The manila folder floated into the air, stuffed to its absolute limit and encased in a shimmering aura. It hovered above the center of the wide, circular, dark-oaken table for a moment before the light winked out and it fell with a thud. Eight ponies and four alicorns stared at it for a moment.
"This is my master folder for case one-two-five," said Princess Twilight Sparkle. "It contains not only the original report on the Dodge disappearances, but every recorded interaction with the entity including the Gustavus correspondence and images of the sea beasts, plus a collection of storybooks that I once believed were fiction. In a moment, we will all go through it together, and once we're done, you will understand why it is nowhere near enough information."
Rainbow Dash dragged a hoof over her mane and leaned forward, eyeing the folder. "Twi, what does this have to do with what's going on out east?"
"Yes, Twilight," Luna said, shuffling her wings, giving her sister a glance. "Whatever it is, we're sure that you can–"
"I'm confident in my ability to rule," Twilight snapped, "this is something completely different. Something's very wrong, I can feel it."
"Okay, so we handle it like we always do," Applejack said as she smacked a hoof on the table, "together." Rarity and Pinkie Pie nodded from either side of her, their faces resolute.
Twilight smiled and raised her head a little at that, and everypony present got a good look at the bags under her eyes.
"Of course," she said, "and that's why I've brought all of you here: to tell you that this time is different. I'm breaking it to you now because we may be at the beginning of the most crucial period in all of our lives, and I need your help."
Princess Cadence took hold of her husband's hoof. Her voice threatened to shake when she spoke. "You had better be very clear with us, Twilight. All we've heard in the Empire is that there's been some trouble with sea monsters."
"That's because the crown has been working desperately to control panic," Twilight said. "Here's the truth. Approximately one week ago, strange beasts began emerging from the ocean along the southeast coasts. They are extremely dangerous. Several villages have been destroyed, dozens of ponies are dead, and hundreds are displaced." Twilight's horn lit and she withdrew a photo from the folder and tossed it on the table.
"W-what?" Starlight Glimmer stammered, her eyes glued to the photo. "They're killing them?"
Twilight nodded solemnly. "Upon closer study, the Royal Guard division tasked with countering the threat realized that these are not sea beasts, but a kind of magical constructs inscribed with extremely ancient runes. Machines are made for a purpose, and machines can be controlled. When I examined the emergences, I found a pattern." She leaned forward. "A pattern means something, some... entity directs those machines, and from what I can tell, it is either testing the Guard's capabilities... or toying with us."
Luster Dawn's frown grew even more worried.
Twilight Sparkle set her hoof on the folder. "The runes led me to a tangled web of disturbing evidence, but I realized that, while the exact nature of this entity is unknown to us, it is extremely influential. Until we understand it, we're entirely at its mercy."
"It's Her," Celestia said.
"Yes," Twilight said, opening the folder and removing a thin storybook. "We'll start with this: a several-hundred-year-old collection of passed-down foals' tales. We're interested in the one called 'The Tale of the Long-Legged Mare.'"