//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5_Path to Reunion the Settling In  
// Story: The Breakthroughs’ Call. Another Equestria. 
// by Leafwebs 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 5_Path to Reunion the Settling In 

As the evening sun began to descend from the partially clouded sky over the Everfree forest, a lantern lit taxi cart pulled by a silver mane blue unicorn exits a misty fog bank heading in the direction of the Two Sister’s Academy, the capital of the Equis Territories.
“The timely and professional Trixie would like say we have reached our destination.” The silver mane blue unicorn says turning toward a pair of mares lunging in her cart under a canvas awning that dripped with rain water.
“Never expected you to have a Taxi service on the side, Trixie; don’t your magic shows take up all your time.” A cream colored unicorn mare with a rose colored mane with lavender and purple stripes replies adjusting her glasses.
“Easy mistake to make Moon Dancer, but Trixie still needs a steady income between shows while she thinks up new routines.” Trixie replies with a pleasant smile. “It is also a great way to learn the town’s ponies’ entertainment tastes before her shows. Watch your steps please.” 
“So Twilight, what did bring us here to see? We will be coming here anyway when the Mayors pick their representatives to the Sun and Moon courts.” Moon Dancer asks offering a hoof to the exiting lavender colored unicorn mare with a purple and pink stripe in here mane.
“Come on Moon Dancer, you know that is not certain. The Cantorlot Mayor has to pour through a lot of applications for ponies wanting to come here.” Twilight replies with giggle. “Besides can you really say you have no interest seeing the Traveler’s memorial and the Tree of Harmony.”
“You got me… seeing it up close would beat just reading about it lead on.” Moon Dancer replies to Twilight before waving to Trixie. “Join us Trixie, no need to part company yet.”
“Sure, like Sparkle said it’s a once in a life time opportunity; why should Trixie miss it?” Trixie replies stretching her disinterested mask breaking into a gentle smile.
The three mares descend the lantern lit stairs leading up to a small guard house and a cave. A lone earth pony sentry wearing a green tinted steel plated silk uniform in the guard house looks up at the approaching mares.
“May I offer you ladies something warm, hot coco or perhaps coffee? Why would come all come all this way in this weather?” The guard offers a greeting as the three mares approach his station.
“Coffee will be fine for Trixie.” Trixie calmly replies.
“Hot coco for me…” Moon Dancer adds turning to Twilight who was nodding excitedly. “… and one for my friend Twilight, too.”
“Coming right up.” The guard replies entering his station coming out minutes later with three mugs.
“Thanks.” Twilight, Trixie, and Moon Dancer say in unity glancing at the cave entrance.
“My pleasure, my name is Sergeant Flint Splitter. Generally most ponies stay home during storms than trek here.” Flint Splitter says.
“Trixie finds the occasional mild shower refreshing, but my cape and hat provide excellent protection from the elements. No need to worry.” Trixie confidently replies. “As for my companions, it would be unprofessional of me to let them get drenched in my taxi.”
“It’s not uncommon for this site to get visitors so you’re free to go inside.  Just don’t expect too much in the way of thrills, those two have been like that for years.” Flint adds a little down cast. “If you need me or want to leave I’ll be here.”
The inside of the cave was partially blocked by petrified vines but not so much that you couldn’t reach the tree… or the travelers.
In the small clearing between the stone vines and the crystal tree was a stone Pegasus grasping a stone fox practically hovering on a thin vine pedestal as they faced the tree, wings wrapping protectively around her friend attempting to shield it from some force. At the base of the pair a small brass plate was inscribed with the testimony Brian/Lilly the fox had given just before Discords fall as well as an acknowledgement of the rescue efforts at the Two Sister’s manor (now academy).
“It… it’s just like what my niece in Moon Bloom Glenn told me of about their own encounter during the epidemic.” Trixie stutters in disbelief reaching a hoof toward the statues.
“Wait you have family in Moon Bloom?” Twilight asks stunned.
“She’s a second cousin… I think. Some Lulumoon settled down closer to here, while I was raised Neigh Orleans.” Trixie replies backing away.
“I know this was part of our history class but could it really be true?” Moon Dancer adds with a sad frown. “Was our world really supposed to be doomed as these accounts claim and why did they change our destiny like this?”
“The stories my niece sent me seem to suggest that their Traveler had no choice. She had simply got caught up in the middle of events and simply acted.” Trixie replies walking over to Moon Dancer. “It was possibly to repay a kindness, as that same story said that Traveler was badly injured and was rescued by one of Moon Bloom’s own.”
