't had a statue made for us or a national holiday yet," Carter said with a chuckle.
"Well, they did send us a camera guy this time," Daniel reminded her. "Could lead to some public knowledge."
"Well, if we do manage to get a statue made for us, I'm sending in a picture of me from fifteen years ago. I am not letting someone sculpt the crow's feet." Carter grinned.
"That brings up the question of whether or not Mitchell and Vala would be included." Despite losing Daniel, Carter and Teal'c, Cameron still commanded SG-1, something the man took great pride in.
"Honestly, I'd prefer a memorial with all the names of SGC members," Carter said somberly. "Including the ones that we lost."
"It really just depends on how the public reacts to everything." Daniel leaned back, his tiredness suddenly returning. "Learning your planet's almost been destroyed nearly a dozen times isn't a pleasant idea."
"You make a pretty good point there." She nodded. "Though we will have to go public at some point. The conspiracy theorists have gotten close to the truth a few times."
"Either way, it's out of our hands." Daniel blinked, a thought occurring to him. "You remember how we thought the Ancient Plague took the Shangrians?"
"What about it?" She quirked a brow.
"I didn't remember it until right now, but one of those shadow ponies said that 'the overlord's' plague should have killed us all."
"So this wasn't a natural disease," Carter guessed. "It was a bioweapon."
"To be fair, we don't know if the Ancient Plague was natural or not. There's a good chance the Ori created it."
"That makes sense," Carter agreed. "But why would they create something that could easily kill them if any number of variables went wrong?"
Daniel just shrugged. "Not like we can ask them. I think we're working on too little information." He rubbed at his eyes, chasing sleep away. "I know it's a power hog, but I think we should use the Holo room and search Shangri-La's database."
"I'll let you and the research team do that. We could learn a great deal from this place. Who knows how the Ancients here were influenced by the presence of magic."
"As long as you take care of the bureaucrats."
"Oh yeah, you get to have the time of your life learning this place's history, and I get to deal with stuffed shirts, thanks." She smirked and shook her head.
"Hey, you do it a lot better than I do."
"Doesn't mean I like doing it," she countered.
"I never said you did."
"I'm gonna have to make an early report in the morning," she said, pinching her brow. "Gotta tell them about our additional residents."
"It is morning," Daniel pointed out, "But that'll be a fun conversation either way."
"I'll call them after I get some sleep," she replied with a yawn.
"You got a good idea there." Daniel let out his long suppressed yawn. "I think sleep should be our priority."
"Then let's get out of here and collapse for a few hours while it's still quiet," Carter said, standing up. He followed her lead, bidding farewell before heading to bed. Carter followed the hallways to her own room, not bothering to take off her boots as she collapsed onto the cot. Sleep quickly claimed her once her head had hit the pillow.
It was much too soon when Carter finally got up, but she couldn't afford to waste too much time. She got some coffee, nursing the cup as she moved into the control room.
"Alright everyone, I need you to dial home," Carter called out, taking her post. "We need to inform command about all the new citizens of Shangri-La." She nodded to the on-duty gate operator, who began to enter Earth's address. The gate spun to life, locking in chevrons at a much faster rate than Milky Way gates. The final chevron locked and the gate activated. Carter entered in her code, letting them know who was connecting.
"General Carter?" Walter's familiar voice asked over the radio. "You aren't due to report in for a few weeks."
"A situation cropped up that required an early report. Is General Lorne available?"
"I walked in as soon as I heard there was an offworld activation," a new yet familiar voice chimed in. "You can begin your report at any time, General Carter."
"When did you get so direct, Lorne?" Carter asked. General Evan Lorne, formerly under General John Shepard's command on Atlantis, had taken over the SGC after she had stepped down little over two years ago.
"Would you rather we have a nice chat about the new painting I've been working on in my downtime?" Lorne asked with a chuckle.
"I would, but I'd rather not keep the connection for longer than we have to."
"Then please begin your report before I start giving you a lecture over oil and acrylic paints," Lorne joked.
