Late spring is a wonderful time. It is time of sunny and already warm days, fresh greenery, bird songs and lots of flowers. The reigning atmosphere is delightful: it’s so calm, peaceful and relaxing… You can enjoy it forever. Especially if you are in the countryside.
Ponyville was one of the best places in whole Equestria – no, in the whole world during those days. Team One couldn’t agree more: everything and everyone in the town was so leisure and quiet that it seemed to be the universal paradise, and their work as castle servants and as the researchers became significantly less stressful and exhausting. It was so nice that they wanted these days to have no end.
It was afternoon of another beautiful day. Sheim slowly weeded flowerbeds around the Castle, Oma and Zet’rar together read a novel at the reception stand, lone Edez kept watch near the main entrance, Max slept somewhere in the attic, Bluve cooked lunch, Affi and Karin cleaned corridors on the third floor. There were no visitors, so princess with her assistant worked in the library all the day. It was their little oasis of peace and quiet.
Zet’rar finished another chapter and raised his head. He looked around and noticed Twilight and Spike coming down to them. Little dragon had a scroll in his paws. After them slowly went Affi, Karin and Max. Technician quietly coughed and, thus, distracted Oma from reading and Edez from thinking. They also noticed ponies and dragon descending to them and went to meet them.
“What’s the matter, princess?” asked Edez.
“We have just received this letter,” said Twilight, and Spike showed the scroll. “Princesses Celestia and Luna say that now they can help me resolve all the issues with personnel for this castle.”
Researchers shuddered when they heard that.
“You mean…” began Karin.
“Well, we were hired here for a temporary job, after all,” said Edez, sighing.
“What? No, no!” Twilight raised her foreleg and shook her head. “I’m not going to fire you!”
“You aren’t?”
“Of course not! I’ve never thought about that! And princesses Celestia and Luna haven’t thought too: their only offer was to send here some more guards and servants if there will be any difficulties, that’s all. During these three months I learned what ponies you are. You became not only our servants and guards, but our partners and friends!”
“And very good friends,” added Spike.
“We’ll never replace you with somepony else! There were some problems with your status and your salary, but now they’re solved! Ladies and gentlecolts, you are full members of the Castle of Friendship staff now! And citizens of Equestria too.”
Researchers looked at each other, then smiled and simultaneously exclaimed and bowed:
“Vielen dank!”
“Efcharisto!”
“Ačiū!”
“Graize!”
“Tack!”
“Met dank!”
Twilight and Spike smiled.
“I love you,” said little dragon.
“You are our favorite europonians!” said Twilight.
Princess with her assistant and researchers gave each other a nod, and then alicorn and little dragon went up, back to the library. Team One saw them off, and when they got out of sight, Affi spelled:
“They are just wonderful.”
“Yeah,” nodded Karin and Zet’rar.
“So kind and grateful!” smiled Oma.
“And believing,” added Max.
“Yes… Well, my friends, congratulations!” smiled Edez.
“Yay!”
“Yeah…” Max spelled and yawned. “Well, if anybody will need me, yell. I’m going back to the attic…”
His colleagues laughed and shook their heads. Max smiled in response, snorted a bit and went to the stairs. Other, after a nod, decided to return to their occupations. Affi and Karin followed plodding Max, but just in a couple of seconds, when they reached the first step and Edez stood near the entrance, main doors opened. Researchers looked there and saw their colleague Kor.
“And where have you been?” they asked him.
“You should have come three supramoments ago!” said Karin.
“Pardon me, it’s because of one little incident,” he answered. “But I made very interesting and important discovery. I found why regular changelings have blue eyes!”
“What? Really?”
“Wait!” said Edez. “How did you do it?”
“Well,” Kor began, “I was running near the forest edge in the park, warmed up like I always do now in the mornings. But today when I ran there I saw a changeling. He sat under a tree, ate this,” he showed small pouch full of brown powder of fine grinding, “and his eyes glowed blue!”
“Ehm, how you got it?” asked Oma, pointing to the pouch.
“I crept up to him and hit him in the noodle.”
“…and that’s all?”
“Well, not exactly. When I knocked that one out, two other changelings jumped on me from bushes. One of them screamed ‘For Reverend Mother-Queen!’, and other shouted something about tatzlwurm or tatz-hulud – I don’t remember exactly – of vengeance. I hit them in the noodles too and put all three in shade behind bushes where no one will find them. Then I took this pouch and went to our hq to find what this powder can be.”
“And?”
“I got nothing. Absolutely no results.”
Kor sighed, and then, suddenly, something pink and jumpy flew into the room through the opened window above the door and landed in a couple of steps from the group of researchers. Something turned to them, widely smiled and gibbered:
“Hiya, Berg, Anti Al, Erő, Didi, Pippi and Zicht!”
“Hi, Pinkie!” answered researchers with tranquil expressions.
During these three months they got used to Pinkie’s eccentric and unpredictable behavior and her ability to screw laws of the universe, so now they didn’t surprise and dash aside. They even managed to discover why this pony with curly voluminous mane was like this. Max with his sensory organs and Zet’rar with his miniature scanners found that her battery organ was too large even for a unicorn, and energy concentration in her ETS was two and a half times higher than average. And such huge amounts of energy with almost no way out just couldn’t have no effects on her. So she turned out jaunty, hyperactive and cheerful.
“Do you know where Twilight is?” asked Pinkie.
“She’s in library together with Spike,” answered Affi.
“Oka… Ooooo!” she focused on the pouch what Kor held in his hooves, and in a second appeared right in front of him. “Where did ya get this?”
“You know what it is?” surprised Kor.
“It’s legendary desert mélange! Incredibly rare and expensive spice, which can be found only in one place in the world, the desert island of Arrachis! Even a pinch of it can turn a dish into firework of tastes!”
“Wow…”
“So where did you get it?”
“Ehm… You’ll never believe: I just found it on the street. I guess somepony just lost this treasure.”
“Unlucky one…” sighed Pinkie, but then smiled again, said “See ya!” to researchers and hopped away to the second floor.
Researchers saw her off too.
“Well, now we know the changeling’s secret,” Edez summed up.
His colleagues nodded, and they continued their work. Max, Affi and Karin went up, Edez, Zet’rar and Oma took their places, and Kor went to put his armor on. Soon he was ready so joined Edez to keep the day watch.
Then there was calm again. The only thing what happened during the following minutes was the returning of Sheim – he finished all his jobs outside and now was free. He brought tools back to the closet, put off the uniform and went upstairs to find place for napping.
He went away, but soon after him some figures appeared on the stairs again. Now it was Twilight, Spike and Pinkie Pie. Princess and her assistant looked ashamed like after many excuses for refusal to do something for request, Ponyville party organizer was sad – she even lost some volume of her mane and tail.
“I’m very sorry, Pinkie,” Twilight said, “but I can’t go with you. If this visit was just for one this day, I would come. But you are planning to return here tomorrow by morning train, and I have to be in Canterlot at that time. And I can’t send Spike with you – after that incident I can’t let him travel alone.”
“Hey, it wasn’t that bad!” objected little dragon.
“Still I can’t allow it to you,” continued Twilight and addressed Pinkie. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh…” sighed Pinkie Pie. “Rarity and Applejack are too busy, Rainbow Dash is in Cloudsdale, Fluttershy is in Yellowstone Park… Whom have I come with then?”
