Chapter One:
Haunted By A Million Screams

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

Spike was worried. Twilight had been suffering from severe sleep problems the past few weeks, but these past three days had taken their toll on the normally organized unicorn. Her hair, while brushed , was frizzier than it should have been, her eyes were bloodshot, and her normally calm demeanor gave way to intense mood swings, alternating between short bursts of annoyance and anger, to depression and tiredness. Picking up the mug of hot chocolate he'd made himself, he sat on the small stool behind his writing desk, and took out his quill. He hated going behind Twilight's back, but her health was more important than some other things. And he knew of only one pony...scratch that, alicorn in Equestria that could help in the matter.

Inking the quill pen, he scribbled down the customary Dear Princess Celestia that opened up most of his letters to the princess. Scratching his chin absentmindedly with his claws, and composing his thoughts, he began to write. Every now and then, he'd look up at the alcove about the main entrance, where Twilight lay sleeping, her fitful sounds drifting down in the early morning to his ears. Shaking his head, he kept going, stopping only to take a drink of his hot chocolate or re-ink the pen. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but what was only thirty-five minutes, the letter was done. Wrapping it up and affixing the royal clasp of Princess Celestia, with the purple ribbon that indicated it was from Twilight, he churned the internal dragon fires and let out a wisp of green flame.

The scroll seemed to turn to ash, though this was not the case. In fact, the scroll was now transported to the royal castle, where it was either delivered directly to the Princess, or left in a waiting stack of other letters. He'd know soon the response of the Princess, unless she decided a personal intervention on behalf of Twilight was necessary. Spike glanced up at the now more peaceful sleep that Twilight seemed to have drifted into. Shaking his head, Spike tided up his writing desk, and started to work on organizing the library. While Twilight had a definite system that seemed to change inexplicably from time to time, Spike, as Twilights assistant had enough familiarity with Twilights thinking style to organize it by himself.

He carefully and quietly worked for a few hours, tidying up, and when he placed one of the last books back on the shelf, he noticed it was approaching eight in the morning, and Twilight had yet to stir. Last night must have been a doozy for her to oversleep. Suddenly, he felt a familiar internal reaction, and it was a big one. Desperately running for the kitchen, he shoved his head into a low cupboard, to muffle the sound of the incoming letter, out of fear of waking Twilight. If she knew he had sent and received a letter concerning her to the Princess, her already frazzled state might make her do something rash, as she had with the tardy friendship lesson several months back. Out came a thick bound scroll, with the seal of Princess Celestia, rainbow ribbon wrapped smartly around the paper. He snatched it quickly before it fell into the sticky gunk below the sink trap.

He needed to get out of the house, and read it without worrying about Twilight discovering his communique. Quietly walking back to his writing desk, he scribbled down a quick note explaining he was eating breakfast out this morning and would be getting some new writing supplies as well, which was partially true, for they had run low. Affixing it to the writing desk with a short tack, he slowly opened and closed the front door of the Ponyville Library behind him, and walked off towards Sugarcube Corner. Some food in him might help calm his worried feeling.

Applejack rarely ate at Sugarcube Corner most mornings, preferring to spend her time at home with her family at their ritual breakfast family time. However, the need for supplies in both produce and some farm equipment had forced her to get out of bed earlier than usual, even for the normally early morning apple farmer. Knowing that breakfast would be done by the time she got back, and stomach all complaining from lack of sustenance, she had decided to stop by the towns main bakery and breakfast cafe. She glanced up at the gingerbread stylings of the bakeries exterior, and gritting her teeth, pushed the door open, the small bell above the door jingling.

Mr. Cake, the head baker, was in the kitchen, humming an unfamiliar tune. Mrs. Cake wasn't anywhere to be seen, but that didn't mean no one was watching the register. Pinkie Pie, her hair poofy and frizzy as usual, was gabbing happily to Lyra, a local musician and amateur archaeologist. The topic seemed to cover a wide array of subjects, mainly pertaining to music, parties, and the study of pre-Pony civilizations, with the pink earth ponies head shifting about at an alarming rate to newcomers, but at a speed which long time friends recognized as being normal for Pinkie. At the sound of the bell over the door, Pinkie turned to look at who was coming in.

“Applejack, what are you doing here? Ooh, have you come for the chocolate muffins, blueberry scones, blackberry fritters...”

“Pinkie, ah just came to get som' break'fast before doin' som' shopping for supplies. Now what can you git me that's quick and easy on an early riser?”

Pinkie did not seem fazed by this, but by some internal energies tapped by her legs, she zoomed around the counter, and to Applejacks side, one hoof around the farm ponies neck, and escorting her firmly, but without causing pain, over to a table and chair, where Applejack suddenly found herself sitting in said chair and with a napkin tied around her neck.

“Let's see, you wanted something quick and light on the stomach...ooh, I know, strawberry strudel! But Mr. Cake won't get a fresh batch out for another ten minutes...”

“I'm sorry Pinkie, but I only came for something quick, I don't think I can wait...ten...minutes...”

Applejack had slowly faltered while she looked at the slowly widening puppy dog eyes of Pinkie, and tried to look away, but like a cart-wreck, she couldn't look away. Finally, shaking her head, she let out a sigh.

Pinkie shot straight up and laughed with glee, her smile suddenly returning.
“Yeah. Oh gosh oh gosh, what sort of host am I, I didn't offer you anything to drink, I'm not a good friend or host if I don't get you something to drink...”

Wishing to cut off her friend before she exploded in a paroxysm of energy, Applejack blurted out her answer.

Pinkie quickly calmed down, zoomed over to nearby metal reservoirs of drinks, and quickly put together to what Applejack silently admitted was a darn good looking cup of hot chocolate. Quickly bouncing over, cup not spilling a drop in the intervening space, she set it down in front of Applejack and waited. Feeling that tasting it now and giving her assent would mean her friend might get back to her duties quicker, Applejack took a quick taste, slightly burning her mouth.

Her friend beamed another smile, and bounced off back to Lyra, task complete at the moment. Applejack sighed internally, and looked around the place, needing to take her mind off things and let the chocolate cool for a bit. Suddenly, she noticed that across from her at the table was a familiar green-spiked, purple scaled figure, intent on reading what appeared to be a letter from the Princess. Not sure if he knew what had just transpired, and wondering why Spike was out so early by himself, she cleared her throat.

The dragon took a moment to recognize the voice, and it seemed that he may not have heard her. However, a hurried rolling up of the scroll, and a certainly not innocent glance, with nervous smile across his face.

“Applejack. What are you doing here? I thought you ate back at Sweet Apple Acres usually?”

Applejack was concerned. Spike, normally open about a lot of things, was seemingly trying to divert attention away from the royal scroll he was reading.

“Was that a personal letter to Twilight from the Princess. Spike, how could you?”

He shook his claws in front of him. Spike turned his face down for a second, then sighed.

“Its not like that Applejack. Its a letter I got back from the Princess to the one I sent her about four this morning.”

Applejacks face turned from one of mild disappointment, to confusion and worry. What was it that was so secretive, that Spike felt the need to act like this. She decided perhaps tact and a more gentle approach was needed.

