Unlike most people, Len had taken to preparing for the arrival of others instantly. He had already gotten funding from Luna and Celestia to start an organization that would work on acclimating humans to the Equestrian world, and as such, he had already been prepared that morning when Luna arrived.
"It appears that, over night, we've had several arrivals," the lunar diarch said as she came into the room where Len was looking at a rather large map of Equestria and her surrounding nations.
"I'm not surprised, everyone but me and Emi seemed to still need time for their forms to take hold," she said, tracing the borders of Equestria with her hoof, "You have where they are?"
"Yes," she said, using her magic to pick up five pins and place them across the map in a different country or area. "I believe we can contact Cadence and she'll take care of arrivals to the Crystal Empire, but the others... I'm afraid we'll just have to send someone to let them know, or they'll have to figure it out themselves."
Len sighed, lowering her head, "Five pins, five new groups of ponies. It's going to be a long couple months, isn't it Luna?/"
"Indeed it is," she said, "Indeed it is."
Neighpon
Sam had had a terrible week. Andy and Alex had been forcing him to be the one to explain, to every group after Len's, what had happened and why. Basically, he was the scapegoat for thousands, possibly, millions of people. And now, here he was, in front of some Japanese rip-off ponies.
Did we mention the swords?
"Nani o, watashitachi no kōtei no shinshitsu de wakai taneuma o shite imashita ka?" A stallion standing next to the man, an emperor, asked.
Sam struggled to remember ANY Japanese before the exact words he needed came to him, "Watashi wa watashi ga anata no gengo o hanasu koto wa arimasen kowaidesu."
The man listened for a second before his horn glowed and Sam could hear what he was saying, in English. "I asked you what you were doing in the bedroom of the emperor."
"I do not know, one minute, I was laying in bed, the next you were pointing samurai swords at me," Sam said, eyeing the swords that were STILL pointed at him.
"Very well," the stallion answered. Sam stopped as the swords were resheathed and looked up at them confused.
"You believe me?" he asked, astonished.
"Here in Neighpon, our spells are based on truth. If you say such things while our spells are upon you, we will believe," the stallion answered.
Sam nodded, finding it somewhat sensible. If truth was what they valued, then they may believe his story. "I am not from your world, either. Where I come from, two-legged hairless apes rule, and I was one of them." He waited for the laughter, closing his eyes, only for it to never come. When he opened his eyes once more, the emperor and stallion were simply nodding in return.
"Such things make sense, we believe, here in this house, that there are far more worlds than our one. Just look up into the night sky," the emperor said, gesturing skyward with a hoof.
Sam gave a relived sigh, before suddenly finding a sword at his throat, and, as he glimpsed around, nearly everyone else's throat. They were all silent as a new stallion entered the room. He brandished a long, white blade. "Emperor, it seems your distraction with this stallion has allowed me to win, once and for all."
"You will not win, De~yuaruhowaito," the emperor said, "The people chose me. They will never choose a murderer who killed his emperor."
"They will if I make them!" De~yuaruhowaito spat, "You are stupid, ponies electing their ruler, ponies are herd creatures, they must be led by force!" The raging white stallion said, before his sword came down, arcing towards the emperor's exposed neck.
*CLANG* The sword bounced off the sword in Sam's mouth. "You okay sir?" He asked through the handle.
Sam's bravery stunned himself, not sure how he had gotten the sword off his neck and into his mouth. "I am fine, my young friend. You bring me honor by saving my life."
*CLANG* "No time to talk," Sam said, as the emperor's soldiers escaped and each began dualing one of the enemy.
Beyond the Ley Lines...
Andy's week had not been much better, like many others, he, Sam, and Alex, had chosen to stay in Chicago until whatever was happening, happened. Of course, he hadn't expected to end up here. A huge forest, nothing to be found for miles in any direction, except for the large stone castle he had woke up in.
"This is just fantastic," he muttered. "I'm the one who ends up in some foreign deserted part of Equus!" He kicked a rock, "Just lovely."
Not only that, but it was already getting dark, and he could hear strange howls coming from the forest beyond the clearing.
"And now, I'm going to be hunted by who knows what! This day just keeps better and better," he called out sarcastically before a large owl flitted down in front of him.
"Hello," Andy said, "Who are you?" He realized he was asking an owl these questions, but who else could he ask?
"I am the Book Keeper," came a reply as Andy's brain took a few moments to realize that it was an owl who had spoken.
"... I... I wasn't expecting an ACTUAL reply," Andy stuttered, gaping at the owl.
"Yes, many creatures that are out here can speak," the Owl said, flapping its wings again, "However, you are the first to have arrived here since my great-great-great-great-great-great-great, and many more greats, grandfather spoke to the first intelligent ponies."
"Really," Andy answered, his brain still somewhat failing.
"Yes, indeed. And, since you are the first in so long, you shall come with me to learn the secrets which I have kept in this castle for so long," the owl said, lifting up and gliding towards a large wooden door.
Andy's brain finally kicked started itself and he accepted the odd fact about talking owls, before following quickly to the door as the owl pulled a chain and the door opened to a massive library. He stepped inside as the owl flew up and grabbed a book, "This is the book that tells of most ancient pasts, I will teach to read it and you will bring its prophecies and warnings back to the pony-people."
Andy opened his mouth and closed it a couple times before successfully speaking, "But I've only just become a pony."
The owl bobbed his head, "That is what these prophecies speak off." The owl said, before flying off and bringing another book. "And it is time to teach you, human-pony, to read these words, so I may send you to warn the pony-people of what dangers they will be facing in the dark times that are coming, and what they must do."