“I don’t kn… Wait, we can ask guys!” she ran down from the stairs and addressed researchers. “Can some of you make a company for Pinkie for her visit to Dodge City?”
Members of Team One looked at each other, nodded, and Edez said:
“Yes.”
“Really?” smiled Pinkie Pie. Her mane puffed up and regain its volume.
“Yes, but at first we have to decide who will come with you.”
Edez cleaned his throat and shouted:
“Komm her!”
In a dozen of seconds all other researchers were in the hall.
“Pourquoi vous êtes à crier?” grumbled Sheim, walking down the stairs.
“Our dearest friend Pinkie Pie needs a company for her visit,” answered Edez and turned to bearers of the Elements and Spike. “Now excuse us for a moment…”
Team One gathered near the foot of the staircase, stood in a circle and began to chat. Pinkie Pie leaned forward to listen but got nothing: researchers spoke in their “native” languages and did it very quickly.
“I should talk more often with tourists,” she whispered.
Researchers meanwhile quickly finished their discussion, turned to waiting ponies and little dragon and announced their verdict:
“Well, miss Pie, you’ll have two companions,” said Edez.
“It’s us!” said Sheim, pointing to himself and Affi.
“Yeah, we can take a break for a day or two,” confirmed Affi.
“Oh, thank you!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie, jumped right to planetologist and telepathist and hugged them.
“Jeez, we haven’t done anything yet!” said Sheim.
“Still thank you,” said Pinkie Pie.
Green stallion just smiled a bit and rolled his eyes.
“So, when we should start to pack our things?” asked Affi.
“Oh,” Pinkie Pie released researchers. “Well, the train to Dodge City leaves in an hour.”
“Then we have to be quick!”
“Right!” said Pinkie Pie and run away. “We’ll meet at the train station!” she shouted when she was already at the opposite end of the street.
“Antilipsi, Lierre, god luck to you!” said Twilight.
Spike gave them a nod, and then he together with Twilight went back.
“Well, looks like we are going to explore another location of Equestria,” said Edez and addressed Affi and Sheim. “Don’t forget to install additional recording modules!”
Planetologist and telepathist winced and shuddered after these words.
“Okay, okay,” said Affi.
“Wonderful. And hurry up – the train leaves soon.”
“We’ll be waiting for you to hear what this Dodge City is,” said Oma.
“Got it and thank you!” Sheim and Affi said goodbye to their friends and rushed home.
In forty five minutes they were at the platform of train station. Saddlebags were packed with things and tools what can be useful during the journey. Self-installing devices had already reached their places and fixed themselves. Now there was no more pain, so they could act as usual, be typical ponies-migrants.
The train had already arrived, so now they just waited for Pinkie Pie. And soon she showed herself. She jumped to the platform from behind the corner of building and cheerfully hopped towards researchers. She had no saddlebags – instead them she had a suitcase. Three dozens of big balloons were attached to it, so it just floated behind its owner – Pinkie tied a rope to its handle, and other its end tied to her left foreleg. Sheim and Affi looked at it with the only thought: “Typical Pinkie Pie…”
“I am ready!” chirped Pinkie Pie. “And you?”
“We? Yep, we are.”
“Good!” she smiled, brought the suitcase to the ground, opened it and crammed all the balloons inside it. Researchers raised their eyebrows – it was first time in last four weeks when Pinkie Pie could surprised them. “Let’s go then!”
She took the handle of suitcase into her mouth and trotted inside the car. Affi and Sheim followed her.
They put their luggage on the shelves and took their places, researchers sat opposite to Pinkie Pie. Soon the last ponies got aboard, and stationmaster announced the departure of the train. The engine was started, locomotive gave the first “choo-choo” and wheels began to move. The train started to move and slowly gain speed.
“Excuse me, but when we’ll arrive there?” wondered Sheim.
“Oh, Dodge City is quite near to Ponyville. We’ll be there in less than three hours,” answered Pinkie Pie. “It situated at the opposite to Ponyville end of Everfree forest. I can tell you everything about it!”
“Well, if we are going there, it will be good for us to learn some information about it,” said Affi.
“Great!” smiled Pinkie Pie. “So, Dodge City, or simply DC, as we call it, is quite big town – um, approximately three times bigger than Ponyville. And it’s very different from Ponyville. I don’t wanna say that it’s bad, no. It’s just… different. But it’s also very nice. DC is my favorite town! Just as Ponyville! And Canterlot, and Manehattan… I like DC since my foalhood, but then I liked Ponyville too… Oh… I can’t decide what city I like the most!”
“Let’s say that Dodge City was the first town that you really liked,” intervened Affi.
“Yeah, right!” Pinkie Pie nodded. “Oh, good old DC has its own charm, you will see! Buildings there are mostly wooden, just like in Ponyville, but their architecture is different – they are simpler and… eh, I don’t know the word… um, well, industrial? ‘cause DC is industrial town. But there are some stone buildings too – like local hospital, school and city hall. There are no so many trees in DC, but it surrounded with dense forest. Ponies of DC use edges of the forest as their town park. And, by the way, ponies in DC are nice too! They… may seem to be a bit self-contained, but they are kind and always ready to help! And they are very, very hard-working! I’ve already told that DC is industrial town, right? Well, there are a lot of different enterprises there, a lot of factories and manufactures – surroundings of DC are rich in wood and stone. There is sawmill, furniture factory, match factory, brickyard, cement factory, plant for the production of coating materials… oh! And a lot of workshops, where ponies do different beautiful and fancy stuff from wood and stone.”
“Ehm… I can understand where ponies of Dodge City get wood, but where do they get stone?” wondered Affi.
“I haven’t mentioned it?” surprised Pinkie Pie. “Oopsie! My bad! Well, there are some mines near the city, and, of course, a lot of rock farms!”
“Speaking about rock farms…” spelled Sheim. “I do not quite understand what are these.”
“You haven’t rock farms in Europonia?”
“You know, Europonia is land of mines and miners.”
“Well, rock farms arise in special, magical places, where rocks just appear on the surface themselves. I don’t know exactly how it works, but everything looks like rocks become alive and creep out from under the ground! Then we collect these rocks, sort them and sell! Or we break them to find gemstones.”
“Hm…” Sheim rubbed his chin. He had already made a hypothesis about how does it really happen: probably rocks and ground there have different energetic properties and thanks to influence of perfect mix these difference only become higher, so the ground just extrudes “foreign” bodies. And, by the way, other Teams proved that there can be incredible number of manifestations of energy environment influence, so appearing of rocks from under the ground is just a minor one. “Now I get it.”
“Wait a minute!” suddenly exclaimed Pinkie Pie and looked at planetologist. “Lierre, you are geologist, right?”
“Ehm yes.”
“Oooh! My parents and sisters would be so glad to see you!”
“Wait, your parents and sisters?”
“Yeah, they are owners of one of the rock farms near the city. We are going to DC to visit them!”
“You didn’t mention this.”
“I didn’t? Oh, sorry! He-he.”
“It doesn’t matter now. Well, we’ll do our best to impress them!”
“They will be already impressed when I say that I brought another geologist with me!”
“Pinkie, if we are going to visit your family, can you tell us about them then?” asked Affi.