Applejacks face turned more concerned than before. Twilight was a pretty down to Equestria pony, if somewhat overtly concerned with organization and keeping up good appearances with the Princess. If it was bad enough that Spike, the normally acerbic and easy-going draconic assistant to worry, then it must be bad.

He paused. How to explain. Finally, gathering enough courage, he began to tell her.

“She's been sleeping badly for the past two weeks now, and its gotten steadily worse the past three nights. It has something to do with her dreams, because she keeps talking in the night, and twitching as if somethings bothering her. I don't know what the problem is, because she won't talk about it to anyone. She just says “its none of your worry Spike, I'll be fine. Just some built up stress, or something.”

Applejack digested these facts. Twilight had an unfortunate inability to admit her feelings or issues to others, fearing that they would reject her or laugh at her. Indeed, the brilliant unicorn pony was good when it came to close friends most of the time, but insecurity stemming from her days in Canterlot caused her to retreat into a shell of privacy and self-doubt. It was happening less, but it appeared whatever happened was a doozy to make her clam up.

“No one. Especially not the Princess, her whole self-doubt depends on not disappointing the Princess for her to get anywhere. Which is why I had to send the letter in secret. She'd refuse to let me write and send one if I asked. And its not just that she's not sleeping well thats part of the problem.”

Applejack cocked her head at that. Spike had to pull the memories back up to the surface of his mind. They were some rather painful memories.

“Two nights ago she magically turned on all the sinks in the library. It was only when I found my basket floating into the kitchen that I realized what she had done. She's been sleep-magicking. For a unicorn according to some books, when they're stressed out, they do things like that. Or set fires. Or cause concussive blasts.”

“No, thankfully she's only done the water, and moved books around in the middle of the night into the middle of the library. Though sometimes she moves them really fast...”

“And she's been a bit more tense lately. Not that she's mean, but she's not taking stressful situations well, and gets bent out of shape a lot easier. Snaps a lot at simple mistakes she's made more than she used to. I don't know what to do, and certainly not how to talk to her.”

What he said was the truth. From past experience, Applejack knew that Spike by himself wasn't enough to get through to Twilight. An intervention by her friends might be the only thing to get her to talk and open up. Thinking, she didn't notice that Spike had shut the letter tight and jammed it under his seat, and was glancing out the big windows of the bakery at the Quill and Sofa shop across the way, where the subject of their conversation stood. Even from this distance, Applejack saw that what Spike was saying was the truth. Subtle hints, such as slightly blood-shot eyes, frizzled edges to her mane, and a posture indicative of poorly slept nights, could be made out by someone looking for them.

The gaze of Twilight flashed over to the bakery, and spied Applejack and Spike staring at her. Smiling weakly, she began to trot over.

His quick look indicated the reason would be an especially peeved unicorn who had issues with her temper. Grabbing it in one hoof under the table, she quickly, if somewhat clumsily jammed it into her left saddlebag, just a few seconds before Twilight trotted in, a look of both concern and curiosity passing over her face at her assistant and Applejack sharing breakfast, which Applejack had realized had arrived while she and Spike had been talking. Twilight trotted over, pace quicker than was needed for indoors.

“Well, you were sleeping kind of badly last night, and I felt you should get some sleep to make up for that.”

A light blush and a twist of her head showed Twilight didn't want to acknowledge her sleeping problems. When she turned back, a small smile was on her face.

“I suppose I should say thanks Spike. I feel a bit more rested than I have been.”

Applejack could tell Twilight was not telling the whole truth. She wasn't lying, but she was being kind to Spike for his own little half-truth's sake, which she probably did not know about.

Looking at the counter, Twilights stomach growled. Giggling for a second, a half-nervous, half-serious laugh, she looked at Spike.

“I'm going to pick up something to eat and go back to the library. See you back there in half an hour?”

He nodded, and seeing things were resolved, she trotted off to the counter, where Pinkie began a lengthy spiel, which Twilight unfortunately could not pause like Applejack could. Watching for a second, Spike let out a sigh of relief.

“I know, but if I tell her, or ask her, she'll just get defensive. And then things get awkward for a few days. Can't you and the others come and talk to her as well. As her friends, she might listen if there are five compared to one intervening.”

Applejack mulled on it. What he said was true, but it would be difficult. Some ponies didn't like it when others tried to talk to them about problems, and Twilight was the sort to either get exasperated with her friends or with herself, neither a good route to go down. It'd take planning. Waiting till Twilight had picked up her purchase and left, Applejack then turned back to Spike.

“Spike, I want you to keep Twilight busy till the others and I can get over there. It might be after noon, but I think we can stop some of our things if its to help a friend. Think you can do that?”

“Of course. I'm sure the way I sorted the books this morning will keep her busy for at least a couple of hours.”

Applejack nodded in agreement and understanding. Obsessive about orderliness and tidiness at times, Twilight could be found buried in a pile of books, ordering or reading them, often at the same time. It was something to do for now.

Leaning down, Applejack rubbed the spikes on top of his head, trying to encourage him.

“Its alright Spike, I can't let a friend or friends go without help. Now, you better go get those supplies and go see to Twilight.”

Spike affirmed his agreement on the plan of action, and soon Applejack could see him trotting next door to Quills and Sofa's, on the first part of his errands. Sighing, she ate the strudel in three bites, ashamed she couldn't finish it at a bit more leisurely pace. Glancing at Pinkie, she knew where to begin her round-up of the others.

Twilight glanced at the books on the shelves. While Spike had done a fairly decent effort organizing them, she preferred having a personal hand in rearranging and organizing them. The glow of her unicorn magic drifted over numerous books, barely taking any of the energy that magic required.

“A History of Middle Times Mages, Magicians, and Wizards, haven't read that in awhile. Over there you go.”

Already, she had formed a small pile of books for her personal reading pleasure. All around her, more books were gently floating into new spaces, organized by whatever personal system she kept in her head. Thankfully, Spike was picking up faster that back in Canterlot, and it would take only twenty minutes, rather than the previous forty-five minutes it would normally take her by herself. Ducking for a second as a set of Encyclopedia Equestrianica floated past, twenty-nine books in all, and one of the largest in the collection, she giggled as the books jostled for the proper place on a lower shelf. Then she watched as Night Lights Guide To Incandescent and Illuminatory Spells and Potions settled itself on a nearby shelf, snuggling in between a biography of Star-Swirl the Bearded and a book on wild beasts of the Everfree Forest.

A light rapping on the door and Spike's voice calling that he was back, entered her thoughts, and she continued to sort, while also opening the front door for him. His face was hidden by the package of inks, pens, and paper that he had bought from various sources around town, and was now precariously balanced in his little claws. Seeing this, Twilight quickly shunted the remaining books into spaces, and helped him carry them to the storage box.

“Spike, I've told you to use that cart when I'm not there to help. You're still a baby dragon in some respects.”

He made an eye roll at that. While mentally ahead of many filly ponies his age, his short stature and still youthful strength often caused him problems, especially when carrying more than he could.