"The first thing of note is that Shangri-La was buried beneath this planet's arctic circle," Carter relayed. "Once we returned sufficient power to the facility, we used the shield generator to clear the ice. During that time, we came into contact with citizens of the planet." She cleared her throat, trying to decide how to word her next sentence.
"Was it another group of humans that are living in a version of a former Earth civilization?" Lorne guessed.
"No, actually, they're small, pastel-colored hoofed creatures that call themselves ponies," Carter admitted, knowing full well how ridiculous that sounded.
Lorne was silent for some time after hearing that. "You haven't come into contact with any suspicious alien substances lately, have you?"
"I assure you, Lorne, I have not."
"Can you send a photo or some video evidence of this through the gate?" Lorne asked. "I want to make sure that this is accurate."
"Our cameraman did some interviews, we'll send the footage over." She excused herself for a moment, calling down to the communication team.
A few minutes later Lorne responded. "We have received the footage." He went silent as he seemed to watching it. All of a sudden, he started to laugh. "Y-you weren't kidding! These things look like something out of a little girl's dream! Oh, General O'Neill is gonna have a field day with this footage."
Carter cleared her throat, getting his attention. "May I continue?"
"Yes, please do," Lorne replied. "I need to hear all about the talking ponies."
Carter sighed, shaking her head. She gave him a brief rundown on the last few days, ending on their current guests.
"No wonder you decided to report early," Lorne stated. "Will you be needing extra supplies to help take care of all the refugees?"
"I think we can make do with what we have for now, and the ponies have been extremely generous, as well. I'm going to contact the leaders of a neighboring nation, see if they'll take them in."
"Sounds like a good plan to me," Lorne replied. "Keep me posted on the status of relations and I'll have SG-13 and 14 on standby in case you need some backup from those shadow ponies."
"I'll report back in a day or two," Carter agreed.
"I can't wait to hear about it all." Lorne chuckled. "Do you have any personal messages you want me to pass on while I'm still on the line?"
"None that I can think of for myself, and we haven't collected letter home from the rest of the expedition team."
"Then I'd better let you get back to your work," Lorne said. "I have to call up the president and relay your report."
"Still happy you took the job?" Carter asked with a hint of amusement.
"Oh, I'm gonna have the time of my life explaining your discoveries," Lorne replied with a chuckle. "In fact, I might request a personal meeting so I can show him the footage you just sent me."
"I don't think anyone would believe this without that footage." Carter glanced at the gate operator, giving a nod. "We're going to cut the connection now."
"Alright, good luck out there, Carter, sounds like things are progressing as well as our missions usually do," Lorne offered as the wormhole was cut off.
Carter let out a deep sigh, allowing herself a few moments to relax. The moment passed and she straightened up, wasting no time in handing out tasks. She had to at least attempt to make up for lost time getting the expedition settled in, and she'd be damned if they wasted another second.
Floyd groaned as sunlight poked through the window in his room. He felt like someone was jabbing him in the head with an icepick every five seconds. He groaned as he clutched his head and threw the covers off himself.
"Seriously?" he muttered to himself. "I didn't even drink last night." He flexed his fingers, noting the dull ache in his palms. "Maybe I am catching something?" He let out a groan of frustration at the idea and pulled himself out of bed. He trudged into the bathroom and slowly started his morning routine. After a quick shower he wiped away the steam from the mirror to see if he needed to shave.
Looking back at him was a young, tan skinned man. His hair was a messy platinum blonde, and his eyes were...glowing grey? His pupils shrank to pinpricks and he blinked owlishly for a few moments. When he opened his eyes again, hazel orbs greeted him. He shook his head in confusion. "Was I just seeing things?" Deciding not to dwell on it, finishing up his morning grooming before heading out to the dining room. Shining Armor and Cadance were already there, chatting and sipping steaming cups of tea. Cadance took notice of him first, smiling and waving him over.
"Good morning, Floyd," she greeted him. "Did you get a lot of good footage yesterday?"
"I think so." He smiled back, taking his own seat.
"Well that's good," Shining said. "And how was your cooking lesson?"
"Pretty good. I already know a few recipes but, I wasn't going to turn down the offer."