“Sure!” chirped Pinkie Pie. “I have dad, Igneous Rock, mom, Cloudy Quartz, two older sisters, Maud Pie and Limestone Pie and one little sister, Marble Pie. They are wonderful ponies! They are benevolent and very industrious, like many other ponies of DC. But they also never mind to have some fun! I remember the first party what I threw – at first they were so surprised, I’d say even shocked, because, well, we had never before had parties at our rock farm, but then they came to enjoy! I love them all so much! And I regularly come to visit them! And… you know, they’ll be very happy to see you! My family hasn’t been far away from DC – as long as I remember, my parents and sisters were only in Trottingham, Hoofington, Chicoltgo, Denmare and one time in Ponyville. Oh, and Maud once was together with me in Canterlot! So, it will be such pleasure for them to see ponies from another part of the world! They’ll probably ask you a zillion of questions! Especially to you, Lierre – they’ll be very eager to learn about europonian rock stuff.”
“Ehm… I don’t think that I’ll be able to speak several hours about rocks only,” said Sheim.
“And you do not have to!” smiled Pinkie Pie. “Yeah, my parents and sisters can speak about rocks for hours, but they are interested not only in then. My father, for example, very interested in exploration geology, my mother – in gems, Marble – in sculpture, Lime – in management, and Maud – in… um, petrography, yeah, that’s how it’s called, petrography.”
“Well, it changes the matter a bit,” Sheim said and forced a smile.
Pinkie Pie was going to continue to speak, but suddenly stood still and sniffed.
“Oooh!” she rejoiced. “They’ve already started to sell snacks! I’m hungry! And you? Do you want some?”
“Well…” Sheim began.
“Oh, yes, we’d like to have some!” intervened Affi.
“Good! And what do you want?”
“We aren’t so choosy. Take what do you want.”
“Okie-dokie-lokie!” chirped Pinkie Pie and hopped away.
She quickly left the car, and when she went away, Affi turned to Sheim. Her expression made geologist shudder: Affi’s face showed mix of deep shock, stun, perplexity and desire to break own neck.
“Holy… What happened?” Sheim got worried.
“I’ve just made her complete mind scan…” quietly gnashed Affi. “She is live random number generator, uncertainty in the cube… Her thoughts are even more chaotic than Discord’s! I won’t be able to bear it for the whole day! And I can’t control her all this time, it’s a torture!”
“Then what do you offer?”
“I don’t know!” she grabbed Shiem with her hooves and lifted him. “If I will ask you to shoot me with your spikes, do it.”
“What? Are you nutz?”
“Aaaghh!” Affi released him grabbed her head. “Pinkie is very nice pony, really, but she is total nightmare for a telepathist!”
“Listen, I can imagine what you feel now, but there should be another way out!”
“I can’t even think about… Wait a moment! I know what to do!” she turned to her fried. “Do you have a bottle with that fruit drink?”
“Yes, and so what?”
“Give it to me.”
Sheim stood on hind legs, reached the shelf and opened his saddlebag. He took out the bottle and gave it to Affi.
“Wonderful!” she said and stood up to get something from her saddlebags. After short searches she found what she needed and sat back. She held a little jar of pills. She opened the bottle, then opened the jar and put one pill into the drink.
“X-551?” surprised Sheim.
“Yes,” nodded Affi. “At least, it should provide us calm and quiet way to the city,” she closed the bottle and put it on the seats between herself and Sheim.
Pinkie Pie returned soon after this.
“And here I am with the snaaacks!” she sang when she came back into the car. Somehow she held a tower from three full plates, bottle of mineral water, some bread and set of cutlery on her head.
“Snacks? It’s a complete meal you have here!” said Sheim when Pinkie Pie distributed the plates and cutlery.
“And, by the way, what is this?” asked Affi, looking at maroon porridge-like mix that was the dish.
“Oh, it’s DC’s traditional: beans with onion and carrot in tomato sauce!”
“Hm, looks like fine nosh,” said Sheim.
“It is! Best bean dished are cooked only in DC!”
Pinkie Pie sat back on her place, and they began to eat. During the meal Pinkie Pie told a couple of Dodge City local jokes. They weren’t so funny, but still they almost made Affi and Sheim choke – laughter with full mouth is quite dangerous. Pinkie Pie meanwhile continued to eat like nothing happened and like speaking didn’t even bother her meal, so she was first one who finished her dish. She put her fork on the plate, put it aside and looked at her companions. And she noticed bottle that stood between them.
“I see you brought your own drinks?” she said.
“Yep,” nodded Sheim. “It’s orangina.”
“Orangina?”
“Citrus-flavored carbonated drink. You want to taste it?”
“Yeah!”
“Then here you go. You can drink all of it, if you want. We have more of it!”
“Thank you!” chirped Pinkie Pie, opened the bottle and with a single gulp emptied it. “Mmmmm! Tasty! But I can’t define what fruits were used…”
“It’s a mix of oranges, lemons and mandarins.”
“Wonderful combination!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie and widely smiled, but then her expression and mood rapidly changed. She leaned back, half-closed her eyes and yawned. “Well…” she spelled. “As they say, after hearty lunch one should take a nap!” and she immediately fell asleep and snored.
“Great!” grinned Affi.
Now she could breathe easily, and together with Sheim enjoy the silence. They brought plates and cutlery back to the dining car and just started to look out the window – they had no want and no need to chat. But the train had already reached the edge of the forest, so now there were thickets on both sides. There were no settlements and other stations until very Dodge City, so this monotonous green landscape will be the only thing what they be able to see during next hours. There was absolutely no interest to watch it, so Affi and Sheim decided to follow Pinkie’s example and have some nap. The only difference between them and their younger friend was that they regularly opened their eyes to check if they are already close to the destination.
When they opened their eyes for the seventh time, they noticed silhouettes of the buildings on the horizon. Dodge City was near.
“Wake up, Pinkie! We’re almost there!” Sheim shook Pinkie’s shoulder.
“Wha… huh?” she instantly opened her eyes. “We are in DC?”
“We’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”
“Great! Let’s take our luggage then!” she smiled again, stood up, took her suitcase and hopped to the doors.
“Well I’ll be…” whispered Affi and for a moment froze with opened mouth. “Even ones of the oldest civilizations are sleepy at least for twelve supramoments after a pill of X-551, and she’s wide awake only after five!”
“She’s much stronger than she looks…” responded Sheim.
In a minute train stopped at the city’s station. “Dodge City, terminal station!” conductor pronounced through the loudspeaker. Doors opened, and passengers began to left the cars. Pink curly pony jumped away from one of the doors and stopped in the middle of the platform. She put her suitcase on the ground, opened it and got balloons out from it. Then she quickly tied them to the handle, and fixed floating suitcase to her left forelimb with rope. Sheim and Affi, with saddlebags on their backs, slowly went behind her.
“Come on!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie. “I want to give you a little tour around DC before we went to my parent’s rock farm!”
“That’s very kind of you,” said Sheim.
Pinkie Pie waved her hoof, and researchers followed her. They went down from the platform, walked round the station building and appeared at the big forecourt. The railway station was situated on elevation on the outskirts of the city, so almost all settlement was visible from that improvised square.