He dusted himself off, and started sorting out his writing supplies from the supplies he had gotten for Twilight. Both used different paper types, different inks, and different quills. It wasn't that they couldn't use the same sort, but both wrote differently, and personal preferences in paper and ink, while somewhat expensive, was a shared eccentric trait between the two. Twilight herself took the inks and pens designated for her own use, and placed them upstairs, at her personal desk. Spike seemed unusually quiet. Certainly, he was not talking about someone he had met, or as usual conversations seemed to flow, for his unrequited love for Rarity.

On that subject, Twilight had yet to discern the two's actual feelings. Though the incident with Spike's worst draconic instincts had left the two with a silent understanding that both parties knew of the others feelings, Spike had been quiet on the subject a bit more than usual. Rarity herself had not brought it up, but seemed to use the term “Spikey-Wikey” when she thought no one was really listening. Twilight cleared such thoughts out of her head, concentrating on the task at hand. Maybe if she kept her mind off the dreams again, she might not have them.

Already ahead of her, he'd laid out the materials needed to rebind and fix books. While ponies in Ponyville were nominally careful with the printed page, freak accidents and some of the tomes ages required constant battles to keep them from turning into a pile of expensive wood pulp. Once again burying herself in her work, she barely heard the mail-mare Derpy at the door. The mail slot swung open, a few letters and catalogs dropped in. Then it swung back and slapped the mail-mares hoof, and a sound like a sucking of breath came from outside. A quietly whispered adulteration on the sharpness of mail-flaps followed.

Spike, hearing this exchange with better clarity of thought, opened the door to find Derpy sucking on her hoof, a small trickle of blood dripping down the hoof. She gave a nervous grin, though the effect was made somewhat silly with her mouth full of hoof. Twilight came to the door, and seeing the blood, yanked the injured pegasus inside.

Nodding, the blonde-maned pegasus sat quietly on the floor as Twilight went to get the first aid kit. Spike stood nearby, and sorted the mail. He looked up at the golden eyes of the grey pegasus, slowly drifting up and down in opposite directions. To an outsider, Derpy may have appeared for want of a better term, mentally challenged. In truth, she was smarter than she appeared, it was her unfortunate short term memory loss and bad eyesight that attributed to her general aura of being klutzy. But she was a loving mother of two, one her own, one adopted, and had a faithful, if extremely odd and mysterious husband. Her eyes slowly focused on the dragon down below, and she gave a small grin again.

Spike gave a grin back. Derpy was disarmingly kind and likeable, and even though he had brief interactions with her, she never seemed put out by life too much. And she was punctual, it had to be said.

Twilight finally returned with her first aid kit, and after requesting the injured hoof, sprinkled a cleansing balm on it that she had gotten from nurse Redheart. Letting it dry for a small bit, she then wrapped a swath of bandage around the wound, which was pretty nasty.

“Now, you keep off that hoof until you get to nurse Redheart at the hospital. I know you have your rounds, but its in your best interest to have a professional look at it.”

Switching her mailbag to her other side to balance it out, Derpy trotted back outside, and making sure not to step on the injured hoof, slowly, but surely got off the ground, and flew off towards Ponyville Hospital. Sighing, Twilight snapped shut the box containing her supplies, and floated it back towards the kitchen.

“Spike, could you read the mail please? I need to use the sink for a minute.”

As the sound of running water plinked, then swooshed into the kitchen sink, Spike glanced back at the letters. A letter from Miss Cheeriliee asking Twilight to give a practical demonstration of unicorn magic to her class, another from the Mayor about the Town hall Renovation Project. Then a few bills of sale from postal orders received earlier, and a catalog of books released from the major publishing houses of Equestria. The usual.

“Just the usual. More on the Town Hall fund, something from Miss Cheriliee, bills and that catalogue from Canterlot Book Company.”

Her interest was apparent because a second after that he was flying through the air, desperately clinging to the catalogue as it rushed into the kitchen, and smacked him into a counter, while it continued on, opening gently in front of her.

“Oh, there's all sorts of new ones out. Dynamics of a Comet, Mythological Creatures of the Appleloosian Frontier...”

It was like Pinkie Pie in a candy shop, though less messy. Twilight was pouring over the catalog so much, she didn't notice the orange maned pony wander past the kitchen window, and tip her stetson at Spike, who quickly ran to the front door and opened it. Outside stood Applejack, and as promised, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.

“Darling, you don't know the first thing about a mare with nightmares. It means portents of things to come. Especially when it concerns unicorns.”

Pinkie had bounced off, leaving Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to break up the looming grouch match between the rough and tumble earth pony, and the more stylistically inclined unicorn.

Rarity and Applejack blinked for a second, as their shy friend quietly stared at them.

“And I shouldn't get all hot and bothered when you spout off about something I'm not inclined to recognize by your descriptions.”

Both gave a small hoofshake of apology, and turned to the state at hand. The sounds of pages being turned still came from the kitchen, so for now they had time to get ready. Applejack stood near Spike, watching the kitchen, while the others ensured that Twilight wouldn't try and hide or run off if confronted. It was unlikely to happen, but Twilight was the sort of unpredictable pony at times who would try and hide rather than admit anything to anyone.

Twilight trotted into the room, and her eyes gave a curious look at her assembled friends.

“Twi, we're worried about you. Spike told me this morning how you've been having bad dreams and won't talk to him nor anypony else about them, and how you're getting worse and worse.”

Twilight's eyes gave a small hint of surprise that her secret was out, and nervously bit her lip. Applejack moved forward, and held her gaze with Twilight's.

“We just want to help you Twi, we're you're friends, and we care about you. Making yourself into a tired, nervous wreck with these things ain't good for you.”

She put her right hoof around Twilight's shoulder, and her face turned to one of comfort. Twilight sighed, and looked up into the friendly, warm face of Applejack.

“Oh, you're right. Its just that I've been so..so..afraid of late, that I couldn't admit anything to anypony. I felt if everypony knew, they'd think I'm a freak.”

Tapping her hoof against Twilights shoulder, Applejack beckoned the others to come closer.

“Come on sugarcube, lets have none of that. We wouldn't think any the less of you for anything that you dream. We're your friends, and we're more concerned with what they're doing to you, than to what they are.”

Applejack sat down, and the others did as well, forming a semi-circle around Twilight. Realizing she had to get them off her chest, even if it frightened her, Twilight sat as well. Spike, knowing that some things required friends more than assistants, quietly left to get them something to drink. It might be a long afternoon for them all.

Canterlot Castle
Later That Day
3:08 P.M.

Princess Luna sat quietly in her room, examining the books on her shelves. It had been awhile since she had read anything at all, being torn between her tasks of re-taking the reins of commanding the moon and night sky, and dealing with the night court. She poured over the titles, a mixture of non-fiction and fiction by authors old and new. An original draft of Starswirl the Bearded's Aniomorphic Spells and Other Magical Castings, a complete quarto of Inked Quill's best plays, or Tales of Spell and Hoof Among the Zebra's by the explorer Lace Veldt. All these and more were in her private library, and she barely had time to read them.

A knock came at her chamber door. She raised her voice enough to be heard, but not using the full Royal Canterlot Voice that had been a faux pas at the Nightmare Night Celebration several months back.

A messenger pony, carrying a scroll with the royal seal and the purple ribbon of Twilight Sparkle, her sisters prize pupil, came into the room.

