//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Twilight makes first contact // by Immanuel //------------------------------// Cassie watched in nervous silence as the alien creatures marched from the brightness. She was too stunned to take count, too amazed to notice her ponies nervously whinny and retreat to watch from a safer distance. The horse she was riding swayed her head to and fro, but stayed still in deference to her rider, perhaps calmed by Cassie's own stiffness. There's so many of them! she thought as they came to a halt in a wide formation twenty or thirty feet away. The first one, the lavender, whinnied and gesticulated at them shortly, pointing at Daisy the horse. Their large eyes all followed the first one's gesture, and in unison, they knelt briefly. Cassie realized distantly that she would have been panicking if the creatures weren't so ridiculously adorable. They came in all colors. Blue, yellow, green and orange, violet, cyan, pink and turquoise. There were even some in colors she was used to: brown, gray and white. It was the white ones that sparked a recognition. "Unicorns?" she said faintly. "And pegasi?" Her voice rose as she fell into slight hysteria. "Well, a' course they are!" she said in an oddly loud voice. "Magical fairy tale ponies have come to mah ranch to say hello!" Then she started giggling. If Daisy hadn't thrown her head and neighed nervously, she would have collapsed in laughter, but the horse's reaction made her calm down and try to soothe the animal as well. She almost started again, when the creatures briefly but enthusiastically stomped the ground in applause. She couldn't imagine what else it could have been; the creatures' postures were so dignified, and the movement so precise and controlled. Then the lavender one started whinnying and gesticulating again. She couldn't understand the tone, but the other creatures started bustling when it pointed at them. Some started unpacking odd contraptions from a cart, others moved to locations in the vicinity of the large group, and began drawing lines in the dirt. I guess you're in charge, Lavender, she mused while still watching in amazement. What on Earth are they all doing? She tilted her head. I guess the white ones are ...guards? The breastplates are a dead giveaway. A colorful subgroup of about a dozen creatures came closer and divided, six of them coming right up to the lavender one. Oh dear, that one is carrying a lizard! And that one's got a stetson! How can it have a stetson?. The lavender creature whinnied to the subgroup a bit, then directed a pale pink one with a fancy golden mane up to Daisy. It's got tiny glasses! Oh my gawd, that's so cute! The bespectacled creature lifted its muzzle up to the horse, who obediently reciprocated, giving another horsey kiss to the newcomer. Then the newcomer raised its hoof in the air. As an experienced show horse, Daisy knew this trick. Cassie almost choked, when the two touched their hooves in a mock handshake. I... I can't believe this! Is this real? One by one, the smaller group of creatures came to touch their muzzles and hooves to Daisy, who seemed to enjoy the attention, throwing her beautiful black mane to show off. There was the stetson-wearing one. It gave a robust whinny while it shook Daisy's hoof a bit. A unicorn with an outrageously stylish purple mane curtsied, making Cassie cramp in stifled laughter again. The bouncy pink one seemed to tremble in excitement as it touched Daisy's hoof. After being pulled aside for a moment by the lavender creature, it sped incredibly fast to a wagon, and started pulling out ...party decorations? The next one had a mane in the colors of the rainbow, which at this point only served to underline the complete improbability of the situation to Cassie. Then the one that had been carrying the lizard gave the gentlest, most quiet whinny Cassie had ever heard, softer than any foal's she had heard before, her big teal eyes shifting between her and the horse. The lizard itself had waddled up to the lavender creature, and now climbed to sit on its back while the creature nuzzled it gently. "Oh, that is just too sweet!" Cassie cooed aloud. Immediately the yellow, pink-maned creature spread its wings and jumped gracefully into air, coming to hover a foot away from Cassie's face. It traced Cassie's face with a surprisingly soft and gentle hoof and whinnied some more, a little more loudly that time. Then it seemed to shy away a bit, hiding behind its long pink mane. Daisy followed the movement of the yellow pegasus, and gave it a small nuzzle as it fluttered in the air. Cassie giggled and reached a hand to stroke the mane of the flying creature. "Aw, c'mere you!" she cooed, as the creature pressed its head to her hand and rubbed itself contentedly. The other creatures stared. * * * "Welcome to a new world, everypony!" Twilight said with pride and exhilaration to the grand total of eleven hundred1 ponies in the spearhead expedition. Gosh, I hope we don't come off as intimidating, she thought as the natives shouted a greeting and retreated several hundred paces. The sight of the alien queen calmly measuring the incoming expedition set her nerves at ease, however. Still, a good thing the rest of the First Contact expedition will wait for their green light in Canterlot. "Allow me to introduce you to what I believe to be a leader, a princess perhaps, among what has already proven to be a people of great harmony and friendship!" she said aloud to her fellow ponies, directing their gaze to the magnificent native, whose dark form gleamed