Dear Princess Celestia,
Sorry I haven't written in the past few days, I've been occupied with a dire conundrum of cosmic proportions. The Equestrian Rangers, under orders from Princess Luna, entrusted me with the care of a cockatrice victim, a member of a race of ponies from beyond our universe!
I've spent the past few days learning as much as I can about our new guest, but seeing as how she was sleeping off the effects of the depetrification spell, I had to make do with the items she came with.
From them, I was able to divine she belonged to an advanced society with expertise in metalworking, standardized production, and a few other anecdotes from what amounted to her pocket junk, but this pales in comparison to the latest revelations brought about by her revival.
First of all, I learned, quite by accident, that these ponies respond oddly to magic. A simple translation spell you taught me for diplomatic emergencies backfired catastrophically, and the mana feedback caused what appeared to be a quite painful reaction.
Fortunately, I had a counterspell ready, but the implications for magic theory, not to mention pony evolution, when taken with the second revelation, are staggering!
That being, despite being superficially similar to earth ponies, members of my guest's race apparently posses telekinesis similar to my own. I'd write more, but I think I'd better calm things down before Rarity causes an interdimensional incident by criticizing the barding my guest arrived in.
Enclosed are the notes I took from our estimations over the past forty-eight hours. I'll write more when I have a more complete report, this is simply an update on the situation here.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
It looked like the night was going to segue into a perfect day. The moon was setting in the usual manner, and no rain was scheduled for most of the region around Canterlot and Ponyville. Nopony would have guessed either princess had anything more on her mind than usual.
This could not have been further from the truth.
When she had received the latest letter from her faithful student, in the middle of her sleeping period, no less, the Princess of Sun, Monarch of Day and co-ruler of Equestria, was not quite up to her normal splendor, having not performed any of the long series of beautification rituals she had time for now that her sister had returned. Bright pink bunny slippers squeaked, a fluffy bathrobe fluttered, and green zucchini mask dripped everywhere as Celestia stormed through the ancient fortress of Canterlot, trailed by an ever-growing train of concerned officials and servants until she found her sister in one of the side rooms, conversing with one of the Night Guard.
Celestia's voice reverberated throughout the palace, with everypony down to the lowliest kitchen sweep getting an earful.
“AND WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME AN INTERDIMENSIONAL CONTACT HAD BEEN MADE?”
The mortal staff were sent scurrying by the raw power knocking about, and those unafraid of a stray bit of wrath were forced to seek cover from the cacophony and flying mane-curlers. The Princess of Moon, Monarch of Night and co-ruler of Equestria had to oppress the urge to clean her ears out once the marble halls had ceased to echo.
“Easily, sister, forsooth! Thou hast not used the royal voice on us in a long while. We are gratified that our use of it was not a total relic.”
Luna paused as her sister glared through her with an expression that unequivocally removed any thoughts this might be one of the infamous solar pranks. Still resisting the urge to winkle a bit of wax out of her auditory canals, the night-princess lowered her head.
“We were going to inform you when the delegates from Zebrabwe left. We apologize for not divulging the development immediately, we did not wish to distract you.”
Celestia sighed. Being the older sibling, balancing love and justice, understanding and judgement, weighed heavily on a body, even if it was an immortal alicorn's.
“It's alright Luna. We'll work on our command dynamic some other time.”
Then, turning to her retainers and advisors, who were just starting to pluck up the courage to come out of the woodwork,
“Now, we need to get that situation under control. Marshall Bolt. You, Major-General Trencher and Commander Stream better muster the Unicorn, Earth and Pegasus Legions. Best to be prepared and not need to be than to be caught off guard. And I'll need about fifty of your best ponies ready to ship out by this time tomorrow.”
At this point, almost everypony started talking at once.
“Well Sergeant, you heard the Princess. Get over to Cloudsdale and roust out that lazy lout Jet Stream, tell him I'll have both the wings on his badge and the ones on his back if we're not fully prepped for war in forty-eight hours!”
“Your majesty, you can't be proposing leaving? There are two formal meals and a tour of the castle grounds scheduled tomorrow for the Zebras. This could cause an international incident!”
“Should we take over hosting the Zebrican cadre, sister?”
“Somepony inform Shining Armor and Cadence, see if they'd like to tag along for the fun.”
“I say, Aunty, oughtn't a representative of the mortal aristocracy accompany you?”
“Not now nephew. The important ponies are talking.”
“Highness, the House of Lords still wishes to know your position on the proposed tax breaks for-”
“EVERYPONY WHO IS NOT AN IMMORTAL ALICORN OR MILITARY PERSONNEL WILL LEAVE THE ROOM THIS INSTANT. YOU OTHERS ARE IMPORTANT, LUNA WILL ATTEND YOU AFTER WE RESOLVE THIS.”
With that, ponies began departing, some to duties that were suddenly urgent, others to return to jobs they should have been doing instead of gawking at the royal tiff, and a select few to sulk and stew in their own juices as they awaited their rulers' pleasure.