“I came to deliver this letter, your majesty. Unfortunately, I could not find her highness Princess Celestia, and so I..uh, well...came here.”

Luna knew that many of the staff were, uneasy around her. Unlike her brighter, more outgoing sister, Luna was a much darker, mysterious pony in attitude and appearance. As one of the two alicorn sisters who ruled Equestria, her already mysterious air was enhanced by the natural awe and fear the two seemed to project. She glanced at the messenger, and tried to smile in a warm way. It wasn't that she couldn't be open, friendly, and full of fun, Twilight Sparkle herself had shown her that. The problem was, smiling was something she wasn't as used to, and sometimes the smiles were either too small, or made Luna look like someone who had their entire face injected with a bit too much in the way of painkillers. This time, she seemed to succeed, and he became a bit less nervous.

“We see. Our Sister is currently meeting with ambassadors of the donkey republics, and thus will not be available for some time. However, We would be glad to hold onto any communique meant for her.”

The messenger nodded, and carefully put the letter down on a nearby tray meant for them, and scuttled out of the room not unlike a rather large lobster seeking hydration. Sighing, the Princess levitated the letter over. Normally, she wouldn't read letters addressed to Tia, but...well, it was her sisters favorite student writing, and Twilight had helped Luna to feel more open with others. Perhaps a small peek wouldn't hurt.

Luna opened the letter carefully, holding the seal and ribbon to one side as to put it back on quickly should anypony come. The opening lines were normal, with the full list and titles of her sister, and so forth, followed by the familiar Dear Princess Celestia she had noticed on other notes from Twilight before. However, what followed was different than the others. Not some simple “magic of friendship” lesson as it might have been, it told of something else. Something darker. Of dreams and nightmares that would not go away. Despite having promised herself to only look at a portion, the letter dragged her interest in, making her oblivious to the world.

Nearly jumping a foot in the air, she spun around to find Celestia behind her, smiling knowingly. Not some disappointed or stern look for her having read her letter, but a concerned one at the letter itself flashed across her face a second later.

“I was expecting such a letter later today. Spike, her dragon assistant sent one this morning about the problem. My response was to advise him to send a second letter once the full details were found out. It appears that is what arrived.”

She trotted over, still somewhat taller than Luna, whose own height was quite large among other ponies in Equestria. One of her long, white wings draped itself around her younger sister, and she bent her head down a bit, reading the letter. Luna glance up at her older sister. Celestia was engrossed in the letter, eyes rapidly speed reading the words on the page, no sign of worry or anger evident on her face. Finally, after what seemed like ages, she sighed. Luna let Celestia put the letter down on the tray, and sat quiet for a second, waiting for her sister to speak. Speaking softly to herself for a second, Celestia finally remembered her sister.

Taken aback that it was a question about her thoughts on the matter, she took a second to recollect her thoughts.

“It is worrying, dear sister. Twilight Sparkle has never shown a propensity for clairvoyance or dream future reading before, has she?”

Shaking her head, Celestia glanced at a stained glass window at the distant end of the room. It showed the two sisters, fighting the dragonequus Discord, a copy of one in the hall of history. Luna followed her sisters gaze.

“You believe Discord has managed to break free and is trying to influence her, dear sister?”

“I do not know what to think. Whatever is affecting my most faithful student in such a manner is worrying. It may be a portent of things to come. And from her nightmares, it seems something will engulf our world.”

She went silent again. Thinking it was best for her to leave, Luna was nearly at the door before her sisters voice spoke again.

A swallow caught in Luna's throat. She had guessed her sister might ask her that. She turned, a tear trickling down her cheek.

“I do not ask of this lightly Luna. I know before your...banishment, we agreed that unless a terrible catastrophe was to occur, you would never do that again because of what could happen.”

Luna was torn. She had promised back before being influenced by the Nightmare that she would never enter and read anothers mind while they slept, for it was when one was asleep they were the most vulnerable. An unscrupulous person could have done great harm in another mind whilst they dreamt. Now, she might have to break that promise, on her own sisters request nonetheless, and use a technique she had not practiced for over a thousand years. Nodding, she silently stared at Celestia.

“I know this pains you, but it must be done. For though we ourselves cannot tell the future, these dreams may hold answers that do. And if they do...we must know.”

“I shall compose a letter to Twilight and her friends requesting a visit with them in Ponyville tonight, and then gather the royal carriage. We must make haste to their place as soon as possible.”

Luna weakly nodded, and let herself out. She made her way to nearby balcony, and looked out at the city below. It was quiet, peaceful, serene. And as the ponies below went about their affairs, she had a feeling of abject dread she had not felt in a long time. Worse than when she had been freed from the influence of the Nightmare, she felt something similar to a steel blade enter her heart in pain. She feared for not only her life and her sisters...but everypony in Equestria as well.

Spike glanced at the clock in the kitchen. The Princesses were do to arrive soon. The hurried note sent by Twilight when he had received the response to the one containing the dream information had confirmed that yes, Twilight would be delighted to have the royal personages visit Ponyville and talk with Twilight and her friends. Having been roughly slapped a few times to get him to send it, he'd wandered back to the kitchen, to let the girls talk some more. While he was a baby dragon physically, mentally he knew enough that sometimes, you needed others than those you saw everyday to let yourself open up to. Plus, he'd hear enough in the kitchen to get notes down for Twilight's letter to Celestia on the dreams.

Now, it was six hours after they'd started, and they were waiting for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to arrive. While by hoof it was a three hour journey to Canterlot, by aerial carriage or train, the time was lessened to an hour or so. Currently he was brewing up more tea for them to drink, and finding more sugar cookies for them to snack on. Just as he was about to head out, he heard the familiar wing beats of an Canterlot Royal Guard. He'd wondered why the two sisters had a need for a carriage, when they could fly, or in some cases, teleport. Twilight's explanation had been long and filled with overly complicated words and sentence structure, but the gist had been mainly for appearance, and also because of the great energies the sisters needed to control the sun, moon, and sky, they spared overtaxing themselves to allow greater fine control over their respective domains.

Spike entered the main room, just as the door opened and Celestia and Luna stepped in. Out of habit, Twilight and her friends prostrated themselves before the Princesses, while Spike himself gave a small bow, as he had learned whilst attending the Canterlot court. Celestia raised a wing, a sign that they needn't continue bowing. Twilght was the last to stop, her face looking dejected at the floor.

The princess asked that not in a disappointed tone, but one of compassion and worry. A sniffle came from Twilight's mouth, before the flood came out.

“I didn't want to disappoint you by thinking I was having problems and I'm just so nervous and tired and I want to know what these dreams mean and how to stop them, and I didn't want you to think I was a freak.”

The Princess waited for her to slow down and breath some air, all the while watching her younger sister glance about the room. Finally, when Twilight was done, she looked at the smaller and at the moment, insecure student of hers.

“Twilight Sparkle, know that I care for you as I do all those ponies who are under our rule.”

She gestured to Luna, who was looking their way now. The younger alicorn sister came over, her eyes worried to a degree.

“Twilight Sparkle, what I ask of you now is something that I would not ask under normal circumstances. However, I must ask your permission first.”

