**Twilight Sparkle**
"I know you're very curious about all of this Twilight, and in other circumstances I would be myself," Rarity said, "but if the practical upshot of all of this is that we won't notice a difference, I think there might be other subjects to move on to."
Twilight took one last look at the stack of astronomy books on the table, before reluctantly closing the one in front of her and returning it to its proper place (fourth from the bottom, between 'Orbital Mechanics in Extra-Equestrian Space' and 'Post-Universal Gravitation'). "Yes, you're right," she said. "Sorry, but... space flight? Interstellar travel? Planets? There's just so much to unpack there that I don't even know where to stop, let alone where to start."
She'd had bits and pieces of this racing around her head since yesterday, sharding into more and more possible lines of investigation, but only now was Twilight beginning to appreciate the enormity of the scientific potential of their prospective journey. Everything she had come up with was too small, too individual. It would take the entirety of the scientific community generations of work to process it all; she wouldn't even make a dent in the problem by herself.
Intellectually, Twilight (and the greater scientific community) had always understood that Equestria's situation was pretty much unique, and that the rest of the observable universe worked differently. The underlying physics and mathematics were all sound, well-established in the literature, and accounted for all observation and experimentation - apart from the Equestrian system itself. Celestia and Luna had always maintained that even Equestria used to work that way, until Discord decided orbital mechanics and planets being round was "too conventional and boring" sometime during his reign after the end of the Unification War.
Twilight had already been to a 'normal' world herself, and Sunset Shimmer still lived there. She was rapidly discovering, however, that explaining the reality of that difference to ponies that weren't really concerned with the astrophysical implications was strangely anticlimactic.
They were all going to get to stand on a planet. A real one, with an orbit and gravity and everything. As a filly, Twilight had dreamed of astronomy progressing to the point where a planet might be discovered orbiting a distant star, to be observed at a distance through a telescope. She never even considered she might get to visit one, let alone several. This one was even part of a wider civilisation, capable of actually travelling between planets through space. For some incomprehensible reason, the others didn't really seem too excited.
"So it ain't flat but it looks and feels like it is," Applejack said, "and it's spinnin' and movin' real fast but ya can't tell that's happenin' either?"
Twilight nodded. "Yes, you won't notice the difference in everyday situations."
But if you do the math and take some careful measurements everything will actually add up! It'll actually fit all the same models as the rest of the universe, instead of being a nonsensical exception!
"Sounds like somepony took an awful simple thing and made it real complicated for no reason," Applejack said.
"I can kinda see how a ball-shaped world might be fun," Pinkie Pie interjected, "but being upside-down all the time would probably get annoying for everypony on the bottom."
"No Pinkie," Twilight replied, "gravity takes care of that. Wherever you are on the planet, 'down' is towards the center of mass in the middle, so you'll always feel like you're standing up normally."
"What's gravity?" Pinkie asked, drawing a confused look not just from Twilight, but from everyone else around the table too. "Sounds boring."
Twilight almost launched into an explanation, but hesitated. "Just because it's you, Pinkie, you probably shouldn't worry about it. I've got a sneaking suspicion that it doesn't apply to you anyway."
"Woo! Yes!" Pinkie shouted, throwing her hooves up in celebration. Then her expression turned more uncertain, and she asked, "Wait, that's good, right?"
"I can't seriously believe we're havin' this conversation right now," Thirty-Thirty said from the far end of the table, one hoof massaging his forehead between his closed eyes. "The world ain't flat. Next one o' you's gonna tell me your dinky sun goes 'round the planet and not th'other way 'round."
"But it does," Applejack said slowly. "Princess Celestia moves it around."
Starchaser waved a hoof in the air, bouncing in his seat like an excited schoolfoal with the answer to a teacher's question. "Ooh, ooh, and Luna does the moon!"
Thirty-Thirty froze for a moment, then dropped his hoof back to the floor, looked up and said, "Yeah, I ain't even gonna touch that one."
**JB McBride**
JB was getting the feeling that it was going to be one of those days.