The saucer wiggled up and down, jostling the cupcake.
“So let me get this straight. You can't do this?”
“Eey-nope. Ya'll got some funky magic goin' on there sister.”
“If you can't move things, then how do you even – Wait, magic? As in hocus-pocus? You think this is some kind of trick? Sleight-of-hoof?”
“No, Darling.” Another saucer and cupcake levitated beside the first two, these wrapped in a light blue aura. “Magic.”
Shale looked from her dessert's glowing companion to Rarity's horn and made the obvious connection.
“But, you and, I think it was Twilight, over there are the only ones with horns. Is that normal?”
“Yes, about one third of Equestrians are Unicorns.”
“And you're the only ones that can do 'magic'?”
“Indeed.”
“I don't understand, how can your society function if only one third of you are able to use tools?”
Rainbow Dash paused an impromptu preening session to butt in. “Oh, we get by. Mouths, hooves, tails, hair, you'd be surprised how many parts of you can be used to move things! 'Course, being a Pegasus, and 120% awesome, I've got wings to help too.”
“That's another thing! Wings! Avian wings! I'm no Hippologist, but if ponies were to have wings, wouldn't we have more mammalian ones, like a bat's?”
Twilight Sparkle, having just returned from dictating her letter to Spike, tilted her head in puzzlement.
“You're saying there are no pegasi where you come from?”
“Nope, not a one. There's a theological debate regarding a winged depiction of our deity, but nothing like an entire species of flying ponies.”
Rainbow Dash's eyes bugged wide open at this, while Twilight's narrowed in thought for a moment before she spoke.
“I'm sure we've all got a lot of questions we want to ask each other, this needs organization. Let's get comfy by the fireplace.”
Five minutes later, formal introductions had been made, several cupcakes had met unfortunate fates for which copious exercise would be required to prevent their caloric wrath, and seven ponies were arranged on large floor pillows in the main room of the library. Spike was seated on Twilight's cushion, quill and pen at the ready so no important detail would go unrecorded.
“Alright Shale, how about this: you ask a question, we'll answer it and then ask you one.”
The slate-gray mare breathed in and out, collecting her thoughts.
“Let's start at the beginning. What happened to me?”
Twilight's expression turned apologetic.
“You were turned to stone by a cockatrice. Your compatriot knocked out a Ranger who appeared on the scene immediately afterward. Said companion then took off into the forest. You were brought here, to Ponyville, on our side of the magical portal, most specifically to this library, and here I cast the depetrification spell. I tried to use a translation spell on you so we could communicate, but it backfired on you and I had to dig up this old diplomacy gem enchantment instead. The feedback from the translation spell was the pain you awoke in, which I am incredibly sorry for.”
Shale blinked. “I forgive you, it sounds like it was an accident, although that answer raises more questions than it satisfies. Ah well, it's your turn.”
Twilight levitated a list into view and read off the first item.
“Where are you from? We know a little about you already from looking at the items that came with you through the portal.”
Shale responded without hesitation, describing her homeland as though it were a slightly distant country.
“I'm from Epona, at the far end of the Caress Chain from here.”
Twilight laid out a map of Equestria and the rest of the continents in the middle of the circle, her magic floating four paperweights into position to keep it from curling as Shale's eyes widened again.
“Where on this map is that? Ignore the cities, they're probably in different places in your universe anyway. Is your geography as similar as we guessed?”
The Eponan looked the map over, frowning at the center of the map for some reason.
“Yes, things like positions of continents are consistent across most universes, although small differences tend to crop up the smaller the feature you're looking for. Metal and coal deposits, for instance, might be in entirely different places, even though topography tends to be relatively consistent no matter where you go.”
Shale looked around at the other ponies. They were giving her that stare again.
“Y'all say that like hoppin' between worlds is as easy as takin' a walk.”
It was Shale's turn to look at the Equestrians oddly.
“You haven't been to any universes besides yours and Eranax, have you?”
Twilight's brow was creased in a frown of thought now.
“The gateway between our world and yours was created by a spirit of chaos. Are you saying portals like that are common in your society?”
Shale looked around the circle of faces. Applejack had gone stiff with fear at the word chaos. Traumatic experience? Fluttershy was peering around at her friends with a worried look on her muzzle. Pinky Pie hadn't been phased by anything since the cupcake, Shale wasn't quite sure what to think of her vague smile.
Rarity seemed downright horrified, and Rainbow Dash seemed troubled, swoon and scowl respectively indicating whatever that spirit (there was another word that would need clarification, after magic, spell, and enchantment) was, these ponies were not happy someone might be associated with it. Twilight's seemed clouded more with contemplation than suspicion.
Shale took a deep breath, which she let out in a long stream of exposition.