“As ruler of the night and the moon, we..err..I have a special connection to dreams in either form of nightmare or good dreams. This connection, through a special spell, would allow me to read your dreams even while you are awake. Unfortunately, it is a very invasive spell, and requires both participants to be in cooperation to work. Other wise, damage may occur to both of us.”

She let her head droop, while Celestia continued.
“Twilight my most faithful student, my sister and I do not take this task lightly. We thought never to use this again. I must ask for permission to do this from you, for both yours and my sisters sake. Do you agree to the dream-meld?”

Twilight looked up at her mentor and one of the leaders of Equestria. She gave a small, wordless nod.

“What we are about to do is dangerous. For now, clear your mind of everything except your memories of the dreams themselves. This will prevent any memories of other things from interfering or being revealed.”

Twilight nodded, and closed her eyes. Luna did so as well, and touched her horn to Twilight's, and a gentle glow of magic could be seen around both of them. For what seemed an eternity, the two were silent, locked in a mental connection. Then, with a gasp, Luna was sent reeling, smashing into a nearby globe. But, just as the others were to go to help, Luna shook her head at them and waved her wing back at Twilight, as an image appeared in the air, faint at first, seeming to come from Twilight's horn. Then it grew into terrible clarity. The misshapen figure began to move and animate, and its familiar visage grinned at them, wearing a sharp cut suit and tie.

“You big meanie. You should...you should...get out of her right now, Twilight's suffered enough because of you. I think you're a big old meanie, and...I can't think of anything else, but I'd let you know if I did...”

Seemingly losing all her rage, Fluttershy quietly flew to the side of Rainbow Dash, who was also trying to control her temper. However, the look on her face suggested that it was only because there were more important things than yelling at Discord's little figure. Everyone else was slowly adjusting back into the proper frame of mind after her little outburst. Rarity gave a little sniff.

“Yes, I can't believe we're once again arguing with a tacky mental projection. Really, is it so hard for you to just come up with something more tacky than a white suit? Black or dark blue is much more your color and I think...”

“Sorry, got carried away. Anyways yes, Fluttershy is right, you have no right to be in her mind and tormenting her like this. She already suffered enough last time.”

Meanwhile, the figure was mouthing with one of its hands “talk talk talk”. When Rarity was done, the figure glanced about the room. He espied Luna, and gave a little wave.

“Ah, and now I get to see the whole play set. Luna and Celestia, plus their six little mares and a dragon. How cute. You don't happen to have little hair brushes, do you? No? And I agree, pink is not your color Celestia. ”

Applejack stepped forward, the other four behind her, their faces locked into a mixture of horror and anger at the dragonequus. Celestia held a hoof out, stopping the orange earth pony in her tracks.

“Anyways, you all are probably wondering how if I've been defeated, I'm talking to you? Well, lets just say that this is merely a magical sprite, with a limited command of my unique powers and intelligence, talking to you. Locked away until a spell of sufficient power unlocked it from that mess of a brain that is Twilight Sparkle's.”

This came from Rainbow Dash, her wings beating furiously, barely holding back from trying to launch herself at the figure.

“Easy. When the rest of you were all your little broken selves, and she lost her faith, I merely cast a spell sprite that would give you this message, with a simple little...touch to the nose, so to speak. At the moment, it can only talk.”

The sprite snapped its fingers, and a jaunty top hat appeared on its head. The sprite whisped its way over towards Twilight, who was locked in a trance.

“You see, her very will was stronger than the rest of yours. It took all of you becoming complete and total opposites of yourselves to break her down to the level I wanted. See, I wouldn't risk the war for Equestria's soul by putting my eggs in one basket so to speak...”

“Don't worry, your precious little student's mind is perfectly safe. She just won't remember the several times she's tripped over rocks or bumped her shins on table edges. Useless memories.”

The Discord sprite paused, as Rainbow again spoke, this time at a level not quite at yelling, but close enough. He gave a small sigh.

“Very well, if you must know, I'm going to use the magic contained in the one of most powerful ponies in all of Equestria to open inter-dimensional portals to another world. There, happy?”

A sour look spread across the sprites face at having to reveal his prank so early.

A chalkboard appeared next to the figure. Changing to look like a professor in lab coat and glasses, and wielding a pointer, the sprite pointed at the board, where a diagram showing two spherical objects hung apart from each other.

“See, this world, lets call it Equestria for want of a better example, will be joined through multiple points to this world, lets call it...bah, let you find out yourself. Anyway, these two worlds are joined together, through permanent portals which go both ways.”

“Because honest Applejack, its fun to see you understand half the problem but not knowing the be all and end all of whats coming. Thats part of it being a prank, the part you don't see coming.”

Pinkie Pie had now decided to join the conversation, free from an hoofs that might held her back.

“Of course. See, even your Element of Laughter agrees on the whole prank business...though maybe not on the specifics.”

“Your darn tooting thats correct. A prank should be played because its funny and the other pony will laugh as well. Not because its mean or out or spite.”

“Really, I should know. Its like when Rainbow Dash nearly pranked Fluttershy with that squirting turtle, it would have been wrong to prank someone who might take it the wrong way.”

At this revelation, Rainbow Dashes face grew a bit red, as Fluttershy stared at her in a confused and somewhat puzzled manner. Meanwhile, the Sprite had grown tired of listening to their banter. Returning to his suit and tie, now black as the color on the other side of midnight, an anti-black of sorts, he whistled till the ponies paid attention to him again.

The figure began to fade, and suddenly Twilight's eyes opened. Only instead of their normal color, they emanated pure, blinding white, light.

But it was too late. Twlight's magic surged and careened through the room, whipping up objects and dashing them asunder, books flew out windows, the globe itself twirled and twirled, till the sphere broke free of its spindle and careened into the kitchen. The intensity of the magic grew higher and higher, Twilight's small form rising above the others, controlled by the small sprite.

“Can't you do something your highnesses,” Applejack yelled over the wind that came from all around.

“We cannot, for whatever spell he is using, may cause damage or harm to all of us, including Twilight if we do not have the proper counter. It is his game now....”

The intensity rose higher, and higher. Rarity shrieked as a flock of dictionaries slammed into the wall above her head, while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy dodged Twilights brass telescope as it shot past. Spike was hurriedly trying to keep the quill pens from attacking, but was unfortunately getting humorous ink drawings drawn on his scales. However, the wind seemed to be dying down, and the objects began to lose their locomotive powers. Finally, eyes going back to their regular color, Twilight was dropped unceremoniously to the floor, like a puppet with her strings cut. Her eyes opened on the visage of Princess Celestia looking down at her.

And with that, she was out like a light. The others crowded around her, though the stepped aside as the both alicorn sisters came closer. Silently, their horns glowed, and an aura surrounded the small, purple unicorn. They stood silent for a second, their faces not showing more than concern. After a minute, the aura stopped glowing around Twilight, whose breathing was coming in small, quiet bursts now.

Celestia looked at Pinkie, who had been, unusually for her, quieter than normal.

“Yes...but she needs medical care soon. The use of that much magic, to do whatever that sprite Discord created has severely weakened her. Please, as her friends, take her to Nurse Redheart over at the hospital. She will know what to do.”

