Concurrent with considerable stress for a certain purple dragon,
involving a copious amount of burping.
Open, closed.
Up, down.
Backwards, forwards, and sideways in all directions!.
Oh, time and space are so much fun to play with!
A gesture of paw, a flourish of claw.
Whee! Raining cats and dogs, kittens and puppies falling from the sky!
A flick of wrist, a tap of horn.
Avalanches of strawberries, for no apparent reason!
What's this? A zebra?
A wiggle of tail.
One lovely black-and-white daisy, protesting adamantly about not wanting this. And such rhymes!
This forest was already relatively chaotic. Ideally there would be havoc to spread to more orderly portions of the continent, but the fabric that held everything together was thinner here, near the middle of the place, and all it would take was a tiny flick, and a connection would form, and with that bond would come such a delicious cascade of unrest, like a wave of anarchic dominoes, Equestria might never know peace again! Such low-hanging fruit could not be passed up, even if it did hurt the time-to-randomness-generated quotient for just a bit.
Ah, here, where the weave grew threadbare!
Boop!
Discord's Gate
She dreamed. A strange dream it was, of lizards and birds, grayness and color, danger and friends. There were voices, but they spoke with words she had never heard before. There was something wrong though. The friend's head was glowing, bright magenta like a flare, a spike of fire against a backdrop of black. Pain, briefly, and then she no longer dreamed.
Night 1
Twilight Sparkle's slumber was unceremoniously interrupted by a sharp series of knocks. A moment shaking her head to wring the sleep out allowed her to pinpoint the noise's source: the glass doors to the balcony. The purple unicorn yawned, sparing a look for her wall clock as she passed it on the way to the curtains.
Midnight? Of course, on one of the few days she had actually gone to bed at a decent hour, some pegasus felt the need to disturb her. The picture of Rainbow Dash standing out there to share an idea for a new acrobatic maneuver caused Twilight's sleep-addled brain to begin to build pressure, like a kettle that had been left to boil too long.
Although, it could just as easily be Fluttershy with an animal in need, or some other pegasus with a problem only magic could solve. Brightening up at this perfectly justifiable motive for waking her, Twilight approached the curtains.
Just as her horn began to draw the drapes back, a third possibility occurred to the unicorn. What if this was Princess Celestia here to give her a surprise friendship exam?
Now thoroughly frazzled, Twilight's yank on the curtains might have been just a little bit frantic. Said pull revealed a brown Pegasus in iron-grey segmented armor. He was standing there looking slightly wary of the situation. His voice, however, quickly snapped Twilight out of her reverie of lack-of-quiz-related relief.
"Ms. Sparkle? Corporal Sharp Halberd of Her Majesty's Rangers, at your service, although my orders are to solicit your help in a matter of international importance." Twilight perked up, her curiosity piqued. "If you would come around to the ground entrance, I will elaborate."
Outside the library sat a chariot. Similar in size and shape to the one used to ferry her to Ponyville for the first time, the vehicle was familiar to Twilight. Nearby stood another pegasus clad in raiment identical to Sharp Halberd's.
What was remarkable about the scene was what occupied the passenger area of the chariot: A statue of a mare, frozen in horror of something at ground level.
Sharp Halberd's clipped Lower Canterlot* accent rent the silence that had fallen. "I apologize for the circuitous summons, Ms. Sparkle, we didn't want to disturb anyone else."
"What is this?" Twilight asked, indicating the statue and carriage.
"There was an incident around dusk," the Corporal replied. "We were surveying a magical disturbance in the Everfree Forest. Shortly after Discord's rampage, your friend Zecora reported an anomaly that had persisted after the draconequus' re-imprisonment."
Twilight shook her head in mild irritation.
"I know this already Corporal. Zecora had me send the message. Princess Celestia asked me to monitor the anomaly and report any fluctuations. I just yesterday sent a report that whatever it was seemed to have stabilized, I was going to get a look at it in the morning."
Halberd frowned a little at the interruption. It was a good thing Dame Sparkle was speaking to a Ranger. An officer of the Guard or the Legions might not have appreciated being cut off mid-report, even if it was the Princess' protege speaking.
"Yes, The Princess had us scout the thing out just after tea-time. It appears to have taken the form of a half-circular portal, about fifty meters wide, with different views of a coniferous forest visible from both sides, after sucking in a fifty-meter radius of anything not tied down and blowing out a lot of pine needles."