Late in the morning, a panicking Fuzz had sought her out at Fort Kerium's courthouse. After she took a moment to calm the furry Deputy down, rendering his more-broken-than-usual English at least mostly intelligible, he told her BraveStarr had gone out in the middle of the night and still hadn't come back.
That alone wouldn't normally be enough to worry her. After all, BraveStarr was supposed to be out patrolling the outlying claims and homesteads around the town regularly, and he was more than capable of looking after himself - but given Thirty-Thirty's absence, this would be the perfect time for someone to try and get rid of the Marshal. Not just because the stallion wasn't there to watch his back, either. JB could tell how much the situation was getting to BraveStarr, even if he was trying to hide it.
Fuzz had known BraveStarr almost as long as she had, and he was certain to be thinking along similar lines. Offworlders often thought the Prairie People were little more intelligent than animals, but they were just as smart as anyone else, if a little on the naive side. Until a year ago, just after she and BraveStarr had arrived on the planet, even the locals had been dismissive of them - but after an effort was made to actually seek out their underground settlements and make contact, they proved to be much more than tunnelling vermin. These days, the short and hirsute creatures were a regular sight in the streets, and JB made sure they were treated as any other citizen of the galaxy deserved.
It probably helped that they'd been a huge part of saving the town in the chaotic events immediately surrounding her and BraveStarr's arrival on New Texas, too. Especially Fuzz, who had more than earned his Deputy's star when he almost got himself killed helping BraveStarr in his climactic battle with Stampede.
"Okay Fuzz, let's head on back to the Marshal Post and see what we can get out of the radio," she said, trying to project as much calm as she could. Sweeping a few errant red hairs back behind one ear, JB quickly jammed her hat down on top to hold everything in place. Her hair really needed straightening again, but she could never seem to find the time lately.
Pausing at her desk, JB swept up her hammer before heading out. The small artefact was really more of a gavel than a hammer, outwardly appearing to be little more than a metal cylinder on a short handle, but then JB was about twice the size of the Prairie Folk that had given her the ancient technological marvel. They called it the Hammer of Justice, which she'd always though was a little ostentatious, but it did make an appropriate armament for the planet's only Judge - and the hammer was, like its creators, both more dangerous and technically advanced than it first appeared, and also possessed of a little touch of the mystical and arcane.
The few townsfolk that were outdoors in the rapidly rising heat of the late morning all acknowledged her as she passed by them, walking briskly behind a scurrying Deputy Fuzz. Most of them JB knew at least casually by now, and many of them better than that. Although sometimes, being a Judge, she was well-acquainted with those she met for all the wrong reasons, in the middle of Fort Kerium she wasn't likely to meet any real scoundrels. Besides, they usually gave her a wide berth unless they thought they had something to prove.
It was only a few short minutes' walk to the Marshal Post, but even so JB was glad to be back inside and out of the heat when they arrived. Fuzz headed straight over to the monitoring station, hauling himself up onto the tall stool and attacking the keyboard vigorously with his stubby clawed digits.
"Monitoring Station not getting anything," Fuzz complained as JB moved up to stand behind him at the keyboard. "Something strange happen last night, when Marshal BraveStarr leave, and it not working right since."
"What about the radio?" she asked, leaning over to grab the handset from the edge of the console.
"Tried," Fuzz replied, still typing commands into the machine to little apparent effect. "But me think maybe that not working either. Or BraveStarr out of range, or underground."
JB thumbed the transmit button on the handset, reasoning that it couldn't hurt to try again. "Marshal BraveStarr, this is Fort Kerium. Please respond, over."
After a few seconds of static, she tried again. "BraveStarr, it's JB. Can you hear me, over?"
Still nothing. Maybe it really is broken.
"Anyone on this net, Fort Kerium requesting a radio check, over."
A few brief pops and shifts in the static had her hopes spike briefly, but nothing came of it. The tension only really served to make it clear to the Judge that she might be a little more worried about this whole situation than she was admitting to herself.
We should be getting something from one of the homesteads, or at least the mail carriage.
Just as JB hung the handset back up on the console, the radio let out a loud screech of feedback. She snatched the handset back up again and strained her ears to try and make something out against the resurgent static.