Nodding, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash slowly picked up their friend, and carried her on out. Only four were left. Spike was busy trying to get a small fire put out in the kitchen, and Applejack was just looking off in the distance for a second, before turning to look at Celestia.

Applejack was holding her hat in one hoof, looking determined, but with a veneer of fear on her face as well.

“I shall go back to Canterlot and begin a search for these portals. I cannot risk innocents harmed by accidental discovery of them. They must be found, and guarded. That much is clear as of now.”

“Sister, will you stay here and inform me on developments, and give them comfort?”

Luna paused, then nodded. She would have preferred to head back to Canterlot and read up on what spells Discord could have done, perhaps to find a way to stop them. But she knew that her sister was not brushing off her younger sisters magical knowledge or planning. These five had a friend used as a puppet in a prank, and needed comfort. Plus, besides the dragon Spike, none of them would now what to look for in the stacks of books at this...smaller library.

“Thank you. I must leave now, Applejack, do not despair. Twilight will be better soon, I promise.”

The orange mare looked up, tears of understanding and tiredness dripping down her face a bit. Twilight was her friend, and she cared for the bookish unicorn as a friend should. When Applejack had been as stubborn as a fencepost about Apple bucking season, Twilight had been there to try to talk sense into her, even though Applejack had brushed her off about “doing it by myself”. Nodding her head in thanks to the Princesses words, she put her hat back on and left, heading to Ponyville Hospital and Medical Care Center.

After she had left, only Luna and Celestia remained in the main part of the library.

Celestia gave in a way a hug to her younger sister, and then stepped back. Concentrating for a second, she disappeared in a flash. Luna stood in the midst of the wreckage of the library. Spike was still trying to put out the fire in the kitchen, and seemed to be winning. Thinking it best to let him finish first, she began to tidy up. Even if this library was smaller than the ones at Canterlot Castle, it might hold something of use. Letting out some of the anxiety she had been holding since the revelation of Discords sprite, she let out a deep breath, full of anger, terror, and anxiousness. What the coming days were to bring, she did not know. But in the back of her mind, she knew that Equestria would have a storm ahead to face, though if it would weather it, she could not guess.

Clearing her thoughts, she continued thinking about cleaning the room. She heard the final cup of water being poured in the kitchen that put out the burnt drapes, and a sigh of relief from Spike. Luna thought that perhaps he knew how Twilight would organize the books.

Twenty-Six Miles Outside Xenia, Ohio
7:45 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time)
Night of September 6th, 1901 A.D. (Anno Domini)

Second Lt. Daniel Mays, of the Ohio State Militia, was upset. The training exercise his platoon was involved in had gone from fairly mediocre to downright idiotic in terms of competency of both sides drilling and maneuvering. The last war had shown the rather embarrassing incompetence of not only the national army, but also the communications between the state militia and guard units, Ohio's included. It was only the fact that the Spanish military in Cuba had been led by men even more foolish than the United States own that they had even won. Now, he was stuck in the midst of a September downpour, with no lit fires, and half the tents moth-eaten or downright scudgy beyond repair.

His platoon was currently war-gaming against another platoon from around Cleveland, as part of an exercise suggested by some of the men. Now, wet and frozen, and nearly twenty-six miles from the nearest town of importance, he felt like an upset and gawky looking wet cat.

Sergeant Mathias Freiheart, a German-American from Saxony, was chewing on tobacco, a habit the man had whenever in the field, mainly dealing with that “it don't cause stink or smoke” like cigars or other tobacco products did. Plus in this rain, who the hell could light anything before the match went out or the pipe filled with water. And like all sergeants that Mays had met, the man could whip even lazy ass bastards like the Militia men into order, though it took something close to two minutes of non-stop curses against their mothers and fathers, many which would make a farmer blush in shock. Now, the sergeant slowly got up the speed needed to converse and chew at the same time, in the thickly-accented English he spoke. Thankfully, he spoke it well enough that except for rare occasions, everyone knew what he said.

“Best get the men under cover. Rain soak through uniform, cause illness, them easy prey for Lt. Sandersons men.”

Mays agreed with him. Sick men were no use to him, and the coughing and hacking of ill men hiding in bushes to ambush the other party was rather ineffective. Thankfully the platoon was in a stand of what his college education deemed to be Aesculus glaba, or the Ohio Buckeye tree. Their broad branches still held plenty of leaves.

“Alright men, get under cover. We'll wait the night out. Get what tents aren't beyond repair sown together and make a small canopy and floor. Keep the snakes and bugs out, as well as the rain.”

Grumbling more at the rain than the practical orders, the militiamen started trudging into the trees. Mays tapped his foot. Privates McDonald and Thomas should have reported back six minutes ago from their scouting mission deeper into the nearby forest. Perturbed that the two might have some illegal spirit they were sharing against regulations (or what rules and regulations he could get them to follow), he prepared to order a party out to search for them.

However just as he was about to finish briefing the six men he was going to send, a halloo broke from behind a nearby tree, and Thomas and McDonald were roughly escorted by Sgt. Freiheart into the small mass tent that was being constructed. He gave a small growl at them, and then saluted Mays.

“These two came stumbling into camp sir. Said they had some ting to report to you.”

Mays looked at them askance. Scouts should have known something about keeping reports with him, or at least the sergeant. Best here them out, before they were disciplined. Cleaning all the mud-caked boots in camp would be best for now.

Over the next three minutes, he heard a wild tale involving the two of them on watch in the woods, silently scouting about, when a fast wind had bowled them over into a tree, which seemed evident from the leaves and mud caked on their backs as well as fronts. Then, they claimed to have seen a large, perfectly white beam of light strike the ground not twelve, though it may have been seventeen (accounts varied to some degree on exact distance) feet away from them. The story got wilder, explaining that the land on the other side of a bubble, maybe thirty-five feet wide, and an unknown height, had been different than the dark woods around it. They then explained that they decided that explaining was the better part of valor, and had come straight back to camp, to explain. The explanation was ludicrous, but either they could hide liquor smell better than any men alive, or they'd gone off their rockers.

Waiting for his permission to let them speak, they finally explained that yes, they did, and they could show him right now if he so wanted. Deciding that while humoring them was bad, confirming that they might have problems with either their mental faculties or their hip flask lids was key.

“Alright, let's examine this “bubble” of yours. Sergeant, I want five other men and yourself to come with these two and myself to find this mysterious bubble.”

The sergeant wheeled around, and trod off, yelling at five other men to get their sorry keisters back over to the commanding officer, or he'd stick hot embers down their trousers. Quickly, five men with guns, ammo, and water were at the ready.

Returning another salute, he bade the two scouts to lead them on into the woods.

The two, also carrying guns, ammo, and water, though still covered in mud, silently began to retrace their steps. After about six minutes, they seemed to be getting closer, by the two mens body language. The sergeant and the five others were slouching behind, dealing with mosquitos and thorny tree branches smacking them in the face, arms, and legs. Slowly, Mays began to become aware of a bright light in the midst of the forest.

Thomas pointed towards a clearing. The light was brighter now, though not uncomfortable to look at. Slowly the small squad entered the area the men had been in before. Now Mays wondered if he was going slightly for the loop. There, as the two had said, was a giant, clear bubble, slowly shifting in the night. What looked like water ripples flowed across the surface, bouncing into one another.