The corporal began to relax, slipping into the routine of the report once again, although his tone never slipped into outright familiarity. Even if Dame Sparkle wasn't standing on ceremony, breaking protocol during a report was not acceptable.
"Once we determined Private Typhoon, who had been within the radius and decidedly not tied down, was unharmed, we proceeded to scout the other side of the portal. The thing seems to be a link to what looks awfully similar to the woods around Vanhoover."
Halberd shifted to wave a hoof at his companion.
"Lance-Corporal Volley over there even gave us a high-altitude perspective, and it seems the places are alike down to the base topography, but the one through the portal appears completely uninhabited. That's what we thought it was too, until poor Typhoon bought it."
Twilight looked askance. "What?" The place through the portal was not uninhabited, and the Rangers had taken casualties? Halberd, for his part, took the interruption in stride.
"She was, ahem, looking for a place to water the daisies, if you will, near some dense shrubbery. Everyone heard a scream from that direction, followed by a noise rather like a thunderclap. The rest of my platoon rushed to her aid, but when we got there, all we found were the exploded remains of a cockatrice, the Private unconscious on the ground from head trauma, and this statue."
Halberd took a deep breath, pausing to let the implications of the statement settle in.
"We dropped Typhoon off at Ponyville General and, thinking it unwise to stay in unknown territory with whatever detonated that lizard-bird on the loose, have quartered ourselves here in Ponyville. My superiors relayed the situation to Princess Luna, who is entertaining diplomats from Zebrica, and it was she that ordered us to bring the statue here and leave the rest of our pegasi on patrol over the portal to make sure whatever-it-is doesn't come over to our side."
A shift in Halberd's posture indicated he was closing out the report.
"Doctor Stable seemed to think you'd be better for casting the depetrification spell, as he's got his hooves full stabilizing Typhoon."
Twilight nodded. "Sure, let's bring it inside, I'll cast the spell immediately."
Volley and Halberd leveraged the stone pony through with a bit of difficulty, the thing being substantially heavier without the levitation enchantments on the chariot helping.
Meanwhile, Princess Celestia's prize student gathered herself for a minute. After that one incident in Everfree she'd made it a point to learn the spell for curing cockatrice victims, just in case.
Twilight's horn became enveloped in a magenta corona, the power weaving itself into the complex pattern required to return flesh from stone. Then, the energy leaped out in a wide, flat beam, starting at the bottom of the statue's hooves and tracking slowly upwards.
When the very top of the stony mane had been scanned, the entire body was enveloped in a bright flash of light, coupled with the sound of the magical energy of the cockatrice's enchanting stare releasing all at once.
Spike, smallish dragon and assistant numero uno to Twilight Sparkle, was discharged from his bed by a bright flash and an arcane clash that left his eardrums ringing.
Seeing Twilight's bed unoccupied, he rushed downstairs to make sure his caretaker hadn't gotten herself hurt. He was joined on the way by co-assistant Owlowicious, who was just getting back from a relaxing, and filling, survey of town.
The two arrived at the foot of the stairs just in time to see two strange stallions clad in armor, carrying an unfamiliar pony and followed by Twilight. Dragon and owl went over to the purple pony, both flabbergasted as to what was going on, but hesitant to interrupt the procession.
"It'll be about forty-eight hours before our friend has recovered enough to be conscious, could you keep me appraised on any developments with the portal?"
"Gladly, Ms. Sparkle. Likewise, please let us know anything you can divine from the victim or the evidence we brought back. My platoon is quartered in the meadow just south of Ponyville."
"Of course."
"Sun's light to you, Ms. Sparkle. Best of luck with those knickknacks." With that, the two stallions left the library, shutting the door quietly behind them.
"Alright Twilight, spill the beans. What's going on?"
"Spike, we've got work to do."
Day 1
Celestia's sun was just starting to peek over the horizon as three scholars finished their work. "Well Spike, let's recap." Purple claws spread out a well-worn scroll of crossed out, underlined, and webbed conjecture regarding their guest. "Alright, starting from the top, what we know for sure:
Item one: The subject is a mare, earth pony, about your age. No cutie mark or other markings on her. Light gray body with slate-colored mane. Both mane and tail are heavily braided, secured with twine. Hooves are cared for, but not pedicured, with well-developed musculature all along the body consistent with a long-distance runner. Smells faintly of pine sap and ozone.