"I bet," Cadance said with a giggle. "Every crystal vegetable I've eaten here has been amazingly tasty."
"I'm glad I was one of the first humans to try it," Floyd said, very grateful that they had preemptively ordered him some tea.
"Well we're glad to see you're enjoying your time in the empire," Shining offered. "This place is pretty incredible. Terrible location though."
"Hey, at least you don't live out on the tundra," Floyd countered, taking a sip of his tea, "There's a tribe of humans called the Inuits that make houses out of snow."
"Yeah, I think I'll take my crystal city with magical weather protection over that," Shining replied with a chuckle.
"I think everyone here agrees with you." Floyd leaned back in his chair, staring down into the steaming liquid.
"Definitely," Cadance chirped. "This place has really grown on me. It has such a nice atmosphere. Though I might be biased because the empire's magic shield is powered by the love of its citizens," she concluded with a giggle.
"Any exciting plans for the day?" Floyd felt his spirits lift, watching in anticipation as some servants pushed out a cart of food.
"We've got to prepare for the festival and the press conference in Canterlot," Cadance told him. "Aunt Celestia wants all three princesses there."
"Hopefully my bosses will want me to be there." Floyd grabbed a plate of pastries, deciding to start with a purple cupcake.
"Considering how important keeping a record of an event like the beginning of open formal relations between our peoples is, you'll be there, I'm sure," Shining said with a small smile, piling hay-bacon on his plate.
"We can only hope." Floyd spent the rest of breakfast chatting up his hosts, doing his best not to think about his worsening symptoms. Bidding them goodbye, he stepped out into the hall to find Flash waiting for him.
"You ready for our lesson today?" Flash asked, shuddering at the memory of Citrine's glare.
"Why, aren't you?" Floyd smirked. "Not feeling brave enough, huh?"
Flash narrowed his eyes at Floyd. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"
Floyd just grinned, speaking in a language Flash didn't understand. "What the hay is that supposed to mean?" the pegasus asked, tilting his head as his agitation gave way to confusion.
"Exactly." Floyd spun on his heel, beginning to walk away.
"Floyd, tell me what the hay you just said!" Flash pouted and trotted after him.
"Don't worry about it," Floyd dismissed. He grabbed his camera from his room, following Cadance's directions to the exit. Flash grumbled the entire time, pouting as he followed Floyd through the streets. "You know, I gotta ask, how'd you get your name?"
"The same way everypony gets their name, from my parents," Flash replied with a laugh.
"That's not what I meant, what made your parents name you Flash Sentry?"
"I dunno, I never asked them about that kinda thing," Flash admitted with a shrug. "I mean, it's not something I really gave much of a thought to."
"I was named after Pink Floyd."
"Pink Floyd, what's that?" Flash asked, looking up at him.
"One of the most influential and successful bands in history. My dad was a huge fan. A movie version of one of their albums, The Wall, came out when my mom and dad were still dating. By some stoner logic, they decided they would name their first kid either Pink or Floyd."
"Huh, that's a pretty cool story," Flash commented with a nod. "I'll have to ask mine about my own name once I'm on leave."
"There's always a story." They meandered their way to Citrine's home, passing the train station. A train let out a low whistle, signalling its arrival. It slowly pulled into the station and the doors opened. "...That is the most gaudy looking train I have ever seen in my life."
"Oh, the bright colors are so pegasi that are flying high up in the air can spot it better," Flash explained.
"Then why not just paint the roof like that?"
"I think they wanted it to match," Flash said with a shrug. "Would be kinda weird if the cars were dull colors and the roofs were bright neon colors."
"Guess that makes sense," Floyd shrugged.
"I'm guessing trains where you're from are less colorful, huh?"
"Yeah, normally very muted colors."
"Sounds kinda boring," Flash said. "But I guess it doesn't matter as long as they get you from point A to point B."
"Better than walking," Floyd said, watching various ponies disembark from the train.
"And in the weather surrounding this place, better than flying," Flash added, doing the same. "Ice and wings are a very bad combination." Among the ponies stepping off, Floyd took note of a brick red unicorn mare with a silvery mane.