“Right...well...I suppose you weren't making things up about giant bubbles. Err...sergeant?”

Even the sergeant was somewhat dumbstruck. Quickly regaining his composure, he looked at his commanding officer.

“Take Private Rostakovich back to camp, and get the rest of the men. Tell them to bring full kit and supplies.”

Smartly turning about with that precision few could master, he did not have to encourage the named private to follow him back to camp. It might be about twenty minutes before the full platoon got back. Enough time to examine this...bubble. Approaching it, he gave it a light tap with his Browning M1900 pistol. It rippled and flowed, but it did not seem affected beyond that. Certainly very curious.

“Alright. Thomas, McDonald, you will come with me and Private Spencer and Private Nowak into this bubble...see if it there's anything inside. Trudeau and Larson will stay here for the when others return. Do you all understand?”

The men saluted weakly, somewhat because they were nervous, and affirmed the orders.

With that, he stepped through, followed by the four nervous soldiers behind him.

Luna felt something in the world change. She had felt it during the magical power unleashed by the sprite of Discord's control of Twilight Sparkle, but this...this was new. Like something new, unfamiliar, had set itself down in Equestria. And whatever it was, was nearby. She'd spent most of the night helping the dragon rearrange the books, often times sneaking a peek. To her own envy, which she quickly got over, Twilight did have some new and rare books that she herself had never read. One day she would have to visit as other ponies did, and as someone interested in checking the books out.

The force she now felt sent a wave of energy through her body, causing her normally slow flowing hair to quicken in pace. Stress was getting the better of her. Perhaps the night air would calm her. As she stepped outside, she realized the four guards ponies who had been waiting for her return, were still at attention.

The old but reliable leader of the pegasus guards nodded. He understood that what had happened inside was something that kept slightly minor things like his fellow guards and himself out of the big picture. They had not seen or heard anything of the event, but the appearance of four of the elements of harmony bearing a fifth one towards the hospital had been the first signs of something troubling. However, Princess Celestia had appeared, giving orders that they were to assist her sister in anyway possible, before she had disappeared in a flash.

“Good. I would rather not have to tell my sister that the royal guards keeled over from dehydration because I forgot about them.”
She gave a small grin, allowing the guards a small smile as well. However her face turned to stone a few seconds later.

“Captain, something has appeared nearby. Possibly from another world. My sister said I am to investigate all occurrences and report them back to her at the palace.”

A loose interpretation of “keep me informed of all events”, but the words were more important than the actual meaning. Nodding, the captain got the other four together. Sensing something in the bushes nearby, she turned her head, horn glowing. A small “eep” and a pink shape rose from the bush, followed by a purple manned unicorn. Taking a second for recognition to kick in, Luna slowly stopped the flow of magic. Pinkie Pie and Rarity, two of the elements of harmony, were sheepishly looking out of the bush, though the unicorn was momentarily concerned with the leaves in her hair and was frantically trying to get a woolly bear to stop trying to eat it as well.

“Well, we were going to get Twilight some books for her to read when she got up and maybe get Spike as well, but then we saw Sugarcube Corner and thought to get her some scones, which Twilight really loves, and then we saw you talking with your guards ponies and we thought it might be neat to come on over...”

Rarity slapped a hoof over Pinkies mouth, though mumbles managed to still get past.

“What Pinkie is saying, your highness, is that we did see you come out of the library, and your worried look made us, curious. We didn't mean to pry this much.”

Luna managed to connect the dots fairly quickly. When she did, a laugh came out, then a small splutter of giggles. The two elements of harmony looked confused.

“Sorry...sorry...Its just been so long since anyone has tried to spy on me...sorry. Princess of the Night Court and Spies, etc.”

“I have a feeling that if I tried to dissuade you from coming, you'd only just come anyway.”

The unfortunate timing of Rarity's removal of her hoof from Pinkies mouth allowed the energetic pink pony to rapidly agree to come along and provide sugary treats to those involved, and certainly she wasn't going to go without one of her bestest friends Rarity. Glowering for a half a minute at being dragged along, Rarity agreed to come as well. Luna stood straight up.

“Very well then. Iron Hoof, you and your fellow guards ponies shall accompany myself and the elements of generosity and laughter to find any of these portals which may be nearby.”

“Yes, your majesty.”
“Very good. Let us be off. Perhaps we can be back before the seventh toll of the seventh hour of this morning.”

With that, she climbed into the back of the royal chariot, and beckoned Rarity and Pinkie to sit next to her. Slowly Rarity climbed in, making sure to not ruin anything, and marveling at the expensive cloths and metals it was made out of. Pinkie bounced in, nearly rocketing Rarity back out, but thankfully calmed down enough that the guards could move without her falling out. Quickly they rose up into the sky, and began the search.

The small first band of militiamen were currently nervously looking about the apple orchard they were in. For one thing, things seemed...off. The sky was the right color, the ground was as well. But it was so..so..colorful. Pastel even, as though it wasn't actually a three-dimensional world. And a second thing was that even though he was three-dimensional, and knew right now he was three-dimensional, Second Lt. Mays was currently feeling as though he was two-dimensional, and not in the personality department either.

He held his pistol out in front of him, and looked around. They were on top of a hill overlooking a apple orchard plantation, apple trees stretching as far as the eye could see. Behind them stood the bubble, flexing as the wind hit its skin. Down the hill and about a mile distant, sat a small farmstead, pristine and clean looking. Maybe there were people nearby he could talk to. Off a ways, he thought he saw something that looked like a horse, but in the early morning light, it was hard to tell. It seemed to be simply trotting along a fenceline, likely let free to get some exercise by whatever farmer owned the property.

Mays heard Thomas cursing as an apple bonked him on the head. They were nearing the end of growing season, and already some looked kinda brown. Spencer was attempting to spear one with his bayonet when out of the blue, his rifle was sent flying.

The horse from earlier, and a large draft horse by the look of it, had kicked it out Spencers hands. Now, it turned its gaze on the rest of them. There was something...well, wrong about it. To Lt. Mays mind, the thing looked awfully human in the face. For one thing, the eyes were not the black spheres of most equines, but more like humans, only exaggerated, with large white sclera, and larger pupil and retinas than a normal horse. Then, there was the fact its face not only was frowning, but also had a twig of hay sticking out one side of the mouth, almost like some rural farmers Mays had seen elsewhere.

Mays glanced at Private Thomas, who was trying to calm the horse. It merely glared at him and the other.

“Okay, right. Sorry for trespassing on your owners land.”
Now he was apologizing to the horse? He'd heard talking to them seemed to calm said creatures down, and horse whisperers were known to be among the best tamers in the business. Right now, he doubted any of them would do any good.

The private nodded, not taking his eyes off the prodigious hooves of the horse. The others gaze went down there as well. Big, blackish-brown hooves met their gaze. Horses were not a mystery to most of the men, but you had to respect them as well. Men dumb enough to mistreat one sometimes found that they had more memory for mistreatment than one would give such a creature. And hooves could kill if the blow was powerful enough or in the right place.