“The testimony here also doesn’t mention Discord or any details to imply that these two were trying to change our future.” Twilight remarks after quickly scanning the plate. “They were frustrated with being lost… I don’t believe it… the fox one is apparently two beings in one body that came from a whole other world.”
“That was what they taught us in school Twilight.”  Moon Dancer groans.
“The text books left so much out and assumed some very wrong conclusions. Here for instance the fox could not give a straight answer to how it ended up in the era of Discord’s reign, and they were described having blocked memories of the events that caused them to end up in that time. Not amnesia!”  Twilight retorts. “These plants were only mentioned during the pre separation part of their testimony and as not having a presence in their encounter with the Sisters at the end. The text books state they actively searched out for a way to stop the plants.”
“I don’t get…” Moon Dancer begins before getting cut off by a ripple in the magical plane. “What was that? It felt very unpleasant…”
A cracking of stone could be heard and the three mare caught sight of prismatic light mix among the shadows of their bodies. Turning to the source of the light they saw the statues begin to move, unfreezing from their stone prisons, kicking off ethereal dust in the process.
“No, NO…” a sparkly little fox sputters out as she rolls in the dirt almost hitting the crystal tree.
“Look out Lilly!” a brown Pegasus with green wings, a white mane, and green tail; yells trying to contort her body so as to avoid hurting the now cringing fox.
The un-petrified Pegasus with wings flared came to a stop just over the now earthy brown fox whose eyes were squinted tightly in anticipation of a collision that didn’t happen. The three mares fidgeted behind them not sure if they should run to help or run in panic.
“We stopped things I think.” Dandelion whispers reassuringly folding her wings and using a hoof to gently pet Lilly. “See for yourselves.”
“Really we…” Brian begins speaking as he receives a face full of dirt after tripping on his fore paws while he was turning around. “What the heck is wrong… with… my paws?”
On Brian/Liily’s fore paws were what appeared to be black lacquered bracers custom fit for their paws. On the left bracer was a pinkish red human hand print shaped jewel embedded in the paw guard, and on the right bracer was a blood red fox paw print jewel in the paw guard.
“Fur chaser what are these things?” Lilly barks annoyed unable to figure how to get the bracers off.
“Oh… oh my… their awake!” Twilight Sparkle sputters.
“Dandelion, we’re not alone are we?” Brian whines out meekly as he moves his head to look past his companion who was turning as well.
“Welcome back to the land of… the flesh and blood living… Travelers!” Moon Dancer squeaks with a nervous smile.
Several miles off in the mountain city of Cantorlot another surprise greeting was being made.
“Welcome guest from another world, it is customary for a dignitary such as yourself to inform the local administration of any trips to their lands before you arrive.” The black mane gray stallion with a mustache that was holding an unopened letter mockingly scolds a human with a metal right arm and the orange mane unicorn next to him. “It also a little unorthodox for your liaison to not be formally vetted by the representative courts either, but your circumstances must be unique and pressing enough for such an oversight to get… overlooked.”
“Who are….” Mike groans forgetting what language to use to reply for a moment. “Who are… you? I do not… mean to… rude.”
“Hmm… I guess we’ll have to arrange some remedial language courses to get you fully up to speed, my friend; and don’t worry about your lodging either we can handle even decades late arrivals with ease.” The gray stallion snickers shaking his head. “My name is Gray Hoof. I’m the Acolyte of Chaos and representative of The Chaos Court.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling that I should know that name.” Mike mutters.
“It’ll pass with time, so just relax.” Gray Hoof adds with a sight smirk and a raised eye brow.
“Mike I think it he understood that.” Lava Gazer quietly retorts before addressing Gray Hoof. “Please forgive us we weren’t expecting to be met by anypony when we arrived. I am shocked myself by the site of such a large city.”
“About that point representative, last time I was away from home like this all I found was wilderness, yet you we’re expecting us. What the… is going on?” Mike replies a bit agitated.
“Your other companions have somewhat become folk heroes around these parts since you last seen each other.” Gray Hoof replies bringing up and tightly clutching his sealed letter to his chest. “They saved a lot of lives. We owe the four of them a great deal.”
“I would like to get in touch with them if I can.” Mike replies.
“I can arrange the request on your behalf with the other courts, I’ll take some time I’m afraid.” Gray hoof replies standing up and putting the sealed letter with several other unopened letters in his saddle bag. “For now however, you two will need rooms. So follow me Mike and…”
“Lava Gazer.” Lava Gazer replies.