Indeed, Dodge City was more like a town than Ponyville: it occupied larger area and was densely built. Because of this it looked like one big brown spot from that hill – almost all buildings in the city were constructed from wood and weren’t painted. Single- and two-storied houses, dwellings, stores and workshops, lined up in rows along straight streets. Dodge City was built according to checkerboard layout. The only exception from it was the city’s industrial zone, which was situated left of them: cluster of factories, big wooden buildings with metal roofs and high metal chimneys, was built so as to achieve the convenience for the work – along the railroad. The only structures that disturbed the monotony of the wood were city hall, school and hospital – three- and four-storied buildings of gray, beige and white colors that towered over the city.
They descended from the hill and went along one of the city’s streets. Pinkie Pie started her excursion, Affi and Sheim listened to her and looked around. Dodge City had some features which made it close to Ponyville: it also had a lot of small shops on the ground floors, and it also was full of activity. The main difference was the environment – Dodge City looked more strict and brutal comparing to Ponyville. Ponies there weren’t eager to meet passers with elation, they rarely smiled to each other and usually limit themselves with respectful nods. Yes, Dodge City was true town of workers.
“…and here you can see famous Sweet Crisp’s confectionery!” continued Pinkie Pie. Now she pointed to one of rare in Dodge City painted buildings, white and orange blockhouse. “We always came here for some candy after the school! Also she makes wonderful pudding and marmalade! Oh! And here’s our Central Square!” she pointed again. “This gray building is our city hall, that beige – school (I went there when I was a filly), and that white one what you can see farther – hospital!”
Researchers looked at only stone structures in Dodge City. City hall, school and hospital, though they had different colors, weren’t painted – the reason of the difference was the material what they were built from. They were massive and quite old: their rough walls were weather-beaten, they experienced a lot of heavy rains and scorching days. Looking at them, researchers remembered memories of traders which Team Two sent them – architecture of these buildings was very close to europonian structures of Epoch of Many States.
“They look ancient,” spelled Affi.
“Yeah, they are quite old. DC was found about four hundred years ago,” answered Pinkie Pie.
“You know, they look just like some old buildings in Europonia,” said Sheim.
“Really? Wow, I didn’t even know it! Maybe they were built by some europonians?”
Sheim just shrugged.
“Well, it’ll be very interesting to learn. I didn’t know that europonians came to Equestria at such ancient times.”
“You’ll be surprised, but europonians think that they were not only visiting Equestria in ancient times, but they were the ones who found it,” said Affi.
“What???”
“Yes. Europonian legend says that those lands where three pony nations originally lived were Europonia. Then, when Little Ice Age came – you call it windego incursion – some ponies left their homes. But because spirits followed migrants, some other decided to stay. They survived the cold, and when it was gone, they repopulate the lands again. Migrants found Equestria, and the remained ones found countries of Europonia. There were several groups of survived, and each of them found their own state. Later, when they spread wider, they found each other, but, unfortunately, it was too late to unite again – their cultures became too different. That’s how all regions of our land originated.”
“Wow… You want to say that my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-and-so-on-grandparents were europonians?”
“Well, yes.”
“That’s awesome!”
“But it happened long time ago. You, equestrians, are separate culture now.”
“But still it’s awesome! I’m partly europonian! And all other ponies of our land too! We have to celebrate it! Oh, and I even know how we’ll do it!”
“Oh, relax, my friend…”
“No! This is worth celebration! Unfortunately, I can’t throw a party it right now – I didn’t even take my party cannon with me – but we should do something in honor of it. So, Anti, Lierre, let’s visit old missis Sweet Crisp!”
Sheim and Affi sighed. From bearers of the Elements they learned that it’s absolutely useless to resist Pinkie Pie. Ponyville party organizer was a compelling force, and she officially was considered as serious reason of lateness and other things.
They turned back and soon entered the small confectionery. It was a weekday, so there were only few visitors. Researchers and Pinkie Pie took the table near the door, and soon olive aged unicorn mare with short light green mane and tail come to them.
“Good day!” she said. “What will you… Oh my! Pinkie Pie, is that you?”
“Yep, that’s me!” she chirped in response. “Good to see you too, missis Crisp! How are you doing?”
“Oh, still working, as you see. My sweets are still in demand!”
“I’m so happy for you!”
“And what brought you here? And who are you companions?”
“These are my friends Lierre and Antilipsi, they are from Europonia. I came to visit my parents and sisters and they are keeping company to me,” Pinkie Pie turned to researchers and introduced the owner of the shop to them. “Anti, Lierre, this is missis Sweet Crisp, the best confectioner in whole DC!”
“Oh, Pinkie!” she turned to researchers. “That’s because I’m the only confectioner in the town.”
“Oh, don’t downplay, missis Crisp! Your sweets are famous far away from DC!”
“Thank you, sweetheart,” missis Crisp smiled. “So, what will you order, my friends?”
“We’re celebrating, so we need something grand!”
“And what you are celebrating?”
“I’ve just learned that my ancestors were europonians, and that DC was found by them! And, by the way, europonians were you ancestors too!”
“What?”
“Oh, missis Crisp, we are sorry,” said Affi. “We just said that city hall, school and hospital in your city look like some old buildings of our homelands, and what about the other thing – well, we just told her one our legend.”
“About foundation of Europonia,” précised Sheim.
“Oh… okay than.”
“So, what do you have?” asked Pinkie Pie.
“Well, my menu hasn’t changed so much after your graduation from our school,” answered Sweet Crisp. “Chocolate sweets, caramel, vanilla, chocolate and lemon pudding, fruit muffins and cupcakes and, of course, juicy marmalade! And Dodge City’s special!”
“Dodge City’s special?” wondered researchers.
“That’s our specialty of the house!”
“We are celebrating great event, so, missis Crisp, please, three DC’s special!”
“As you wish,” smiled old mare and, when Pinkie Pie, Sheim and Affi paid the order, went to the kitchen.
“Well,” spelled Sheim, “now I can safely say that I’m not alone.”
“What?” exclaimed Pinkie Pie. “But, Lierre, you’ve never been alone!”
“That’s not what I meant, Pinkie. I meant… Well, I studied Ponyville inside and out and it turned out so that there I am the only green as a pickle pony. But here I’ve already seen four absolutely green ponies just like me!”
“Oh, that’s what…” said Pinkie Pie and laughed. Affi smiled too.
Soon Sweet Crisp returned and brought the dishes. Pinkie Pie and researchers took them, thanked the cook and began to eat. The dessert turned out to be very and very tasty – after the very first bit expressions of Affi and Sheim changed. They became very glad and, although they had good snack only three hours ago, they ate everything.
“Wow. That was amazing!” said Sheim, having eaten the last crumb. “It’s incredibly tasty!”
“Yes!” nodded Affi. “Simply wonderful! But… I couldn’t define the ingredients. So, can you tell us what it is, please?”
“Sure!” said Sweet Crisp. “This dish is made from DC’s traditional food – beans!”
“Oh… That was… unexpected.”
“Well, it always surprises tourists.”
“We can imagine.”
They thanked Sweet Crisp once again and left the confectionery. Now they directed their steps to Pinkie’s parents’ rock farm.
“Oh! I forgot to tell ya one more thing. When we’ll arrive, my parents prepare dinner, so get ready!”
“Dinner?” said Affi. “I don’t think that I’ll be able to eat something else after these snacks!”
“Aawww! Please! They’ll get very upset if you won’t eat!”
“Uh, fine,” sighed Sheim. “But there should be no beans!”