Mays had also been noting the rather odd coloration of the horse, a sort of cinnamon red, with a bright green...apple, branded on both rear ends. Odd brand, but maybe the orchard farmer branded all his horses with the brand.

“Maybe we should put the guns down. I don't think it likes the pointy bits.”

The others nodded. While they could shoot it, they felt that doing so would not only get an enraged farmer at them, but might be a bad idea in the long run. Slowly, after ordering it, they put their guns down, and put their hands up in a placating manner.

The motion seemed to placate the red-horse, who expelled a snort, and what for a second sounded like “eeyup.” Slowly pointing its head towards the farm, it seemed to be escorting them there. Deciding that behaving was the better part of valor in regards to this horse, the men held their hands out in front of them, while glancing back at their erstwhile captor. Now it seemed as though it was concentrating on keeping an eye on them, and the anger that had seemed to have been on its face was an implacable calm look. Mays shivered. Something bizarre was going on, and he had the unfortunate feeling he was going to be caught in the middle of it. Then he shivered worse then before.

Princess Luna saw it first. A large bubble, projecting from a hill in the north-fields of Sweet Apple Acres, pulsating with energy. The size of the thing was enormous, and the carriage could have flow through if needed at its current heigh. The odd thing was, it was not a true spheroid bubble, but more like an oval, wider in the middle than the top or bottom, and growing to a point at the top.

Slowly the carriage descended, landing near the bubble, but not passing into it. After it stopped, Pinkie, Rarity, Princess Luna, and Iron Gait left the carriage proper and began to look at it. Pinkies eyes were wide and she was scrambling about, giving it a mixture of glares and excited gazes. Rarity seemed to be more analytical, brow furrowed in deep concentration on the ground nearby, and slowly trotted off a ways. Luna and Iron Gait shared a look with each other. Both had seen many things in their respective lives, but the worried look that slowly tightened their mouths and brows into deadly concern was apparent. He was the first to break their mutual silence.

“A portal that the sprite Discord created of himself formed. A door to another world from our own.”

Without warning, Pinkie hopped up to it, poking it everynow and then before one of the guards dragged her back, still babbling on about what exactly it was, and what might be on the other side.

“Oooh... do you think they have parties...we should throw a party for whoever is over there, I wonder if they like cake or ice-cream...”

Just as Pinkie was about to launch herself through it, she tripped over an object on the ground, and again was dragged back. Rarity glanced over, and raised an eyebrow at the wooden object lying on the ground.

“Funny, its not like the Apples to leave branches on the ground. Usually Big Mac or Applejack clear the fields twice a week of such debris.”

Luna examined the object, picking it up with her magic. Part of it was made of wood, from the lower end on up, till it became part of a metal tube, with a sharp knife on the end. Around it lay several more, though one seemed broken, as if something powerful had kicked it, and the smashed apple on the end may have been the reason for its destruction. A fifth object, smaller, and made entirely of metal, sat a bit away from the rest. Whatever it was, it looked dangerous. Sensing it would be good to stop the curious Pinkie from touching them, she gave orders for them to be stuffed in a nearby tree hollow. Rarity herself had been off looking at something else again, and muttered out loud about it.

Luna, Pinkie, and Iron Gait trotted over. There in the early morning mud, were tracks. One set was recognizably that of Big Macintosh, the eldest Apple sibling, and one of the strongest stallions in Ponyville. But the four..hoof prints, for want of a better term for the strange tracks alongside his, were odder. They were pointed at the front them gradually changed towards the back into a larger, more rounded shape. A deeper hole was beneath the back part of the impressions, as if a smaller hoof grew from the larger one and had bit a hole below the main part of the hoof. The tracks led off to the main farm part of Sweet Apple Acres.

They all stared. Whether Big Mac had been taken hostage, or he the reverse, one thing was for certain. Whatever had come over, had met him, and now were headed for the farm. Dashing back to the carriage, they climbed aboard.

Lt. Mays was in a right state of mind. Right now, he was calmly drinking tea with a withered, green-skinned pony, who looked like his aunt Roberta, a smaller, yellow skinned, red maned one with a bow in her hair, and the large, cinnamon red one that had caught them. Right now, the other men were slowly adjusting to the singular realization that the ponies, judging by comparison of sizes with real life equines, were in fact the advanced species on this planet.

The first thing that had made him realize that, was the fact that the house and barn were shorter than was necessary or logical for a human farm. Secondly, the fact that the withered grandmother figure had been pumping water, while the small yellow one was curiously trying to fix a wagon with a hammer. And doing so fairly well, to be fair. The fact that it had in what seemed to be an odd dialect of English after conversing with the big one, had immediately kicked Spencer in the shin, on the subject of being a “no-account apple sneak-thief”.

And now they were drinking a passable blend of tea, from a box marked Canterlot Fine Tea's, Fancypants Speciality Blend. It was enough to make the logic centers in his mind slowly grind to a halt and accept it. Right now, the oldest of three ponies had fallen asleep, gently snoozing in a nearby rocker. As for the other two, their glares told him to be very slow in his movements. Spencer was still mumbling a storm of curses involving the kick to his shin, not very pleasant given the hoof on the animal involved, and the speed at which she had flying kicked him in his leg. The others silently stared at their teacups, pulling nervous sips every now and then.

Outside came a clatter of more hooves, and the sound of a carriage. The ears of the awake ponies perked up, and they stared out a nearby window. Mays noticed a large black as midnight shape drift past quickly. The door opened, and two larger ponies, slightly smaller than the one they had been caught by, entered, wearing golden armor, and what appeared to be wings folded up against their sides. Behind them came two smaller ponies, both female, one a purple maned, white skinned unicorn, and the other a bright pink pony. The pink one seemed to be held back by the unicorn, all the while trying to leap across the table, at the same time speaking faster than Mays could catch up with. At most he heard repeated mentioning of parties.

Then, she came in. She was tall, taller than the cinnamon pony, and thinner to. Her blue skin was un-mottled except in the back, where a splotch of even black midnight highlighted two moons on either side of her flank. The dark-blue as a summer-night sky mane seemed to flow like it wasn't actually hair. And after glancing at her eyes, Mays noticed that the others seemed to defer to her in some manner. After a second it clicked into place that she was wearing a small crown or something not unlike a tiara.

Slowly, so as to not spook the others into a frenzy of shin-kicking or anything else, the five men stood up and slowly bowed, low enough that they could examine the grout on the floor. After hearing a polite, but firm cough, they stood at attention. The tall, black one was looking at them, as were the others. And suddenly he was clutching his ears, as were the others, as a loud voice seemed to come from her throat, louder than many of the cannon he'd heard fired on July 4th every year as a child. Quickly the voice dropped as if it realized how loud it had been.

Strangely, he could understand it through the ringing in his ear, but it was far away and close at the same time. Shaking his head, Mays grasped his hat from off the floor, dusted it off, and grasped a support beam nearby. His face set in an nervous grin, he gave a small salute, and wheezed out his answer

He caught his breath, and at the same time as the tall, female pony with wings and horn, said, “Who are you?”

The Changing of the Guard: An Alternate History of Earth and Equestria (1901-1914)

by LordVetinari

Chapter One: Haunted By a Million Screams