"How many colors do you guys come in?" Floyd asked, looking down at Flash.
"Literally every color in the rainbow," Flash answered, looking up at him with a grin.
"Don't look so smu-"
"Alien!" A stallion's voice called out, sounding rather crazed. Flash and Floyd turned to the source of the disturbance and saw a bright orange stallion with a brown mane pointing a hoof directly at Floyd. The right side of his face and part of his barrel had burn scars.
"Uh, yeah, I guess I am an alien," Floyd said, not sure what to make of the stallion.
"I knew it! They've come for the harvest!" The stallion lit his horn up and before Floyd could react, a blast of magic threw him into a wall. Flash narrowed his eyes and tackled the stallion, wrestling him to the ground.
"Sir, stand down!" Flash boomed. "You have attacked a guest of the crown!"
Floyd stopped paying attention to the pair, his body spasming. His pounding headache intensified, nearly causing him to black out. Floyd idly mused if this was what getting hit by lightning felt like. Just as he felt like he was going to pass out from the pain, he saw a grey aura flicker over his body.
"Honestly, lashing out like that is totally unbecoming of a scientist," a feminine voice noted, seeming cold.
"You know this guy?!" Flash demanded, keeping the unicorn pinned to the ground.
"Only by reputation," the brick red mare from earlier replied. "He's a famous researcher of modern magic, Forged Compass. He's also famous for his near-schizophrenic levels of paranoia. This would be the first time we worked together."
"We have to burn it before it gets back up!" Forged growled, trying to buck Flash off.
"Sir, if you do not stop struggling, I will bind your magic!" Flash threatened, using a wing to pull out a metal ring from his armor.
The sound of galloping hooves caught Flash's attention. One of the more senior guards, Flash recalled his name was Solar Defender, rushed to his side.
"Private Sentry," Defender asked, watching the pair struggle. "Please tell me why you're wrestling a burn victim?"
"He attacked Floyd, a personal guest to the princess, sir," Flash answered, remaining calm. "And he's resisted arrest and has threatened to kill said guest."
Defender gazed over at Floyd, who was still crumpled against the wall. He turned back to Forged, then to the mare. "Are you with that group the prince sent for?"
"Yes," Forged answered, his struggling slowing down. "I was sent here to study the Crystal Heart and find a way to return Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."
"Well the good news is she's back safe and sound." Defender smiled. "Came back around two days ago. Why'd you hit the human, though?"
"And it was the aliens who returned her safe and sound," Flash added, staring daggers at Forged.
"Sentry, fly back to the palace and let the princess know about this." Defender shooed him off Forged, taking his place. He turned to the mare. "You have medical training?"
"Yes, I know a few healing spells," the mare replied, her grey aura still surrounding Floyd. Flash looked between them and flew off.
"You tend to him." Defender nodded to Floyd. "Alright sir, I think you took care of the scary alien."
"You're all fools, they're lulling you into a false sense of security," Forged growled. "We'll all wind up regretting letting things like that among us!"
"I bet they used to tell each other that before Hearth's Warming," Defender replied. He fished a pair of cuffs out of his armor, slapping them on Forged's forelegs.
"There's a big difference," Forged spat as he was hauled to his hooves. "We ponies are the same species. We're able to breed amongst each other."
"You know we can also breed with griffons and zebras, yes?" the mare asked, kneeling beside Floyd.
"And they belong on this planet," Forged shot back.
"You know, apparently, humans are descendants of the Teachers," Defender explained, slipping a restraining ring around Forged's horn.
"You mean that old mare's tale?" Forged asked with a snort.
"Teachers?" The mare frowned. "That crackpot theory put forward by a sub-par researcher?"
Defender frowned. "I assure the both of you, The Teachers were quite real. They're the reason we are who we are."
"All things considered, the Teachers' existence isn't that far-fetched," the mare replied. She looked down at Floyd. "I may have to study these humans while I am in the empire."
"That's if the other humans don't get angry."
Floyd groaned, finally clear headed enough to join the conversation. "That fucking hurt..."