in the harsh brightness of the alien sun, her form ineffably impressive as she stood calm and graceful facing creatures she couldn't possibly have ever imagined existing. As the ponies gave a respectful bow, the alien queen began its telepathic communications again. It began as a quiet whisper, just at the edge of their minds, then grew like a tide into a strong and high cadenza, finally trickling down in ...laughter? It was! The queen greeted them aloud, releasing a joyful snort, apparently overjoyed at making so many new friends. Twilight was elated again at the joy these beings expressed at every turn. The expedition applauded enthusiastically at the display, equally impressed at the ease and grace the native welcomed them to her realm. Quickly, Twilight turned to her kind, determined to communicate properly as soon as possible. "All right!" she began. "Science team, Magic has priority to determine what we can do here safely. Be quick, be efficient, but don't cut corners. Nopony use your magic, even flight or earth magic before the Magic team says it's okay, unless you know how to feed it back to you. I know it's hot, but we don't want to damage the environment. Our scans showed this to be a magicless universe, and we don't know what effects magic will have on it! "Engineers! Begin assembling the infra for both the gate and the dome, but don't activate anything before Science gives you the green light. Xeno-teams! I want to get to the point-and-name stage as soon as possible. Observe the natives and modify the contact package accordingly. The locals seem friendly, but keep your distance anyway and let them come to us! Lady Shine, please join me with your attachés! Girls, you too! Major Magenta, you know what to do! Low profile, for now; I seriously doubt the natives have managed to make anything threatening without magic. "Get to work, everypony!" Twilight nodded with satisfaction at the speed and precision everypony moved. These were the best trained, the most professional, the most qualified and the best motivated ponies in all of Equestria. Hoof-picked to spearhead the grand expedition, these ponies were sure to get results fast but right. They had the creativity, the imagination, the knowledge and the focus to kick-start the process of establishing a hoof-hold in a new world both in terms of accumulating practical knowledge and gaining a safe and unthreatening presence. While they went to work with zeal, Twilight waved the chief diplomat to her side. While Twilight would naturally need to be active in any possible high profile negotiations, she would have her hooves full in coordinating the research the expedition would undoubtedly be producing in a short while in exponentially increasing amounts. Once communications were established, Lady Pearl Shine and her four attachés would bear the brunt of relaying information between the cultures from two worlds in hopes of building a true understanding. But that would come long after the fascinating process of establishing even the most basic of communications was over. Twilight was eagerly anticipating the study of a culture formed under the unfathomable environment discovered by the thaumaturgical matrix. How would they communicate in the end? How would they explain their views on existence to one another? What would they learn of each other, of themselves, of the very ontology of existence? "The protocol of greeting seems to be an exchange of breath, ambassador," Twilight explained to Lady Shine, whose attachés had stayed a bit further back. "Present your muzzle to the princess and let her lead." With a smile that betrayed none of the nervousness Twilight felt, if indeed there was any, Lady Shine trotted in front of the incredibly tall alien queen and leaned up and forwards. With no hesitation, the queen leaned down and exchanged the strange greeting with the diplomat, who grinned and presented her hoof. "It is truly an honor to meet you and your people, Your Highness!" Lady Shine said. "I hope we will be able to exchange words equitably soon!" Twilight let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as the alien with the slightest of hesitation raised one of her graceful hooves and touched it to the ambassador's. She felt like cheering, but instead restrained herself, and turned to the five other ponies and Spike. "My friends!" Twilight said beaming, and waved them at the native princess. "Please!" Applejack went first, giving the alien a wide smile, a sturdy hoof-shake and a loud "Howdy! It's an honor to meet y'all, Yer Highness! He-he, kinda literal in yer case!" Rarity curtsied gracefully in her fine dress, with a cultured "How do you do, Your Highness." Pinkie Pie was excited to point of bursting, and bounced to the native uncharacteristically silent, unable to decide which of the multitude of words she felt she needed to say should go first. Twilight took her gently to the side and whispered, "CD-protocol, Pinkie!" Deflating slightly, Pinkie whispered back. "But I thought you said they were friendly!" she complained. "They are!" Twilight said. "That's why I don't want to offend them by accident. Why don't you set up a party for the establishment of the base camp? If the locals join, then we know they like to party!" With a wordless gasp, Pinkie Pie raced to the supply wagon and started pulling out streamers and balloons. While Rainbow Dash and the alien showed off their manes to one another, Spike walked up to Twilight and hopped onto her back. "So good to see you, Spike!" she said with a nuzzle, while Fluttershy asked the alien