It was faint, but after a few seconds JB was certain that she could hear someone trying to call back. It sounded like they were shouting into a metal drum in a tornado, but there was definitely a voice in there somewhere.
"Fuzz, can you do anything to clean that up?" she asked the deputy, her grip unconsciously tightening on the radio.
"Me already on it Judge," Fuzz replied, standing up on the stool to reach some of the switches and knobs near the top of the console beside the screen. "Keep trying."
The radio squawked a few more times as JB repeated her calls for any kind of response from the outside, before finally resolving into something audible. There was still plenty of popping, crackling interference in the signal, but it was possible the make out BraveStarr's voice.
"—at you JB? I can barely make you out, say again, over."
Trying not to sound too relieved, JB responded. "Marshal, glad to hear you haven't just disappeared in the night. Fuzz says the monitoring station has been acting up since you left early this morning, what's been going on?" Placing her other hand on Fuzz's shoulder, she briefly let go of the transmit button and thanked the Deputy for helping to fix the radio.
"Well, g'morning Judge. Nice to know you care." Even through the interference, JB could still hear the smile behind the words. "It'll probably be easier to explain this in person," BraveStarr continued, "and I'm pretty much right outside town now. Is Thirty's water trough still full?"
"I... I don't remember. I think it might have been, I wasn't really paying attention when I passed it on the way in," she answered, caught a little off-guard by the strange question. Then the significance of it dawned. "Does this mean you managed to get him back?" she asked, hopefully.
"Not exactly," the Marshal said, "but I reckon someone's gonna be needing that filled if ya wouldn't mind checkin' on it. We're only a couple minutes out, should be back soon."
"We?" JB queried.
"I may have picked up a stray on my way home," BraveStarr replied. "She's a little rambunctious but I think I'm gonna keep her."
"It's not like you to go picking up strange women in the desert, Marshal," JB said lightly. She was fairly sure she heard a chuckle through the fluctuating static.
"Oh she's strange all right. Say, you didn't ask your dad for a pony for Christmas again this year, did ya?"
"Not since I was about five, no," she laughed, "although he did promise to get me a unicorn if he ever got back to Scotland. Why?"
"No reason. See you in a few. BraveStarr, out."
**Rainbow Dash**
It had taken a little bit of convoluted gesturing and drawing on the floor, but Rainbow was pretty sure she had understood the plan. ~BraveStarr~ had gone into the town on the ground, and she was supposed to fly up and just orbit above him until he gave her the signal that it was safe to come down. She wasn't exactly clear on the why, but the big guy seemed to be pretty cool so far, so Rainbow was willing to let him take the lead in his own environment. Even if he had just had a conversation with his hat.
The initial effort she had expended in the climb had been unpleasant in the overpowering heat, but Rainbow had to admit that the thermals coming off the buildings were really good once she was above the town.
I could basically glide up here all day, she thought, slowly banking around to keep one eye on the ground. Her companion's white hat made him pretty easy to keep track of amongst the complex of buildings. A few of the structures were freshly painted in bright colours, but the majority separating the dusty streets were clad in sun-bleached pastels.
The small number of other figures moving around the city all seemed to resemble ~BraveStarr~ to one degree or another - they were universally bipedal, but there seemed to be quite a variety of shapes and colours among the group. Rainbow was a little disappointed that she hadn't seen any more horses yet, but she supposed they had their own town somewhere else.
Rainbow watched as the little white hat she was tracking stopped in front of one of the larger buildings towards the middle of town. A couple of other figures emerged from the structure, but Rainbow's interest was mostly captured by the large trough full of water she could see nearby. Her body took the opportunity to remind her of exactly how dirty, sweaty, hot and dehydrated she was, and Rainbow started to glance between the figures on the ground and the water as she shaped a plan of her own.
If she was going to be meeting more weird aliens, she needed to make a good first impression.
**BraveStarr**
As soon as he turned the corner at the end of the street, BraveStarr saw JB stood in the Marshal Post doorway. For a moment she was leaning one shoulder against the doorjamb with her arms folded across her chest, almost wrapping her dark coat around herself. Then she straightened up and stepped out onto the covered deck in front of the building as she saw him.