"I'm sorry about my colleague," the mare said. "He's paranoid to an unhealthy level."
"I couldn't tell," Floyd snapped, daring to look down at himself. He let out a small sigh of relief, nothing seemed to be broken, though he was bruised and bleeding from several places. "I've had worse..."
"I can't tell if you're being serious or just trying to sound tough," the mare said, letting out a quick chuckle. Floyd muttered a reply she didn't understand, pushing himself to his feet.
"I wouldn't recommend being on your feet for too long," Defender said, signalling two of his guards to lead Forged away. "Judging by the crack in that wall, you took a nasty hit."
Floyd turned, gazing back at the wall behind him. "I'll be fine. Though if that jackass broke my camera, you're going to have to take me in for murder."
"Sir, he's being taken in and I can add a fine for property damage on top of his other charges," Defender assured, putting himself in front of Floyd. "And considering the number of witnesses, it's safe to say he'll be put away for some time."
"Yeah, yeah, guess that'll have to do," Floyd grumbled. He spotted his camera case, lying on the ground close to where he had been standing. He picked it up, hearing pieces of the camera rustling around inside it. "Yeah, that's about what I expected. Guess I'm not recording my cooking lesson today."
A flash of light caught his attention and he turned to see that Cadance had teleported to the scene. Shining Armor and Flash were by her side, though Flash looked rather queasy.
"Did you come all this way just for me?" Floyd asked with a chuckle.
"Are you alright?" Cadance asked, galloping over to him. He held in a sigh, letting her examine him. "Looks like you're alright." She cast a spell and Floyd felt his chest go numb for a few moments. "That should take care of the cuts and bruises. I can't fix your shirt though."
"You did more than enough," Floyd waved off. "Thanks for this, Cadance. I'll just have to tell Alexandrite and Citrine that I'm trying out a new look," he joked.
"Sir, Ma'am," Defender saluted, straightening up. "We've taken the culprit to the lock up."
"Thank you, Defender," Shining replied. "I'll be there in a little bit to get his statement. Not that anything he says will help him at this point."
"Why would Princess Celestia send a crazy stallion anyway?" Flash asked, looking at Cadance quizzically.
"If I were a betting mare, I'd this was the stallion's first incident of violence," Cadance replied with a frown. "Or at least the first time a violent outburst would wind up on public record."
"Forged is a very smart pony," the mare spoke up. "He has a reputation for his... jerkish behavior."
"Yeah, but it was something about me being an alien that set him off," Floyd offered. He then turned to the mare. "And thanks for your help Miss…?"
"Alchemilla."
Floyd stared at her for a moment. "Right, remind me never to send you another burn victim."
"I agree, I was not looking forward to working alongside him," Alchemilla replied. "A good scientist should know to keep their personal feelings and biases out of a situation they know nothing about." She turned, bowing to Cadance. "Your Highness, Princess Celestia sent for us while you were absent, though it seems like now you have no need for us." She gestured toward the train, where several other ponies were peering out at them.
"You can return to Canterlot with my husband and me when we leave for a press conference," Cadance offered. "Until then, you can stay in the castle as well. Consider it a token of apology for wasting your time."
"Not at all." Alchemilla turned to Floyd. "With this one's permission, I'd like a chance to study him."
"You can just call me Floyd," he offered, holding his hand out towards her. "And I have no problem with you studying me. I mean, I'm studying pony culture, it's only fair that a pony gets to study me in return."
"Excellent." Alchemilla nodded. She levitated her luggage off the platform, turning to him. "Shall we?"
"Er, don't I have to file a report?" Floyd turned to Cadance, rubbing his neck.
"Given the number of witnesses, we can put off doing that," she waved off. "You just go and have your cooking lesson." She turned to Flash and grinned. "You too, Private, you're still on the clock."
"Ma'am." Flash saluted, trotting over to Floyd.
"Well then, looks like we'll be on our way," Floyd said. "Hope you don't mind sitting in on our lesson, Alchemilla. Though Citrine may pull you into it."
"That's fine." The trio began to walk, resuming their walk to Citrine's home.