princess something quietly. "You too, Twilight," Spike said back. "Say, how do you know she's a princess?" "Well, I don't," Twilight admitted. "She just seemed so ...regal, I guess. Why?" "I just thought she could be a princess's student, seeing as she has an assistant of her own," Spike said pointing at the strange clothed creature sitting on the alien's back. "Didn't you notice?" Twilight snapped her head back to the alien, realizing for the first time that there indeed was someone or something sitting on the tall alien's back. The creature was clothed, and so spindly it almost hurt to look at it. Are all the creatures here tall and thin? Twilight thought. It's like a world of Fleur-de-Lys! Then she heard the creature speak. Wait... That's the source of the voice? Oh, thank Celestia I didn't tell anypony about my 'telepathy'-theory! Fluttershy squee'ed loudly. "Oh my gosh, you can talk!?" she said and jumped into air, right into the face of the creature riding the alien's back. "That is so cute!" Then she retreated with a flap of her wings and shied behind her mane. "Oh, I'm sorry, your majesty! I don't want to startle your pet." In response, both the alien and its pet nuzzled Fluttershy, the pet riding the queen's back using one of its amazingly long appendages. The ponies looked at the scene in amazement. Then Applejack let a low guffaw. "Heh, look! It's got a hat just like mine!" she said and nudged Rarity to the side. "Whaddaya think a' that, Rarity? Tha one true constant in fashion across tha multiverse is mah hat!" Rarity chuckled in response. "Must be the lowest common denominator, then!" she said jokingly. "She's wearing a saddle!" Spike said slowly. "Why don't you ever wear a saddle for me, Twilight?" The strange creature lowered itself from the alien's back, patting her on the withers, its head on their level or a bit higher. Look at that! It acts almost as if they were equals! Twilight thought shocked, and watched as the creature dug a container of some sort from the queen's saddle bags. It opened the container, mixing the contents with its appendage and then attached it to the queen's muzzle. The smell of oats spread from the container as the queen started munching with abandon. Then the creature walked directly to Twilight and crouched in front of her, offering the appendage to her. Slowly and hesitantly Twilight put her hoof into the appendage and felt it being squeezed gently as the creature shook her hoof. It said something to her, and petted her mane with those soft, incredibly soft claws at the end of its foreleg. Startled, Twilight tried to answer. "Um...yes! Very nice to meet you...um!" Twilight frowned slightly, as the creature rose and proceeded to shake hooves and pet the manes of all her friends and Lady Shine. Then her eyes widened as something clicked in her mind. She looked at the 'queen', completely indifferent to her surroundings while she sunk her muzzle in to the feedbag. She looked at the smaller equines, grazing at the dry grass at a distance, peeking nervously at the multitude of ponies every once in a while. And she looked at the odd, thin creature with the long limbs, moving from pony to pony with a purpose. "Xeno teams!" Twilight shouted suddenly. "Some of my assumptions may need modification!" * * * In the NORAD headquarters in Colorado, the monitors displayed no anomalies. No sudden blimps of unexplained radar sources or satellite imagery of suddenly appeared light sources of worrying magnitude made themselves known. No reconnaissance flights reported strange sights. In Yamantau, Russia, or Lake Kinghathu, China, there was even less to see, if possible. Everything was quiet, and normal. No instrumentation captured the arrival of the Equestrians, but statisticians would later be able to pinpoint with great certainty to that day the start of certain trends that would become apparent. * * * "Nothing of course is conclusive at this stage, Princess Twilight," the Science team co-ordinator said to begin her report, "but with a reasonable certainty I can say that despite being magically as close to inert as current instrumentation allows, neither the material or the organizational structure of this universe acts thaumophilically. Direct spells modifying the natural properties of either, however, apparently cause possibly irreversible integration with the magical principles of Equestrian nature, and any magical construct, such as an enchantment, or say, a translation matrix, might very well locally override the base reality. "The rate of passive subsumation to magical principles on the other hoof is slow, again beyond the current instrumentation in the current time-frame. It would seem, the ...physical... principles of this plane of existence are complete and rigid enough not to soak magic up. For us, it means safety in the environment during a long stay, and for the environment, a certain durability in our presence. Relatively speaking, of course. "In interests of preservation, I determine contingency C appropriate." Twilight nodded. "The radius of feedback dome?" "The minimum radius would be just under twenty thousand paces, due to the nature of the dome itself. At that range, we should be capturing magic at an intensity well beyond the output of the Gate. Of course, we would be missing low-frequency emissions. Otherwise, the radius follows the Law of diminishing frequency up to the energy maximum of the available equipment at hundred thousand kilopaces." Twilight weighed numbers and politics in her mind for a moment before deciding. "We'll compromise at thousand