“Portals have, so far as we know, been joining universes together for about one hundred years now. At least, the one in my home universe, Epona, formed of its own volition around that time, according to the geological records. It was thirty years before the major governments knew about it and the Portal Accords were signed.”
Twilight inclined her head in thought at the insight into another universe's government, and retained the expression throughout the remainder of Shale's monologue.
“The portal joined one point in Epona to another in New Epona, which is what we named the universe beyond. In New Epona we found a cluster of portals leading to other worlds, which in turn branched off into other worlds, and so on. We have been exploring those linked universes ever since, and in all our experience, ours was the only civilization. We never met other ponies, or anything else that could talk, like Spike.”
Shale then frowned, her curiosity clouded with a bit of trepidation. This next question was a big one.
“Now, for my question. The leading theory among our scientists says that portals form naturally as the quantum strings form new entanglements, or something like that. Point is, nopony has telekinesis fine enough to cause a portal, and you're saying a spirit of chaos formed yours? What could possibly be powerful enough to twist the fabric that makes up reality?”
“Discord,” came the reply, “is a being of incredible abilities, who draws delight and power from strife amongst ponies. He escaped his stone prison a few months ago, and wreaked havoc across Equestria until we used the Elements of Harmony to put him back where he belonged."
Twilight
"He is a strange creature, and not even our foremost experts are quite sure of the full extent of his capabilities. Fortunately, there is only one of him, of this we are certain. At least, Princess Celestia assured me in one of her letters he's the only draconequus.”
“So you have a monarchy here?”
“Technically it's a diarchy, as Princesses Celestia and Luna have equal authority, although Luna just returned last year, so I'm not sure if she's taken over all of her old roles. I know for sure she's raising the moon now, which is good, responsibility over all the heavens must have been tiring for Celestia.”
“So by raise the moon, you mean she watches its progress and records its phases, things like that?”
“Well, she does do those things, but raising the moon is her primary duty, in addition to actually helping rule the country.”
“Wait, so you named a Sunbird and a Moonbird, a female Sunbird, and you let them rule over your country, and receive letters from them?”
Another pause settled over the room. Shale shook her head in exasperation.
“Alright, I'll explain what a Sunbird and Moonbird are, but you lot are going to have to clarify how your sun and moon function afterwards, because without those creatures you, well, I'm not sure what would happen, I just know sun and moon go along with Sunbird and Moonbird like apple trees and apples. You do have apples here, right?”
Applejack nodded to the affirmative.
“Eeyup. Now git to 'splainin, Ah'm curious as to how y'all get along without Alicorns to move yer sun 'n moon.”
Shale sighed. Alicorn, there was another word that would need defining.
"A Sunbird is a gigantic, fiery creature whose daily migration drives the movement of a given world's sun. They are always male, the females of the species are called Moonbirds and perform a similar function for our moon."
Twilight's eyes narrowed as she made a connection.
"So a lunar eclipse..."
Only to be cut off by Shale resuming her explanation.
"Yes, is their spawning period. A meteor shower follows several months later, as the moonbirds lay their eggs. They are quite large, and practically impenetrable, although modern explosives can crack the shells. Thunderbird Omelets are quite the delicacy in high society, although I hear they taste just like chicken eggs."
One of Fluttershy's eyebrows perked upwards, she inclined her head, and surprised her friends by interjecting.
“Oh, so you do have chickens in your world?”
Shale frowned, and inadvertently avoided chastising the pegasus by channeling her annoyance into a bit of snark.
“Yes, and they don't interbreed with the lizards to spawn whatever that thing was.”
The chorus of hesitant laughter that followed went on for a few awkward seconds before being cut off by a sharp series of knocks. Twilight got up and opened the front door to reveal two unicorns she'd never seen before. A dark green stallion and a navy-blue mare barged past the librarian and scanned the room quickly.
Their gazes fastened upon Shale, and a pair of magical blasts, one orange and one pink, leaped out towards the Eponan before she could react. While the brazen charge had not left time for most anypony to have a chance to do anything, neither intruder had been speedy enough to beat the fastest flier in Equestria.
On pure reflex, Rainbow Dash had taken off towards the clearly hostile ponies, going in for as quick a swoop as she could manage within the confines of the library. This unfortunately put her directly in the path of both bolts of mana, which slammed into her and sent the cerulean pegasus spinning into a bookshelf.
Before either interloper could get off a second shot, they both found themselves hovering a foot above the floor, and a purple aura turned them around to reveal a terrifying sight. The pony they had shoved aside looked as though she was about to spray steam out her ears or spontaneously combust. Needless to say she appeared angry as she spoke through gritted teeth.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Before Twilight could continue her rant, the two ponies indicated their chests, which bore official-looking badges, and began talking in unison.
“Operatives Cloak and Dagger of the Celestial Intelligence Agency, Dame Sparkle. Lady Dash should be okay, we only used stun spells, but we must insist you put us down. We are under orders to contain the interdimensional invader and bring her to Canterlot for your safety.”