//------------------------------// // New Developments // Story: On to a New Plane // by random reader //------------------------------// Rarity was the first to step out of the tunnel and on to the grass. “Oh how wonderful it is to be out of that filthy tunnel.” she said, looking around. Twilight was next to emerge from the tunnel, and noted that there weren’t any of the metal rolling creatures to be seen upon the black pathway. She also noticed that it was starting to get dark out. “Hmm, without any magic here, how is the sun lowered?” She looked up, and saw that the bright orange ball of the setting sun was nearing the horizon. Looking further across the sky, she saw something that made her do a double take. “The moon is already up? But it’s not even night yet!” Twilight thought franticly, as she moved aside to let the remainder of her friends out of the tunnel. “Well, this sure doesn’t seem so bad,” commented Applejack, “I thought this world would be, like, nowhere without Earth ponies tending to the land.” Applejack looked over at Twilight to see her still staring at the sky. “What’s up, Twi?” “The moon, apparently. Applejack, it’s still daytime, and the moon is up! Don’t you think that’s strange?” asked Twilight to her friend. Applejack glanced up at the pale white semi-circle before saying, “Well, it’s mighty odd seeing the sky like that, but don’t forget, we’re here for the Princess. There will be time to figure that” she said, pointing upwards, “out later. Come on, let’s move. Princess Luna’s guards still need to get up here.” Even though they hadn’t said a word all day, the bat winged ponies still looked a bit annoyed as they all emerged, one by one from the hole in the ground. “So uh, do you guys know where we might start looking for the Princess?” asked Rainbow Dash, looking at the nearest guard. “We can begin in any direction. This path will most likely lead to the nearest settlement. Princess Celestia would most likely be located there.” said the bat-pony, looking down the highway. “We should probably stick together for safety. We have no idea what kind of predators could be waiting in the shadows.” “So, let’s get going then.” Rainbow said, trying instinctively to get airborne, only for her wings to flap with no effect. “Oh, right, we have to hoof it from here. Well, then let’s get going.” As Rainbow Dash began walking alongside the black pathway, she saw what looked like a pair of bright eyes appear over the crest of a hill. As Pinkie looked in Rainbow’s direction, she noticed them too. “Hey Rainbow, it looks like one of those metal things wants to say hello!” exclaimed Pinkie, optimistic as ever. Pinkie Pie jumped out on to the pathway as the metal creature was coming closer and closer. Reacting instinctively from years of training, one of the night guards leapt out between Pinkie and the four wheeled beast that suddenly made the most awful screeching noise as is came to a quick stop. “Halt, beast!” shouted the bat winged pony. “I shall not allow you to bring harm upon these ponies!” he shouted defiantly. Suddenly, a large flap on one side opened up, and out stepped another creature. It was hard to make out the silhouette from the harsh glare of the metal creature’s eyes, but this new creature was tall, bipedal, had two arms, and a long curly mane. Twilight stared at this new development with interest. “So they make some sort of symbiotic pair? Or perhaps the metal one isn’t even alive at all, but if that’s the case, then is it some sort of machine? What was moving it? How can it work?” As all these questions surged through Twilight’s mind, the bipedal creature spoke in a clearly female voice, but was using a language Twilight could not recognize. All of the guards were standing fast now, ready to strike should the need arise, but the biped didn’t seem to want to strike at all. She extracted a small rectangular thing from a pocket on an article of clothing she was wearing, and began running the digits of her claw-like appendage over it. “So, uh, have you seen Princess Celestia around here?” Rainbow Dash asked the female. She looked up when addressed, the rectangular device now pointing in her direction. “Rainbow, she obviously can’t understand us,” Twilight explained, “maybe we could try using some sort of sign language to ask where she’s from.” The bipedal female was breathing heavily now, the black rectangle shaking in her grip. “Looks like she’s just going to hold that thing and just stand there.” said Rainbow Dash, looking annoyed at their lack of progress with the situation. “Oh Rainbow, be kind to the poor dear. She is obviously frightened by our appearance.” said Fluttershy, walking towards the tall biped. “There there, we aren’t going to hurt you. We’d just like you to show us where the nearest town or city is.” Fluttershy’s approach had a less than desirable effect. The female quickly