“Lava Gazer… nice to meet you. This way I’ll find you a hotel before the moon rise gets to mid sky.” Gray Hoof says smiling pointing off toward the busy streets before trotting off.
“He said decades late…” Mike mutter with a deep frown. “Brian, Tina, Lilly I hope you’re all alright.”
“Are you scared that they may be gone?” Lava Gazer asks worried.
“Yes. They didn’t come home with me… us. In fact we agreed to help another pony, Dandelion; before things got out of control.” Mike sighs crossing his arms.
As Mike’s metal arm touches his Trans-locator, vines erupt from the device changing its shape and creating a parabolic dish at one end.
“What the hell!” Mike blurts out before putting a hand to his head. “Right the last thing my arm touched was the Tracer Trans-locator… were you still thinking about it?”
“A little…” Lava Gazer shyly smiles only to stare at an orange printed circuit jewel embedded in Mike’s mechanical arm. “Your arm also has…”
“You’ll get lost just letting your guide trot off.” Gray Hoof states as he pops up between the pair of travelers. “This way friends. You have time enough later for your mystery and intrigue.”
Under the early night moon the village of Moon Bloom Glenn’s flowers began to wake to receive the first rays of soft lunar light. Behind a granite memorial statue depicting the heroes who stopped the cutie pox epidemic of Tina, Peoria, and Ruby; a rocky hill side under a strange tree collapses into a slimy puddle ejecting something into the back of the monument.
“Ouch, again with my head.” A slime and dirt covered human woman groans. “I feel like someone’s hair ball.”
Flicking some slime off her hands the human touches something odd between her legs.
“Poor Tina, I knew her well. I even remember how I died.” The human mutters morbidly amused as she turns the fleshless skull over to look at the damaged digital implant, while using her free hand to feel for and find a similar bump on her head. “Looting my own grave, another sick joke this world plays on me.”
Tina gets up carefully using the monument as support after using some grass to remove the slime from her hands.
“I’m going to need a bath and my clothes de-slimed… how I’m not nude can go unanswered for all I care. First thing is first we, my friend; are getting hammered.” Tina speaks to her skull as she picks a direction through town to walk. “I never did get a tour last time I was alive.”
With that Tina starts walking down the street and no screams were heard, but that is only because the residents didn’t wake up just yet.
“The town is still here anyway, they must have found the cause of the outbreak.” Tina whispered with a small smile. Approaching one of the heated stalls to get a better look at an earth pony resident Tina’s smile vanished into a look of confusion. “It not that cold out yet is it?”
The gold brown colt wore a black garment that covered most of the pony’s barrel all the way to thighs of the back legs. The belly was very likely exposed as Tina could see the edges where the fur was showing. 
The colt was not the only pony in the odd attire, but it was the fact that he was so young and one of at least six young ponies dressed like this. The adults as well also sported the unusual garments.
“Oh I get it now…” Tina whispers spotting a broken looking false cutie mark on a powder blue mare that was not quite covered up. “Damn imperfect cure it still scared them.”
Turning back to the colt it dawns on Tina as to the purpose for the garments, but he was not one of her patients. Stepping back Tina begins looking for Dr. Hemlock’s office.
“I hope this isn’t… please don’t be that…” Tina mutters as she races toward the doctor’s office.
Back at the monument three ponies find the slime crater as the moon approaches the mid moon hour.
“Peoria, Petal why are you here?” a strawberry blond mane gray mare with a magnifying glass cutie mark asks.
“I got a weird feeling that I needed to come here and my one cutie marks was glowing.” Petal Lulumoon replies. “I think Peoria must feel the same as her cutie mark is also glowing.”
“You two are hardly separable to begin with, but this a new one on me. Sisters of the cutie mark.” Ruby giggles briefly as she catches sight of the glowing gray rabbit crawling through a thorn bush cutie mark on Peoria’s and Petal’s flanks.
“I guess we are sort of family after that blood transfusion I participated in when her mom was pregnant and sick carrying Petal.” Peoria replies softly.
“I do hope to one day solve the mystery of how a cutie mark can be passed on like that.” Ruby snorts frowning. “But for now I think we have a stranger in town. Come and look at this.”
Peoria and Petal took a closer look at the crater and discovered that it was a disturbed grave with an incomplete human skeleton inside. The crater was not lined with mere slime however as the roots of the nearby cliff side tree were woven into its bottom almost like one half of a seed pod. Some slimy palm prints were also found on the memorials back side.
“I… it isn’t possible.” Peoria says stunned. “Tina… she’s back.”