kilopaces, optimized," she said firmly. "It shouldn't feel too invasive to the natives, I hope, and it will catch all the significant magical output we cause, while able to contain any accidental bursts. I'll give the go once Contact has managed to explain to the natives what we are about to do." * * * Over the day, Cassie had been joined in her gawking over the tiny visitors by the ranch's co-owner and her good friend, Michelle, and the two farm-hands, Peter and Tiny Tina. They had taken the appearance of the creatures pretty well, she thought. Even now they were looking at the pictures and things provided by the visitors and giving them the names of the things while absent-mindedly scratching the aliens' ears. There wasn't much point in doing anything else. They were magical pony creatures from beyond the reality, and they had come to visit her ranch. On one hand, one could say they were alien invaders. On the other, they seemed content to stay in pretty much one place and study their surroundings. And they were making friends with both the ranch ponies and their handlers. And they were ridiculously cute. The pink pony with the cotton candy mane was trying to feed Tina a cupcake. "So," Michelle said slowly. "Who should we tell about this?" "Ah really don't know, Michelle," Cassie said. "Ah mean, this is serious business. But there's no way anyone's going to listen if we call 'em an' say we got a bunch a' magical ponies here to see tha president." Michelle rubbed her chin in thought. "Ah could get mah camcorder an' upload this to a newsfeed site," she suggested. Cassie spit. "Heck no! We ain't gonna want a bunch a' no-good tourists to camp out here!" "Well," Michelle drawled, then snapped her fingers. "Ah got it! Mah auntie's old man's a commander on a cruiser! He'll be able to git someone higher up to look at this." "You'll be able to call him?", Cassie asked. "Well, no", Michelle said, "but ah cain send a video a' these magic ponies to Auntie May an' ask her to send it to Robert. If they take it seriously, it should go on from there." "Cain't say ah got any better ideas," Cassie said and adjusted her hat. "Ah don't like tha idea a' some news hound comin' here to git a scoop out a' this." "Could be publicity," Michelle suggested half-heartedly. "A nuisance is what it'd be!", Cassie growled. "'Asides, this is big. We shouldn't make a circus out a' this." "Amen," Michelle sighed. * * * With the help of the experts in mimoplasty and communication scientists, Twilight had shrunk a message to its most basic elements. They were going to erect a dome above the pasture. It wasn't going to cause any damage or any noticeable effect of any kind beyond its appearance. She was going to show it to the aliens in a visual representation she had learned watching Celestia explain her the history of the Crystal Empire. It should work, she repeated to herself. Nopony's going to panic. We'll still be friends. She breathed deep and went to the two aliens who actually seemed to be in charge. At least, the other two had appeared to defer to them. And the equines were ...not that intelligent, apparently. After four hours of futile attempts at getting them to acknowledge the expedition's communication attempts, let alone participate in an intelligence measurement testing, the group had tentatively reclassified them as 'differently sapient'. At least they were friendly. The two spindly aliens paid attention to her as soon as she walked to them. Twilight cleared her throat with a degree of dignity, knowing that she would melt immediately when they would scratch her behind the ears. They always inevitably did. She felt oddly ashamed at wanting them to. Before they had the chance, however, she launched her illusion spell. * * * "Wow," Michelle breathed and watched. "Did ya know they could do that?" "First Ah ever saw this," Cassie said quietly. In front of them a miniature of the ranch had grown, complete with tiny figures of people and ponies, both alien and domestic. Then, from the group of ponies gathered around an arrangement of jewels and stones, there grew a bubble around a portion of the ranch. It grew to encompass about half of the pasture reserved for the Shetlands and part of the woods at its border. Then it stopped. The visual repeated, twice, while the lavender magic pony looked at them in the eyes. Then she gave another, closer image. Miniatures of humans, trees and ponies appeared, and the edge of the bubble passed them. Nothing more happened. Again, the ...animation, illusion, fantasm? repeated. Then the lavender little creature looked at them and tilted its head. Cassie and Michelle looked at each other and shrugged. Michelle reached out to the lavender creature and scratched it behind the ears. "That was a real nice picture show ya did there, gal. Nicely done," she said while the creature let out a small sound of contentment and shook its left hind leg. "Ah wonder what that meant?" Michelle asked Cassie as the lavender creature retreated back to their kind and whinnied something, waving one of its wings. Then, with a bright flash, a slightly reflective but otherwise completely transparent dome soundlessly appeared over their heads, around half a mile in diameter and height. "Oh," Michelle said weakly. Cassie took her hat off and ruffled her blond hair. "Well," she said, "that should help to get somebody's attention." She looked at the alien ponies, who let out a small cheer and started to put up some other odd arrangement. "Ah hope nobody overreacts." 1 The ponies use base four. So that's eighty ponies in base ten.