"You going to be making a habit of running off in the middle of the night all by yourself?" she called out, leaning on the blue-grey wooden railing at the front of the porch.
"Not planning on it, no," he replied, smiling as he approached. "Somethin' came up. I had to go take care of it."
"You need to be more careful," JB said, stone-faced. "You have no idea how much paperwork I'd need to do to get a replacement. It would be really inconvenient for me."
"Well, I guess I'll have to keep on comin' back then," he said, coming to a stop outside the railing in front of her as she valiantly fought to keep from smiling. "I'd hate to be a bother."
Then, Fuzz came running out of the Marshal Post. Jumping up onto and then off the top of the railing next to JB, he hit BraveStarr in the chest with a happy cry of "Marshal, you okay!"
Laughing, BraveStarr returned the hug before placing Fuzz back on the ground. "Hey there li'l pardner. Sorry if I worried ya."
"I think we're both just glad you're okay," JB said, smiling as she walked around the railing to join the pair in the street. "So," she went on, looking at the street behind him, "where's your new friend?"
"Oh, she's around," BraveStarr hedged. "Wanted to give you a little heads-up first. She's a little... unique. Stampede has done something that Shaman didn't even think was possible, and pulled a couple of spirits into the real world."
"You mean like you do?" JB asked.
"Like several steps beyond that, and a giant leap too far," BraveStarr said, a little anger creeping into his voice, "It wasn't asking to borrow a little something to use for an honest purpose. More like a straight up abduction; both of them are actually physically here in our world, in their entirety, in one body. Only one of them is actually awake and in control, but they're both in danger. She escaped, and I brought her here, because we really need to keep her safe until she can get back where she belongs."
"So what are we talking here," the Judge asked, looking confused and apprehensive, "a half-bear, half-puma or something?"
"Not exactly," BraveStarr said, chuckling at the image that conjured up before checking the street. "Oh, and she's not just an animal, so don't treat her like one. Just doesn't speak our language, that's all."
"Well, there's nobody suspect hangin' around," he declared, before raising a hand to his mouth and letting out a loud whistle. "JB, Fuzz," he said, looking up at the descending dot in the sky, "this is Loyalty."
**Rainbow Dash**
As reluctant as she was to admit it, Rainbow Dash wasn't exactly feeling up to pulling off a Sonic Rainboom in her current condition. She was pretty sure she could manage one of her other tricks though.
And that way, they get to be impressed twice when I show them that later, she thought, before banishing the errant thoughts from her head and concentrating on her trajectory. She had to get this just right or she was going to catch a hoof and crash - picking up water from the ground was tougher than just smashing through a few clouds, but Rainbow was certain she could make it work.
Accelerating downwards, Rainbow started to build up the air cushion in front of her hooves that she was going to need to scoop the water out of the trough without smashing into it herself.
If everything went according to plan, it would act like a big snow shovel and push the whole lot ahead of her in a wave, before slowly disintegrating to let her fly through the spray over the next few seconds and catch it in her slipstream. Rainbow was fairly sure that would get most of the dirt and lather off, and the heavier saturated water would drop out of her tailwind. Then it would just be a simple matter of completing the loop and sliding in to land before the last bit of trailing mist caught up and splashed off her back, just enough to make a little rainbow appear above her for a few seconds.
Maybe I should toss a roll in there to dry myself off a bit. Eh, why not?
As it turned out the trough was a little deeper than she expected, and Rainbow ended up skimming the surface rather than gathering up the entire contents. After that little hiccup everything seemed to be going pretty well though. The air cushion disintegrated just after she pulled up into her loop, and Rainbow continued up towards the curtain of expanding airborne water.
The suspended liquid was just starting to fall as Rainbow came up and hit it from below, briefly folding her wings as she crashed through. It burst over her like a high-pressure shower, scouring most of the dust and lather from her coat, mane and tail, before the last of the spray was sucked into her slipstream as she rolled all the way over at the top of the loop.
Loop-the-loop around, and... wham!
Sliding to a stop on the ground, Rainbow pulled herself up to her full height and spread her wings wide. It looked as if the temperature was going to mess the last part up - none of the water mist had survived to reach the end of the flight with her, so the rainbow was going to be a no-go.
