The ships broadcast Twilight's voice across Equestria. In every major settlement, town and city.
"Karellen wants you to know that we can no longer be as divided as we have been. Yes, we have made great strides in friendship and harmony by ourselves, but Karellen wants you all to know that we must do more to encourage the spirit of friendship."
In Appleloosa, Braeburn took his hat off as he stared at the floating ship. Never in all his life had he witnessed such a thing.
"We must extend ourselves to all, even our enemies: ponies, dragons, griffons, pegasi, unicorns, even Changelings must come together in the spirit of friendship. Karellen says that great things are coming; he has not yet told us what it will be, but it is imperative that we come together to work toward a common goal of friendship and cooperation."
In Everfree Forest, Chrysalis tilted her head upward toward the ship, eyeing it. "Like that will ever happen," she said aloud.
"I am urging every citizen in Equestria to open your doors and your hearts to your neighbor; seek an understanding, and friendship will necessarily follow if your intentions are good and honest. We are not alone, not in Equestria and not in the universe." The newsponies in the crowd scribbled while the public around them murmured among themselves. "We have more in common than we might guess; we, all of us, share a common ancestor, are connected through the history of life on this planet. This is true, I have seen it; Fluttershy and Princess Celestia have seen it, too, and Karellen confirms it. This is out strength: that we do not exist in spite of our enemies, but because of our enemies, because of our connection through time and space."
A newspony spoke out form his seat. "Sorry to interrupt, Twilight" - and here Twilight gave him an annoyed nod - "but what you are saying.... surely you are not serious."
"I am serious, yes."
"How can you expect us to believe such a thing. Next you'll be telling us the two sisters don't control the sun or moon," the reporter said.
"They don't" was Twilight's simple reply. The reporter stared dumbfounded at her while, again, the crowd murmured among themselves. In Appleloosa, Braeburn felt a terrible uneasiness in his stomach. In Everfree Forest, Chrysalis smiled and nodded a little, savoring what must surely have been the beginning of the end for the two sisters. At the conference, Twilight continued: "There are great things coming, from the stars, from beyond the stars - things that, if we band together, will transform us into what we always wished - always knew we could become."
"But why would Karellen choose you?"
"Do you not trust me?"
The reporter put his pencil to his muzzle. "Hmmm...." he said, quietly, then, louder: "Fair enough. Uh, continue, Princess Twilight...?"
"That is all for today. Just know that I - that Karellen will be watching. He is here to help us help ourselves, but adheres to a strict nonintervention policy. We must help ourselves."
"Ain't one for speeches, are ya, Twilight?"
"No, Applejack, I suppose I'm not. That being said, I didn't have a lot to go on to begin with. Karellen is very secretive."
"Ah reckon it's probably because, what's the word, oh yeah - evil?"
"No, not evil, Applejack. Just different. If he wanted to destroy us, he could have done it by know I'm sure."
"Oh really?"
"Yes, Applejack. Think about it - he projected my voice through every city in Equestria, even towns that aren't inhabited by ponies. Even the dragons. Even the Changelings. His ships arrived here silently in the dead of night, and yet did not attack when they had the element of surprise. If they can cross between worlds, they surely we won't pose any real threat to them. Would you agree?"
"I reckon."
"So why won't he help us?" Rainbow Dash cut in as they walked through the halls of Celestia's castle.
"Karellen says that's the way it's always been. It's the way it must be if we are to get through this."
"Sorry, Twilight, but that doesn't sound much like a reason. Kind of sounds like a lame excuse to me," Rainbow Dash said.
"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way; but that's the great thing about Equestria, girls; you're allowed your opinion," Twilight looked at Applejack and Rainbow Dash, "even if you're wrong."
"But suppose we ain't wrong, Twi? What then?"
"Then I don't know. But either way, we should probably listen to Karellen. I mean, what harm ever came from building friendships, anyway? I used to think that was all a bunch of hooey, but when I came here, well look at what happened."
"Wait. Wait wait wait wait wait. How is he different? Does he look funny?" Pinkie asked.
"I haven't seen him, not face to face anyway," Twilight said. "But he gave the impression that he looks different."
"What a load of baloney, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said. "He probably looks just like us. It's probably some pony having a laugh at our expense."
"Yeah. Somehow, I doubt that."
Rarity spoke. "Speaking of not seeing somebody, where is Starlight?"
"Oh, I told her to wait behind. This entire thing has been pretty hard on her, with her being so new to friendship and all."
"I can imagine." Applejack said.
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "So, Twilight, you, uh, spend 'quality time' with her yet?"
"Rainbow! Have some tact, this is neither the time nor the place!"
"Oh, calm down, Rarity, it's a legitimate question. So, have you?"
Her friends looked at her, and Twilight felt herself begin to shrink - metaphorically, that is, ponies don't actually shrink - before their eyes. "We, uh, really like to keep that kind of thing between us, Rainbow."
"Oh, it's okay, Twilight," Fluttershy said. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."
"Well, that's good, Fluttershy, because I'm not going to." And with that, she slipped into the door to her temporary suite, and none of her friends were quite sure how they had gotten there so quickly.
"Well, we feel that could have gone a little better than it did, don't we, Sister?"
Celestia covered her face in her hands, her elbows on the table in front of her and her back hunched. Her wings slumped loosely into the chair she sat in and she took a deep breath before she spoke. "No, Luna, it didn't. I could have done with everything if she hadn't brought up the Changelings." She huffed quietly to herself. "The Changelings, Luna. What am I supposed to do now to show my alignment with Karellen? Just invite Chrysalis over for some tea? Some tea, Luna! Imagine that. Me with Chrysalis, the one person who's ever bested me."
"Yes, we imagine that would be rather awkward."
"You think?"
"Yes, we do. That is why we said that."
Celestia peeked between her fingers at her smugly looking sister, when hid her face again. "Could you make yourself useful, Luna, and fetch a guard or a servant or anybody who can bring me some tea. I need some tea."
The planetoid spaceship gently moved through the star's system, a large, vaguely translucent sphere that has passed across the cosmic canvas of space, between dark stars and by black holes and past every single conquered planet. Inside, an army slept, dog-like and vicious and ruthlessly rational. It moved incredibly fast by any terrestrial standard, but in the endless reaches between the planets, its movements were dismally slow. The sphere was a harmless circle when Karellen looked at it aboard his ship. His charge did not have much time to get their act together. Everything was coming together, whether they accepted him or not.
Karellen used a finger to move the display out from the planetoid spaceship. Another ship, a far smaller and much sleeker looking object, had been struck by a piece of space junk and its trajectory altered towards the small planet Karellen's ship hovered over. Knocked from the backways of the system, where such vessels rarely were seen. Karellen eyed the screen silently.
"Oh, Twilight," he muttered to himself, "I hope your planet can come to trust me before it's too late."