The ponies and changelings were packing up.
Queen Twilight Sparkle had sent word ahead of their arrival back at their camp on the beach by the HMS Clover the Clever, informing her changelings to grab their pony counterparts and begin taking down their encampment and load everything back onto the ship. She could hear the grumbles of disappointment and discontent as she did so from her various drones, and undoubtedly even more had come from the ponies with them, but they had complied nevertheless.
The continued presence of The New Kingdom’s military had probably expedited things.
The rest of the journey back had been without a major incident. Their transport had been escorted the entire way there, those aboard remaining tense at the arrangement, but nothing bad had come of it. It had been quiet, peaceful even, the landscape that had once been the home of the Three Tribes and the cradle of pony civilisation passing them by at a rapid pace.
The Queen had been able to appreciate the view a little more the second time around, travelling back from the city of Unicornia rather than towards. The first time she had been filled with questions and doubt, worried for the safety of all those around her and what she might face on their arrival in the country’s enigmatic capital. But those were gone, or at least they were lessened to a considerable degree, on the return trip.
She examined the clouds around them, imagining back to a time when it was home to what was now known as Cloudsdale, but was back then called Pegasopalis. At one point in their flight, she even peered out of the window to see a valley that she could easily imagine as having once contained the farming community the earth ponies had arisen from. She had no proof it was the valley, but from her bird’s eye positioning the soil seemed to be nice and fertile.
But then again, she wasn’t a farmer. Though she had studied at least twenty-seven books on the subject in her over sixty years of life, but still, who was she to say?
There were other towns too, towns all bearing the banner of The New Kingdom. Smaller towns not unlike Ponyville, though their construction was a little more stone based. A few were larger and, in the distance, Twilight thought she could make out another mountainside city at one point.
Who knew just how many villages, towns and cities they had? They didn’t exactly have earth ponies to trade them food anymore, so they’d have had to set up farms for themselves. That would probably have been an adjustment back in the day. Neither did they have pegasi, so did they deal with nature’s chaotic conditions or nudge it to some degree using their magic? The latter seemed a likely option, though she wondered to what extent they had achieved. Twilight herself knew more than a few spells with such effects, though the pegasi were always a more effective choice given their own evolutionary advantages in that field.
Maybe she would have that question, and so many others, answered someday in the near future.
She just had to get back to Equestria first.
When they finally arrived back at camp, most of it was already gone. There were still plenty of changelings and ponies on the beach, fliers moving materials over while the others coordinated and catalogued everything. They didn’t want to leave anything behind, after all.
Spike seemed to be guarding over them, eying the zeppelins up above suspiciously and with a bit of wounded pride. His eyes seemed to shimmer in the fading light, and most were likely eager to cast off before darkness fully set in.
The helicopter landed back down by the beach, the Queen and her entourage stepping off safe and sound, much to the relief of all those who had been awaiting them. Twilight directed the others to help with the effort, taking Valiant with her as she moved to meet with her husband and Spike.
“So, any big developments we need to worry about?” Façade asked. “You were a little vague over the hive link.”
“Only one of particular note,” Captain Valiant said while shooting a smirk at his counterpart. “You owe me precisely one bottle of Abyssinian Whiskey.”
The changeling’s glowing blue eyes narrowed. “Wait, what? What do you mean?”
“The King was an alicorn,” Twilight said apologetically. “You lost big time.”
“W-what? I have… so many questions…”
“You still lost,” Valiant said smugly. “Guy is as tall as alicorns come.”
“So… you saw him?”
“Well, not exactly.”
“I did, though,” Twilight confirmed. “Very tall. My height, if slightly taller.”
“I hate you all,” the changeling complained.
“No, you don’t.”
Façade groaned. “Well… forget the whiskey! An alicorn!? That’s… a lot to take in.”
“Twilight, that has a lot of big implications,” Spike said worriedly. “Another alicorn after all this time? Do you think he’s as powerful as ours?”