Doesn't matter, nailed the landing, still lookin' awesome. There was a faint clink as the glowy red rock she'd been carrying tucked in one leg fell to the ground, and Rainbow quickly scooped it up in one wing before straightening again. Nopony saw that.
There were two new alien creatures waiting for her on the ground, both with something of the familiar about them. One of them seemed pretty similar to ~BraveStarr~, at least as far as Rainbow could tell under all the clothes. It was maybe a little shorter, and differently coloured - its clothing darker greys and blacks, and its skin and hair a lighter pink and red - but it was the same basic shape, and its face was similar too. The few other things Rainbow had spied wandering about the town from up in the air had been of a similar bipedal type, although she hadn't really gotten a close look at any of them.
The second one was perhaps more unsettling, as it looked a lot like the shorter furry thing that had tackled her back in the metal prison she'd woken up in. It wasn't doing anything aggressive right now, and thankfully it didn't stink of smoke and ash like the other one had, but Rainbow resolved to keep an eye on it regardless.
The two of them seemed pretty impressed, which Rainbow thought was a perfectly natural reaction to something as cool as what they'd just seen. She wasn't really sure what ~BraveStarr~ was planning on doing next, but it at least looked like the building could shelter them from the unbelievable heat for a while.
**JB McBride**
JB couldn't decide whether to keep her eyes on the looping rainbow contrail, slowly fading from the air above the water trough, or on the equally colourful pony-like creature on the road in front of her. It was as if someone had seen the disconnect between the pony that children wished for at Christmas and the reality of an actual pony (which involved a lot more shovelling, grooming, feeding and exercise than any child would imagine), and decided the fantasy version should exist. Chubby legs, huge eyes, bright colours, and - for some reason - wings. It was even exactly the right size for a child to ride it.
There was a little bit of her that really wanted to jump on it and hug it, but there was no way that was happening.
Seeming pleased with their reactions to its dramatic entrance, the small creature nonchalantly dusted a hoof off against its chest, said something JB didn't understand, and then trotted over to the water trough. It was a little too short to drink from it standing on all fours, but it just reared up, puts its forehooves on the edge and unceremoniously dunked its head under the surface.
"Okay," she said, turning a perplexed glare on BraveStarr. "Explain what I'm seeing here, because it looks like you've adopted a three-foot flying rainbow pony."
"Yeah, I sorta have," the Marshal replied, "although I think it's more that she's decided to follow me for the time being. She's packing a whole heap of magic, and Stampede's after her. Don't know why, but we all know it ain't gonna be anything good. So, until Shaman can figure out what to do, she's staying here. Hopefully she'll figure enough of that out to stick around."
"You know I have to point out that she's a liability, and you're putting the whole town at risk by antagonising that monster," JB said, without any real heat behind it.
"It's the right thing to do, JB." BraveStarr said firmly. "I don't want to have to choose between the law and what's right, but you know I'll do it if I have to."
JB sighed. "I know, I know. I think you're doing the right thing, Marshal. And the law would probably be on your side here anyway, you'd just have to declare it protective custody. I just can't promise the whole town's gonna see it that way if we have to fend off another army of skeletal Broncosaurs and magical fireballs, Fortress Mode or not. We barely survived it the last time."
BraveStarr shook his head. "I'm pretty sure that Stampede learned his lesson after that one, and Tex is a coward at heart. Even if he got the order to try attacking the town again, he's not gonna come right at us head on for a second time. Not unless he can find something to give him an advantage. Right now, we're the ones with the edge in that matchup. Even more so now we've stopped whatever they were tryin' to do with her," he said, nodding in the direction of the blue-furred pony now messily shaking itself dry next to the water trough.
And you're trying to help this creature lost in an alien world, JB added in the privacy of her own head, because you have to do something, and the one you really want to be helping is out of your reach.
She started to head back into the Marshal Post, BraveStarr following behind. As she reached the doorway, JB glanced back over her shoulder as another question occurred to her. "You said there were two, right? So, if one's Loyalty, what's the other one?"