“Why?”
“Because if I eat even one more bean dish, my “exhaust” will be so strong that I reach escape velocity for sure.”
Pinkie Pie fell down on the ground and burst out laughing.
“Ahhhahahahahahaaa! That was great! Hahahahaha! It’s one of the best jokes about bean food that I’ve ever heard!” and she hysterically laughed again.
“Alright!” said Affi who barely managed not to burst out laughing too. “Pinkie, stand up. Your parents won’t like their daughter being dirty.”
“What? They’re owners of rock farm! We all get dirty there when we work!”
“Well, as you say.”
“But you are right, I have to stand up! We don’t want to be late, right?”
And they continued their walk. Soon they passed the narrow woodland belt that separated Dodge City from the area of rock farms and appeared in deserted terrain with few distant buildings here and there. Although there were bunches of herbs and trees around them, the ground mostly was bare. Gray soil and dark stones – this sight spread for miles. Quite dull and grim landscape. Pinkie Pie waved her free forelimb, and researchers followed her to one of the nearest buildings.
In dozen minutes they approached it. It was a barn similar to one at Sweet Apple Acres, but this wasn’t so bright. Architecture was strict, but it was visible that ponies cared about it. Pinkie Pie came to the door and knocked on it.
Some seconds of silence – and then the door lock clicked. The door opened, and two ponies appeared on the porch: aged brown stallion in hat and aged gray mare with shawl and glasses.
“Mom! Dad!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie and jumped to embrace her parents.
Her parents’ reaction wasn’t so cheerful, but they were happy to see their daughter: they smiled and hugged her too.
“Oh, I’m so happy to see you!” said Pinkie Pie.
“We are happy that you came too, Pinkie,” said Cloudy Quartz.
“I missed you so much! I felt that I was away from you forever!”
“Oh, it was only six weeks,” spelled Igneous Rock.
“But still it was too long!”
Three more ponies came out from the door.
“Hi, Pinkie!” they said.
“Maud! Marble! Limestone!” rejoiced Pinkie Pie.
“Good to see you here,” said Maud Pie.
“I’m glad that you all here too!” Pinkie Pie turned to researchers. “Guys, meet my family! My father Igneous Rock, my mother Cloudy Quartz and my sisters Maud Pie,” she pointed to gray mare with purple mane, “Marble Pie,” she pointed to light gray mare with gray-asparagus striped mane, “and Limestone Pie!” she pointed to light purple mare with light gray mane. Then she turned to her family. “Mom, dad, Maud, Lime, Marble, these are my friends Antilipsi and Lierre!”
Researchers bowed.
“You are europonians, right?” asked Igneous Rock.
“Yes,” nodded Affi.
“Nice to meet you and, please, come inside!” said Cloudy Quartz.
Pie family went inside the house, and Sheim with Affi followed them. They went through the hall and appeared in the living room. It wasn’t big and was modestly furnished: wooden walls, a table between two couches, fireplace, three cupboards and chandelier. The only elements of decorations were several pictures on the walls and little stone sculptures on the shelves.
“Sit, please!” said Cloudy Quartz.
Researchers nodded and together with Pinkie Pie took the smallest couch. All other members of Pie family took the largest one.
“I know that you are very outgoing, Pinkie, but still how did you get acquainted with guys from another part of the world?” asked Limestone Pie.
“They came to Ponyville three month ago, and I met them then! I told you about their arrival during my last visit, didn’t I?”
“Oh, pardon us, Pinkie,” said Igneous Rock. “We could forget.”
“Ah, it’s okay, dad!”
“And what do you do there, miss Antilipsi and mister Lierre?” asked Cloudy Quartz.
“Please, just Antilipsi and Lierre. We are working in the Castle of Friendship,” answered Affi.
“I’m a gardener, and my friend is a maid,” added Sheim.
Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz winced.
“I would never thought that princess Twilight could hire a punk,” said Cloudy Quartz.
“Punk?” surprised Sheim. “Oh, this… Well, my mane just grows like that. You see, one of my great-grandfathers was a zebra.”
“Zebra?”
“Yeah. They all are with mohawks, you know. And it’s a hereditary trait. So my father was also a punk, and grandfather too.”
“Oh, then pardon us, please.”
“Don’t bother about that.”
“You didn’t tell that one of your great-grandfathers was a zebra!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie.
“Well, you didn’t ask about that.”
“Why did you leave Europonia and come here?” asked Maud Pie.
“I think you might hear that there are some problems with vacancies in Europonia. There are a lot of ponies who want to work, but number and choice of vacant places is quite limited. Even if you have the most brilliant higher education, it doesn’t change the matter. We didn’t find job at our home, so we moved there.”
“Higher education?” surprised Marble Pie and Limestone Pie.
“Yeah!” said Pinkie Pie. “Anti and Lierre and the rest of the gang – Berg, Al, Didi, Calma, Erő, Pippi and Zicht – all of them are smarty pants. Anti is a psychologist, and Lierre is a geologist!”
“Geologist?” a little spark appeared in eyes of all members of Pie family.
“Yeah,” weakly smiled Sheim. “I also deal with rocks.”
“If you have higher education, why you work as servants?” wondered Limestone Pie.
“We are team of nine close friends, and we wanted to keep together, so we searched for a place that could provide workplaces for all of us at the same time,” said Affi. “And the Castle of Friendship turned out to be the only place with such offer. Yes, there is no need in our education now, but we are together, and, by the way, these jobs are more well-paid than many others.”
“And, also, our places of work make us the only and first for six hundred years europonians at the royal court!” added Sheim.
“They have a point,” said Igneous Rock, rubbing his chin.
“And what field of geology did you study?” Limestone Pie asked Sheim.
“Your father will be glad, miss Pie,” answered Sheim. “Exploration geology.”
“Pardon me, but can I ask you one thing then?” asked Igneous Rock.
“Sure, mister Rock.”
“Some ponies from city’s cement factory, knowing that I am quite a specialist in exploration geology and my daughter Maud Pie has PhD in general geology, addressed us and asked about help with finding a marl deposits in our vicinity. We told them that they won’t find any significant here, but they didn’t believe us. Can you confirm my words, Lierre?”
“Well, you are living in hilly terrain, which, as far as I can see, was formed as result of glaciation. These hills are moraines. So they can find significant deposits – if they exist, of course – only at great depth. If they want deposits at small depth – well, they can find only fragments, blocks of marl. Yeah, they may be big as five dozens of Dodge City’s city halls put together, but still they are only fragments, surrounded by sand and gravel.”
“Thank you, and could you write it down? I think that the opinion of the independent expert will have an effect.”
“Sure.”
“And how were you?” Cloudy Quartz asked Pinkie Pie. “What new happened during these weeks?”
“Oh, a lot of things happened!” Pinkie Pie began to tell. “We celebrated Twilight’s and Applejack’s birthdays – I threw such parties for them! We were at Flower Festival in Mountain Meadow…”
“Flower Festival?” surprised Marble Pie and Limestone Pie.
“Yeah! It was amazing! I’ve never seen so many flowers in one place! Whole village was just buried in them! And they made such awesome parade and firework! That was what I call the event! Also I helped mister and missis Cake to cook – last week I baked eighteen special orders, two more than my previous record! Also I helped watch Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake. They became quite gamine foals, but they are cute. My friend Rarity took part in Trottingham Fashion Week. She was so nervous but she made the best collection! Also my friend Fluttershy kept a whole pack of wolves for three days in her cottage. Together with a bear and a couple of cougars!”