re-entered her metal self-moving carriage. It roared to life, and began picking up an impressive amount of speed for something so heavy as it moved off into the distance. “Well, that didn’t quite go as expected. Do doubt she returned to her people.” said Twilight as she looked down the path in the direction the machine was going. “I suppose we’ll just head this way until we reach some kind of settlement.” And with that said, the group started walking alongside the path, away from the sunset, to a place where they could, hopefully, find some answers. “Fascinating! Attempting to communicate through pictograms!” Dr. Changpu was very excited as he observed the obviously intelligent female alien draw out yet another sketch with the pen and paper. Her previous two drawings showed what looked like a hole in the ground, and another showing a cross section of a tunnel going underground and leading towards a cavern. “I think we should try to respond in kind. Do you have another pen and paper?” asked Dr. Changpu to the chief. “Yes doctor, I think we can arrange that. But I must ask now, have you ever seen any other creature like this before?” the chief asked, looking at the doctor. “Well, of course not. She only vaguely resembles an equine, and her being at least as intelligent as we are makes it very highly probable that she is not of this world. And thank you, Judith.” Said Dr. Changpu, taking the pen and notepad from the female police officer. Changpu started to draw out an image of his own, but stopped when he was asked a question by the chief. “If she is an alien, why do you think she came here?” “Well, I would think that it would be obvious, don’t you? She came because there was life. Simply a moth to a flame, really. I mean, think about it. If we achieved interstellar travel, and had discovered a planet with life on it, don’t you think we would make a beeline for that planet first?” “Uh, Doctor,” James spoke up, “This depiction of a tunnel leading into a cavern kind of looks like where I first found her. She appeared there, like something you’d see in a sci-fi teleportation scene.” “Celestia.” said James. Celestia looked up at her name being said. James pointed at her, then at himself, and then to the cavern drawn on the paper. She made a sound with an upward inflection, quickly pointing at herself, and then at James, and again at the drawing. “What did she say?” asked Judith, watching the scene before her. Dr. Changpu considered a moment before answering. “I think that was her word for “yes”, or at least some manner of positive for us understanding what she drew.” Just then, the intercom turned on, and the voice of the secretary could be heard. “Chief, there’s a woman here who wants to speak with you. She claims that she saw a bunch of four legged horse things near a hole in the ground on the freeway.” said the voice of the secretary. Everyone in the room stiffened upon hearing the news. “Thank you for the update, tell her that I will be there shortly. That is all.” said Chief Donavan. There was a click as the secretary hung up. Chief Donavan stood up and addressed the humans in the room. “I’ll be back soon. Keep our…” he looked at Celestia, “guest pacified until I’m back.” In the lobby of the police station, Chief Donavan spotted a curly haired woman, no older than 28, sitting in one of the chairs. “Excuse me, I believed you wanted to see me?” he said, addressing the young woman. Looking up, she replied, “Yes, you have to believe me, sir. I really saw a bunch of small multicolor horses on the freeway, and they were saying stuff I couldn’t understand, one a couple of them had horns, and you have to believe me, I’m not crazy and I’ve got proof!” she said without pausing. “Now ma’am, I need you to try to remain composed. Please, let’s start with your name.” “Susan. It’s Susan Williams.” she said, still looking on the verge of collapse. “Tell me Susan, what did you see? Start from the beginning.” As Susan told the Chief all that she had seen and heard, Chief Donavan listened to every word, and managed to keep his expression neutral throughout the whole thing. “You say you have proof that what you say is true.” said Donavan, “I want to see the evidence. Right now.” Susan reached into her pocket and extracted her iPhone. She brought up the video she took earlier of the herd of alien equines on the freeway. Chief Donavan watched, and when it was finished, patted Susan on the shoulder. “I thank you for bringing this to my attention, Susan. I suggest you go home and get some rest now. We’ll take it from here.” said Chief Donavan in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. Susan simply nodded, and stood up, and walked out of the front door of the police station. Donavan went back into the room with Celestia, and Dr. Changpu. “We have a development.” he said to everyone present. “More of her kind have arrived here.”