Sergeant Flint Splitter was stepping out of his office at the cave entrance to check on the three mares as the moon peaks out from behind the clouds. Mere moments after shutting the door, Sergeant Flint Splitter sees one of the mares race from the cave.
“We need to inform representative Comet Tail that the Travelers are awake.” Moon Dancer demands.
Appearing a short time later a Pegasus and fox came out followed by the other two mares.
“Oh man, Mike and Tina are going to skin me for this.” Brian whined as he tried to adjust to walking with the paw armor.
“Trixie thinks you’re being bit melodramatic.” Trixie says with a playful scowl.
“You don’t have to explain this to them, I already violated the prime directive and changed the future somehow. Now I have these enchanted gauntlets.” Brian continues frustrated.
“Take it easy. I don’t think the Tree of Harmony would choose you as an element bearer if your intensions had been selfish.” Twilight Sparkle replies. “What about you Dandelion, you like your new earring?”
“If Brian’s reaction is anything to go by, I’m a little scared myself.” Dandelion meekly replies.
“I… see your point Miss Moon Dancer.” Sergeant Flint Splitter groans. “Will you all follow me please and we’ll talk to Representative Comet Tail.” 
“Come on Brian it won’t be as bad as you fear.” Lilly growls a scolding. “Both Mike and Tina were up to their necks with trouble too remember, and we already dealt with pony leaders before.”
“Odd…” Twilight mutters.
“So you noticed the eye change as well.” Trixie notes getting Twilight to nod her head.
“The record mentioned that Lilly and Brian were fused together by magic. It is hard to imagine why somepony would forcible poly-morph them like this. I’m sorry you two don’t have a clue as to how it happened by the way.” Twilight adds with a caring smile.
“Only the sense of threat and danger are clear about what Brian and I remember about…” Lilly begins speaking before her ears go back in disgust. “Steep stairs just what I want second thing after waking up.”
“I can carry you Lilly, I need to stretch my wings anyway.” Dandelion offers.
Lilly’s tail and ears drooped briefly before taking a moment to breathe in and exhale before nodding. Taking flight Dandelion gently lifts Lilly and hovers next to the group as the climb the stairs to walk to the Two Sister’s Academy.
Now every MLP fan has an idea of what the Two Sister’s Castle looks like in the show or what it would look like in its prime before the universe specific banishments. The castle here however was not the only building or just a moldy old castle. Starting with the metal and wood suspension bridge at the forest edge; an intricate lantern lit brick walkway of pale blue and pale yellow interlocking bricks edge with black stones lead up to the three buildings. First among these along the right side of the path was a small iron gazebo with a podium surrounded by several smaller picnic tables made of marble. Second was a string of connected apartments reminiscent of simple road side motels on the left side of the path. Lastly was the castle itself, made mostly of gray stone and having all the generic English castle touches sported an odd stone mosaic of a cream colored alicorn, a dark blue alicorn, and a Draconequus handing a book to a trio of ponies.
“What is meaning of the picture above the doorway with Celestia, Luna, and Discord? Are they teachers now?” Brian asks curious and confused.
“Now a day, no; Celestia and Luna are a little too old to handle the work load and have retired.” Sergeant Flint Splitter replies. “After the plunder vine mutants were stopped by you, we discovered that the Stewarts’ powers and life spans were greatly cut short from their imprisonment.”
“What… no… how could it happen?” Brian whined hyperventilating.
“They were confronting Discord when the vines snared them. That took place at the same time the castle was hit.” Moon Dancer stops to calm marbled blue yellow fox. “You’re not responsible for their fate even if you weren’t trapped here. Luna even publicly admitted that she was uncomfortable using the Elements of Harmony to end Discord’s reign. They accepted their part in events, and you need to relax.”
“I’m going to bring over some other guards to escort us just wait here please.” Sergeant Flint Splitter comments before trotting over to a group of three guards exiting the Academy’s main doors.
While the guards were being filled in, Lilly and the mares calmed Brian down for the second time of the night.
Sergeant Flint Splitter led the group through the halls passing some of the students as they headed toward Comet Tail’s office.
Back in Cantorlot, Mike and Lava Gazer reach their destination thanks to their guide Gray Hoof.
“Well gents you’ll be staying at the Scarlet Aloe tonight. The Chaos Court will cover your lodgings and in the morning you two can meet with Mayor Blueblood.” Gray Hoof waves the pair over two story corner street building with ferns in the flower boxes. “Good night.”
“Fare well to you for now as well Acolyte.” Mike replies waving back to Gray Hoof as he leaves. “Well Lava Gazer let’s get ourselves a room with some beds.”