“She’s a brave pony,” said Cloudy Quartz.
“She just knew how to handle with all the animals. Oh, and our europonian friends prevented the changeling invasion in Ponyville and protected the Castle! They all fought for it!”
“Is it true?” surprised Pinkie Pie’s parents.
“Yes. We have some experience,” said Sheim.
“And, by the way, we all had to,” added Affi. “They outnumbered us.”
“And they won!” continued Pinkie Pie. “They even beat queen Chrysalis! Their friend Erő bit off a piece of her wing!”
“What?”
“Erő is severe guy,” just said Sheim. “Very severe.”
“Oh…”
“Yes, he’s a… Ah! A! Aaaaaaaachoooooo!” Affi closed her eyes and loudly sneezed. “Excuse me,” she said and opened her eyes.
And when she did it, all Pies – except Maud Pie, but she also got surprised – dashed back, almost having tumbled down the coach with this.
“What… is that?” shuddered Cloudy Quartz and Limestone Pie.
“Oh… My eyes changed their colors again, right?” spelled Affi.
“Yeah,” nodded Sheim.
“I’m sorry for that,” she blinked and soon returned her “normal” color. “It happens sometime.”
“But why?”
“That’s what can happen to you if you are near to powerful pure magic explosion.”
“Sounds hard,” said Maud Pie.
“In fact it was so hard, after all. You just felt shock like from lightning and, of course, you go deaf for some time. But then you get better and everything got cured – well, almost everything…”
“Well, would our guests like to dine with us?” asked Cloudy Quartz.
“You know, you daughter fed us two times already…” said Affi and looked at Pinkie Pie, who made big apologetic smile. “But we would not mind to have a little additional snack.”
“Girls, bring us the dinner, please,” said Igneous Rock.
Younger Pies gave a nod and went to the kitchen. Researchers remained alone with seniors.
“You know, feeding, especially with sweets, is the second thing after throwing parties what Pinkie Pie loves the most,” said Igneous Rock.
“Oh yes,” responded Sheim.
“Want it or not, you’ll have to adapt when you are dealing with Pinkie Pie,” said Affi.
“Yes, that’s our Pinkie.”
“And, by the way, missis Quartz, what is for dinner?” wondered Sheim.
“Beans. Don’t you mind?” she answered.
Researchers looked at each other and then back on senior Pies.
“We friggin’ love beans!” said Affi with big forced smile.
Meanwhile younger Pies returned with the dishes – boiled beans with some fresh green onion – and cutlery. They put the first set in front of their parents and researchers and then brought sets for themselves. After this Pinkie Pie quickly ran to the kitchen again and brought glasses and carafe with crystal clear water. When she returned and sat down, they began to eat.
The conversation continued.
“Antilipsi, can you tell what kind of psychology did you study?” wondered Cloudy Quartz.
“Behavioral psychology of different species,” she answered. “Patterns of behavior, reasons of different kinds and changes of behavior, what effects it may have, how to help other with their problems and… how to influence it.”
“You studied psychology of griffins, zebras, minotaurs and dragons too?” surprised Limestone Pie.
“Well, I didn’t study psychology of minotaurs – there are not so many of them in Europonia, after all – but psychology of other races you mentioned – yes, and, also, psychology of deer and bisons.”
“Wow. Heh, I’d like to know how other creatures think!”
“Believe me, it’s better not to do that. Studying of how other creatures think completely breaks your picture of the universe.”
“Is it really so bad?”
“Did you know that dragons collect jewels and other stuff not because they are greedy by nature, but because it’s their instinct need? They are absolute omnivores, so these materials are necessary for their organisms, and the need in them isn’t constant. They may live without them for century, but then they’ll have to consume tons of the stuff during weeks. They don’t know when the need will strike, so they solve it with the simplest way: they always keep a stock!”
“I didn’t know that!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie.
“Well, now you do.”
“You said that you learned how to influence ponies’ behavior…” spelled Cloudy Quartz, leaned forward to Affi and quietly said. “Then tell us, please… Are you using your tricks on Pinkie? Because now she is calmer than usual.”
“Heh… I have to say that sometimes I do…”
“Now Pinkie is almost as calm as her sisters,” gladly whispered Igneous Rock. “It looks so that I am ready to believe that you mentally control her!”
“NO!!!” shouted Affi. Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz shuddered and dashed back from her. “I mean… That’s just effects of the tricks! They are super effective!”
“As you say…”
“Oh, and can you tell us anything about zebra’s psychology?” having finally found some courage, asked Marble Pie.
“Well…” spelled Affi and began to share knowledge what she got from Team Eleven.
Meanwhile Sheim faced with another problem, which was called Maud Pie. Usually quite passive, imperturbable and calm like a well-fed boa mare got interested when she learned that green stallion is a geologist. So she started to ask him questions about rocks and everything what was connected with them. A lot of questions.
“Do you like petrography?” asked Maud Pie.
“Well, I’m actually more into mineralogy,” answered Sheim.
“Hm. Then may I ask you one thing? The only gems what we find here are emeralds, aquamarines, heliodors, cloudy and smoky quartz. I’m not sure that we can find something else, but is there such possibility at all?”
“Well, judging by the list of gems that you mentioned, you may find here also some topaz, tourmaline, goshenite and red emeralds.”
“And have you ever been at rock farm before?”
“Uh, no. Only at mines.”
And this lasted for fifty more minutes. Maud Pie kept asking her questions. Rocks, rocks, rock farms, rocks, mines, rock farms, rocks and again rocks and rock farms with mines. Sheim loved geology, he loved mineralogy and petrography, but he wasn’t able to understand how it was possible to ask about such narrow-topic thing for almost two supramoments! He slowly began to get mad. And with every new question degree of his madness and irritability grew. It grew and grew and, eventually, reached the point.
“What do you think about the boulder that stands in front of our door?” Maud Pie asked another question.
Sheim was ready to boil up, but he managed to hold himself and outpour everything accumulated with another way.
“What do I think about it?” he said in response. “I’ve never before seen such beautiful rock! It’s wonderful! Amazing! Gorgeous! Such smooth lines, good shape – why, it’s perfect! I’m ready to fall on my knees, embrace and kiss that rock, so beautiful it is! Just look at its cleavage! Perfect rhombohedrons! Mmmmm! And what about the lustre? It’s dazzling! So charming! And look how hard it is! We all love ‘em hard, aren’t we? And, you know, this rock is very, very erratic, if you know what I mean.”
Members of Pie family and Affi just dropped their jaws and they almost hit the table, their faces were distorted. They were, to put it mildly, in deep shock. For whole three minutes they just stared at Sheim, unable to utter a word. Then Affi and older Pies started to slowly came to their senses, and at that moment… Face of Maud Pie began to distort again. At first it was hard to define what happened to her, but a bit later everyone noticed that corners of her mouth move upwards. She suddenly made a wheezing sound, then snickered, after this wheezed and snickered again and… after all hysterically laughed.
Seeing this, Affi, which appeared to be the first one who recovered completely, turned to Sheim and said:
“Syncharitiria! Tha tis espase.”
“Maud?..” said her worrying sisters.