“He’s younger than Celestia and Luna, but I don’t see why not.”
“It’s like us finding a Changeling Queen we never knew existed. Which I suppose there is a precedent for, but not a good one,” Façade pointed out.
“Especially given how ‘alien unfriendly’ these ponies seemed to be,” the dragon added, stretching his wings where the chains had wrapped around them earlier. “Seriously, those things hurt.”
She sighed. “I know. I’ll explain what was said back when we’re on the ship. How are things progressing here?”
Façade hummed. “Well, tempers are running high. The lot from Celestia’s school do not like being denied their long-anticipated research trip mere hours after setting it all up.”
“I know the feeling,” the Queen said sympathetically.
“But the ship is nearly loaded. We can leave soon,” Spike continued. “And I think the quicker the better. These guys give me the creeps.”
“Well, load up everyone who doesn’t have a job and finish carrying over the supplies,” Twilight commanded. “And Spike, once we’re clear I want you to send a letter to Princess Celestia. I’ll write it once we’re aboard.”
“You can count on me! I’ll circle until you’re done, then head for Equestria ahead of you.”
“What will you tell them?” Valiant enquired.
“The basics. The New Kingdom, King Ignis, that there is hope for relations but it’s a bit complicated. I’ll give them the specifics when I see them, it will be easier in person.”
“Very well. I’ll see to my ponies,” he replied. “Gah, not how I saw this trip going…”
“Maybe we should have done,” Spike said to Twilight as we watched the Captain of the Solar Guard trot away with a purpose. “Whenever Discord is involved there’s bound to be trouble.”
“I never could have imagined something like Ignis,” Twilight mused. “But I do suppose that’s Discord all over. He likes his surprises.”
“And being unhelpful.”
“It’s not all bad, I was more prepared to face them because of his warning. It counts for something, and it did earn his approval,” Twilight informed him. “I saw him at the castle. They didn’t, thankfully.”
“So… you really think you can get these ponies to open up after a thousand years of xenophobic isolation?”
“I did it to my people, didn’t I?” Twilight pointed out hopefully. “If nothing else, I’ve laid the foundations. But we should help finish loading the ship up, whatever happens next is not for the here and now.”
“Yeah, okay. I’m just glad you all came back safe.”
“So am I, Spike. So am I.”
Unicornia
King Ignis was restless, pacing back and forth in his throne room with an uncertain grimace on his muzzle. He had been like this ever since he had returned from his meeting with Queen Twilight Sparkle, something that had somewhat gotten the guards around him a little concerned. His mind was lodged firmly on lands far from his own, lands he hadn’t given much of a second thought to in such a long time.
Why should he? The New Kingdom and its ponies where perfect the way they were, why take such risks? Outsiders promised disease and death, history had proved it! How could he trust the word of these ‘changelings’ or their cousins across the ocean who had so quickly thrown off their own traditions and allowed in foreign influences? What corruptions had infested their minds?
But it was too late. The New Kingdom would now be known to the world, where would that knowledge lead?
And what of his fellow alicorns? Ones older than even he. Should he take a leap of faith and follow their example, come to believe that they had been wrong about the world? Or should he trust in his experience and gut, knowing full well that those beyond their borders invited only chaos and death?
What was he meant to do?
What was best for his people?
The King was knocked out of his ruminations as the door to the throne room opened, the alicorn seeing both Captain Stout Guardian and his adviser, Assisting Hoof, enter quickly though. The former had something of a scowl on his features, the latter seemed more studious with a stack of scrolls held in his magical aura.
“Leave us,” Ignis commanded of the other guards, each giving a salute and piling out of the throne room until it was only he and those two specific ponies left. “Gentleponies, thank you for coming.”
“It is only natural to hear your summons, given what has transpired within these fabled halls,” Assisting Hoof noted. “We have much to advise you on.”
“Indeed, you do,” he confirmed with a nod. “Any insight you have would be-”
“Letting them go was a mistake,” Stout Guardian interrupted.