Item two: The subject came from the portal accompanied by several objects, presumably possessions, in saddle bags, along with a thick barding.
Itemized list of the objects:
-Sextant, consistent with Equestrian models.
-Quill and ink, chemical analysis has shown them to be of similar consistency to cheap lampblack-based pigment.
-Small book, bound in a manner consistent with Equestrian mass production techniques.
-'A basic hygiene kit.' Whatever that is."
Twilight gave Spike the look.
"Moving on!
-Eleven metallic disks of various sizes and compositions. All known metals or alloys thereof, printed with somepony's face on one side, and an odd symbol of some sort. Presumably coins or similar.
-Bedroll and tent, canvas and cotton materials.
-Knife, tempered steel, a bit blunted from use.
-Apple, slightly bruised. Tasted normal.
The barding itself is a canvas-like material, lots of pockets filled with various kinds of dirt, and a symbol where a cutie mark would be. Half the symbol is identical to the one on the back of the coin, the other side is a half-hexagon inside another half-hexagon, with lines joining the points.
One pocket seems to be shaped specifically to hold something, but whatever tool or weapon was there is gone, and an adjacent pocket is also empty. Need to ask Corporal Halberd if anything else was found at the site of the incident.
Item three: There are others out there, one of which possesses arcane power sufficient to disintegrate a cockatrice, or otherwise reduce it into its component parts.
Summarized conjecture based upon gathered evidence:
-We're dealing with a Pony society of some sort, or at the very least a league of which Ponies are members.
-She doesn't seem to be a slave, and is at least well treated.
-However, the quill does not have mouth grips like an Equestrian model used by an Earth pony would. From this, we assumed that the quill, ink and book do not belong to our guest.
-The knife and sextant similarly have no mouth grips. Probably means she was carrying them for whoever splattered the cockatrice."
Having reached the extent of legible notes, Spike slumped down, tuckered out. Twilight smiled. “It's okay Spike, I have to open the library now anyway.” Any further dialogue was cut off by a loud dragon-snore, coupled with a series of hoots that sounded almost like snores in their own owlish right.
After moving both her assistants to their respective sleeping spots, Twilight began the daily ritual of prepping the library for business.
This mostly involved stuffing everything that wasn't supposed to be out into a closet so that Spike could take care of it after he woke up, but the place got clear, ponies got their books, Spike felt needed, and everyone was happy in the end, so it worked.
The day proceeded to go by uneventfully, a coffee was ordered from Sugarcube Corner, a succession of patrons tromped in, returned books and took new ones, and tromped out. Each had something to comment on the mare sleeping on the couch, and Twilight, in her fatigue, was uncharacteristically brusque with them.
"No, Pinky, a party probably wouldn't be appropriate until the patient has been on her feet a few days."
"Yes, Scootaloo, she's alive. Yes, Applebloom, I realize she has no cutie mark. No, Sweetie Belle, I doubt she'd want to join your club, she's not from around here. Chin up though, just because she's reached adulthood without finding her special talent, doesn't mean you will."
"No, Berry Punch, this isn't my new fillyfriend. She's a cockatrice victim."
"Yes, Time Turner, I'm sure she's not a Silence, whatever that is."
"No, Lyra, she probably isn't posessed by the depraved souls of one of those “human” things you're always going on about."
"You know, Rarity, perhaps the barding's designers had more practical concerns than the fact the color clashed horribly with virtually all known pony coloration combinations... "
"Wait, that's it! Rarity, spread the word to the others. I need more minds on this. Meet me back here tonight, we'll go over the items together, there are probably hundreds of things Spike and I would never think to try! We'll make it a sleepover!"
Meanwhile, far from a manic last-minute sleepover-planning checklist-writer, deep in the Everfree Forest, a trio of pegasi circled the unnatural portal, constantly scanning the area for signs of enemies probing through from the far side. This was the third shift of three Corporal Halberd had assigned.
Below them, the local wildlife had discovered the gateway as well. Already a manticore and a pack of timberwolves had probed at the new horizon, and finding no territorial markings, had traveled across and apparently made themselves at home.
It was during a lull in this one-sided exchange of wildlife that something came across the other way, although the pegasus sentries could be forgiven for missing it. The intruder was a small bird, green and brown like a piece of moss, its only remarkable features being a long pair of trailing feathers with red tips.
The little thing circled the portal briefly, nearly colliding with one of the Rangers, before streaking off just above the treetops, heading for Ponyville.