Maud Pie stopped for a moment, looked at them with perfectly calm expression, but then burst out laughing again.
Igneous Rock, Cloudy Quartz, Limestone Pie, Marble Pie and Pinkie Pie just watched how their daughter and sister, the standard of tranquility, nickered like mad. It was the first time when they saw her like this. Maud Pie split her sides for a couple more minutes, but eventually she stopped. She wiped a tear, sat up straight, and then all other noticed that she changed: her mane and tail puffed up a bit and became more curled, and now there were sparks in her eyes.
“That was… The funniest thing that I’ve ever heard!” she said.
“Well, I’m glad to try,” weakly smiled Sheim.
“You are wonderful!” she smiled.
“Maud, are you all right?” asked Limestone Pie.
“I’m more than fine!” answered Maud Pie.
“Well then… Happy to hear,” said Igneous Rock and made nervous smile.
“Oh, just look at this!” Pinkie Pie suddenly said.
“What?” worried other.
“We’ve finished our dinner already!..”
“Oh…”
“…and I don’t know what to do now!”
“Well, you can give our guests short tour around the farm!” offered Igneous Rock.
“Yes, farm is beautiful in evening light,” added Cloudy Quartz.
“Can I join?” asked Maud Pie.
“Sure!” chirped Pinkie Pie.
Maud Pie smiled. It was the second time for the last two minutes. It was strange. And suspicious.
“We’ll clean the table,” said Marble Pie and Limestone Pie.
“Thank you!” responded Pinkie Pie and turned to researchers. “Come on!” She jumped from the couch and hopped to the hall. Affi and Sheim together with Maud Pie followed her.
Cloudy Quartz was right: the rays of setting sun made the landscape of the farm much more beautiful. Illuminated from beneath clouds, pink and orange below and dark blue up, closed part of sunlight and formed amazing bright tracks in the sky. The heavenly dome gradually changed its colors from light purple to bright orange. Because of low-hanging sun rock of the farm casted long shadows. Their stripes alternated with each other and formed complex pattern something similar to coat of a zebra. Shadows of rare trees made the total picture more diverse. Though there were not so much things to look at around the farm, the sight has its own beauty.
But absence of sightseeings didn’t stop Pinkie Pie.
“…and behind these rocks we played hide-and-seek when we were fillies!” she told and pointed to another pile of rocks. “Remember this, Maud?”
“Oh yes,” answered Maud Pie.
“And this… I don’t remember this rock!”
“It appeared soon after your last visit.”
“Yeah? It was fast!” Pinkie Pie looked closer at the rock. “Well, it’s quite a big one!”
“Indeed. Wait a second…” Maud Pie looked closer at the rock too. “It’s a pegmatite!”
“So what?”
“I think Maud wants to say that there can be gems in it,” said Sheim.
Maud Pie smiled again.
“Yes!”
“Then let’s break it!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie.
“Wait, break?” surprised Affi. “How? We don’t have any tools!”
“We don’t need them,” said Maud Pie.
Researchers raised their eyebrows and prepared to object, but Maud Pie meanwhile aimed a blow and hit the rock with all power of her foreleg. A loud crackling sound came, and rock split into dozens of small pieces.
Affi just silently sat on her croup with widely opened mouth. Sheim with distorted face spelled:
“Que je sois damné!”
“Awesome, Maud!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie.
Maud Pie just silently bowed.
“Let’s look what was inside of it,” she said.
The dust has settled, and they came closer. They expected to find some small beryls or quartz crystals, but what they really found was just stupefying. Judging by the remnants of the rock, once it was drilled through – there was one big “channel” filled with various sediments, and a lot of small cracklings that spread from it. Some parts of the stone were melted and solidified again. And in the middle of all this was one of the strangest things what they’ve seen: a huge metal nugget, covered with sediments with surprisingly accurate geometrically correct shape of heptahedral column, one end of which was sharpen.
“What’s that?” exclaimed Pinkie Pie.
“I… don’t know,” said Maud Pie. “It looks like a nugget, but I’ve never seen such strange nuggets before.”
“And what do you think, guys?” Pinkie Pie addressed researchers.
“You think it’s artificial?” Affi telepathically asked Sheim.
“Yes.” he mentally answered.
“It’s… ours or not?”
“I can’t say. I’ve never faced with such things before.”
“Um, guys?” Pinkie Pie waved her hooves in front of researchers.
“Ah, what? Oh, forgive us,” said Sheim. “This… finding was quite a surprise.”
“Yeah,” nodded Affi.
“Do you know what it could be?” asked Maud Pie.
“Well, it looks like solid piece of metal, so it should be a nugget, but its shape and these traces of melting… They confuse me,” said Sheim. “I’ve never before seen anything like this, so I can only guess.”
“Then tell us what do you guess!” demanded Maud Pie.
“Yeah! Tell us!” added Pinkie Pie.
“You see… I read about similar findings before. Ponies found modern things in rocks which were millions of years old. For example, a golden chainlet in piece of coal, or a key in granite… But I’m doubting that this thing is similar stuff. And, by the way, we can see the way of its penetration in this rock.”
“Yes, that’s odd,” agreed Maud Pie.
“I can’t tell anything now. But if I take it, then I’ll probably be able to find something. Will you allow me to take it?”
“Well, okay.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll bring the bag!” gibbered Pinkie Pie and run away. Soon she returned with huge pink sack with varicolored balloons on it. It was big enough not only for the finding itself, but for all the pieces of the rock where the thing was. “Mom and dad are so surprised!” she said when she came back. “They say that no pony here have ever found things like this!”
“You… had time for conversation with your parents?” surprised Affi.
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie nodded with such expression like it was absolutely nothing special in it.
“Okay…”
“Please, help a little,” asked Sheim.
He took the finding and lifted it. Affi and Pinkie Pie took the sack and opened it. Geologist put the column into it, and then slung the sack over his shoulder.
“The sun has touched the horizon already…” said Affi. “Let’s get back.”
“Okay,” said younger Pies and went home.
They directed their steps to the barn and got into when the sun left the sky. Sheim left the sack into the hall, near the closet with work clothes. Pinkie Pie jumped to her parents and told them about how she planned to return to Ponyville: the next train there will leave only at 5:40 a.m. so, as they need place to stay, they’ll sleep here. Cloudy Quartz and Igneous Rock answered that they would be glad to shelter the guests, but there is one problem: the family is big and the barn isn’t so large, so there are no free rooms. Researchers said that they aren’t fastidious, so couches in the living room will be perfect place to sleep.
After this they had one more little conversation just right before going to bed. They spoke about strange finding. Older and younger Pies shared their guesses with researchers. After short dispute they agreed that it’s probably unique phenomenon – a mass of pure molten metal, probably a volcanic bomb, pierced through rock, having left the channel, then ran into refractory crystal and somehow replaced it, that’s why there were all these strange traces. Sheim and Affi did their best to distract Pies from probable artificial nature of the object. When they finished, seniors said that it’s better to go to bed – tomorrow they’ll have another long working day, and guests have to return to their town. Researchers settled on the couches. Limestone Pie and Marble Pie gave them pillows and blankets and one old alarm clock. Sheim and Affi thanked then and wished everypony good night. Pies wished them good night too and went to their rooms – Pinkie Pie together with sisters went their old room. Senior Pies turned lights off and barn got plunged into darkness. Researchers got comfortable and soon fell asleep.