Ignis blinked. “Excuse me, Captain?”
“Excuse me for speaking my mind, but letting them go was a mistake,” the stallion reiterated. “If we dealt with them here, followed protocol, word about us would never go on to reach the rest of Equus. With them going home, our land is open to an invasion!”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Assisting Hoof dismissed. “I will admit to feeling somewhat nervous as to the implications, and the dangers, but our borders are still our own. This day was inevitable, and even if we kept them there was no way that more wouldn’t come looking for their Queen. Letting them go has probably ‘saved’ us from the invasion, Guardian.”
“Despite my own reservation, I would be inclined to agree with my assistant,” Ignis stated. “This course of action, while not without risk, was our best bet to protect our people. Mercy will, Faust willing, keep Equestria and the hives from our borders entirely.”
“Mercy? Do you think mercy was on the minds of the wendigos?” the Captain asked. “Or will be on theirs? You just know their pegasi will leap on the chance for conquest.”
“That was the way of old Pegasopalis, true,” the King conceded. “What do we know of modern Equestria?”
“That the three species are supposedly coexisting as one entity,” Assisting Hoof recounted. “Led by their alicorn. Multiple now, if the Queen is to be believed.”
“And they have experienced combat in the decades past, if she is to be believed,” Ignis added.
“Exactly,” Stout Guardian remarked. “They know war. They will not hesitate to set their sights on us. Why should they let anypony be separate from them?”
“Yet the Queen’s words would also indicate the contrary,” Assisting Hoof refuted. “That they merely defended themselves and are otherwise a peaceful people.”
“Lies to lure us in. The unicorns of their lands have already corrupted their moral integrity by allowing the pegasi and earth ponies in, now these changelings? The very name just spits deceit and espionage.”
“So, what would you have me do now, Captain?”
The stallion sighed. “Now that the deed is done? Put our forces on alert, just in case. Review detection protocols. And don’t interact any further, lest they try to influence us further.”
“I would advise humouring them for the time being, try to ascertain the truth,” Assisting Hoof suggested. “Long have we been taught to fear that which is not our own, words that may yet still hold the same wisdom as a thousand years ago. But a thousand years is a long time, things may have changed without us.”
“You invite destruction if you let them in.”
“And if they are being truthful?”
“And if you’re wrong, Assisting Hoof?”
“Enough!” Ignis declared with a stamp of his hoof. “Do not let us be divided in this crucial hour, we must remain strong in our unity.”
“Of course, your Majesty. I apologise,” the Captain said with a humbled bow of his head.
“Thank you. Now, here is the way I see it. Captain, you will do as you suggested in regards to our defences. But Assisting Hoof is also correct, we need more information now that we are revealed. I will speak to these alicorns, and only these alicorns, to determine the truth. I do not trust the outside world, I fully expect opportunists and devils in these outside creatures and our brethren who have been potentially corrupted and consumed by their ways.”
“But…?” his assistant pressed.
The King sighed. “But, if we’re wrong and Queen Platinum managed to leave an effective legacy in her wake, then I must know. So, I will converse with these alicorns and decide for myself. Should I find them wanting, we will defend ourselves from these ‘aliens’. But on the off chance that we do find ourselves… outdated in our expectations, then we shall just have to see how things go from there.”
“I appreciate your open-mindedness and wisdom, King Ignis,” Assisting Hoof said with a bow.
“I just hope we can prepare, I do not trust for a second that they won’t prove to be the next wendigos,” Stout Guardian said fearfully. “But I will do my utmost to prepare us for that eventuality. In the meantime, I will trust you to lead us, King Ignis. As I have always done.”
“Thank you both,” the King declared with finality. “And rest assured, I won’t let my curiosity place my ponies in danger. I will protect them from all threats to the unicorn way of life, that I vow.”
And, even with his mind remaining on those alicorns across the sea, he meant every single word he said.