Tomorrow, when even the first roosters were sleeping, they woke up. Igneous Rock, Cloudy Quartz, Maud Pie, Marble Pie and Limestone Pie started to prepare for work, and Pinkie Pie together with Sheim and Affi quickly brought themselves up and, having said goodbye – Maud’s and Sheim’s goodbye was especially long – rushed to the Dodge City’s train station.
They ran through area of rock farms and then Dodge City and in a minute before departure reached the train. They gave the conductor their tickets, got into the car, took their seats and put their luggage on the next ones – no pony wanted to travel at such early hour, so the train was almost empty: thus, they were only ponies in whole that car.
Conductor announced the departure, and the train began to move. Now there will be only three hours of road to Ponyville, so they could have a rest. So, having unanimously agreed, they decided to continue their sleep. But before that Pinkie Pie decided to learn one thing and asked Sheim about it. Unlucky for Rarity, Tom turned out to be an erratic too.
The train quickly gathered speed and rushed along the edge of Everfree forest. Researchers and Pinkie Pie dozed off almost immediately and napped until the very arrival to Ponyville – they woke up only after whistle which driver made after entering the town. Soon the train stopped at the station, they took their belongings and finding and went to the exit.
In a minute they were on the forecourt of the station building. Pinkie Pie sincerely thanked researchers for making company to her, Affi and Sheim said that they were very happy to see her family and Dodge City. They hugged each other, said goodbye and then separated. Pinkie Pie hopped to Sugarcube Corner, and researchers quickly went to their headquarters. If they’ll be lucky, they meet their friends there.
Soon they were on the place. Affi opened the door, and they went inside. A company of Edez, Oma, Zet’rar and Max met then.
“Look who’ve arrived!” exclaimed Edez and smiled.
“Hiya everyone!” smiled Affi and Sheim.
“Oh, it’s clearly evident whom you spent your time with,” grinned Zet’rar.
“Why, Pinkie is great and nice pony!” objected Affi. “Very hyperactive, but still.”
“Say, and why you are here?” asked Sheim. “You are supposed to watch the castle while princess is absent!”
“Yes, we are, but we are waiting for others, as you may see,” answered Max.
“By the way, where are Karin, Kor and Bluve?” asked Affi.
“Oh, Karin and Kor still have their “evening with continuation” at restaurant and hotel,” answered Edez.
“Oh… Well, we’re happy for them! But that’s quite quick.”
“Yeah, they turned out to be faster than us,” spelled Zet’rar and looked at Oma.
Oma gave a nod and said:
“And what about Bluve… Well, she’s walking somewhere around – she tries to calm herself down.”
“What happened to her?”
“Oh, you see, she decided to try her luck with one of those newcomers, that gray stallion in coat. You know, that guys who live near the castle. She learned that he regularly walks early in the morning, went to meet him and make an offer.”
“Oh… And?”
“Well, she received an unsure answer.”
“We see.”
“And what about you? How was Dodge City?” asked Edez.
“Well, it’s was brutal – true industrial town of workers. Everything there proves it,” answered Affi. “We’ll show you the records later. But we didn’t spend all the time in Dodge City – the greatest part of it we spent at one of the rock farms which surround the town. We were at Pinkie’s home! And met her family.”
“Really?”
“Yes. They are complete opposites of her. It looks like all the liveliness of whole that family concentrated in Pinkie. Her parents and sisters are quite calm and quiet ponies – only Limestone Pie is some exception. And they also true hard workers. They gave us a shelter for the night and fed us with good dinner, though it was beans… Pinkie and her sister Maud gave us a small tour around their farm. And during that tour we made one amazing finding.”
“What finding?’
“This!” said Sheim and put the sack down. “We are lost in conjectures what is it, but you’ll like it!” and he took metal column from it.
Zet’rar, Oma and Max looked at it with interest, but Edez… Edez got very pale, and his face turned to stone.
“Gsenp’tlarafiim doemnavate ro edekhe az-malizuuru…” [absolutely untranslatable expression of pure daze and surprise] he spelled. “You… found that on their rock farm?”
“Yes,” nodded Sheim. “It was in a pegmatite rock, typical glacial boulder. It seems that once it pierced a rock far away from here, and then was torn off and brought here… Wait, you know what it is?”
Edez didn’t respond. He slowly approached Shiem, took the column and then hit the floor with its blunt end. Suddenly for everyone it quietly clanged, and blunt end fell off. Edez looked at what was inside, then showed it to his friends. There was a small bas-relief: a bowl with fire on background of mountain ridge under three moons.
“Holy crap of the universe…” spelled Oma.
“Please, tell what is it?” shouted Zet’rar.
“It’s coat of arms of Ad’Deigoro clan…” Edez began. “Only we have heptahedral one. And this thing is our claiming beacon.”
“What?”
“About three million and two hundred thousand years ago, when Dreketani wasn’t an empire, but when we successfully mastered technologies of interstellar jumps, all clans of the planet sent autonomous ships to other systems. Their aim was to find other planets and, if they weren’t already colonized or inhabited, claim them as lands of the clan. They didn’t send information to us – their courses were almost straight lines, so we just followed them and looked for beacons. The mission had no research purposes. When we got enough planets, we just stopped to follow them. But they continued to work. And one of them, as it turned out, reached this system…”
“But that’s not all,” said Oma.
“What do you mean?”
“According to ancient dreketanian law which is still valid and accepted in the Union,” Edez began to explain, “the first representative of the clan who set foot on the claimed planed should become its owner.”
Max, Zet’rar, Affi and Sheim choked.
“What???”
“You want to say that… de jure, now you are owner of this planet?” spelled Affi.
Senior planetologist gave a nod.
“Wow, just wow!” exclaimed Zet’rar.
“Wait a moment…” said Max. “You told that your ships should claim only the uninhabited planets, right? Then how did this beacon appear here?”
“Yes, it was their primary directive…” said Edez. “Well, the only possible variant is that during the visit of our starship this planet wasn’t inhabited with species which our systems could detect as sapient.”
“Great…” uttered Oma. “You sent ships for claiming the planets, forgot about them, and now we found one of their “presents” in millions of light years from your space and after dozens of Epochs!”
“Yep, that’s a precedent,” said Affi.
“Well, I’ll have to spend some time discussing this with the administration of the Institute and the Council of the Union,” spelled Edez.
“Council of the Union?” surprised Sheim and Max.
“Claiming of the planets it’s their business.”
“Well then… Congratulation and our regards, Lord Emperor of newfound land of Gaia Edez Ad’Deigoro!” Oma and Zet’rar parodied official imperial greeting of Dreketani.
Edez gave them a frown.
“Wait, Gaia?” surprised Sheim.
“Yeah, that’s how locals call their home planet,” said Zet’rar. “Gosh, where have you been if you still didn’t learn the name of the planet? And you call yourself a planetologist!”
“Sorry.”
“Well, I think I call other Teams now,” grinned Edez. “Let them see the first sentient of this planet!”
Meanwhile at the Ponyville headquarters of Second Department of Special Service of Equestria another act occurred.
Razor Edge, Grace, Cloudbreaker and Dim Silhouette were having rest after hearty breakfast when Hidden Path with loud slam broke into the room. He panted, and his face rapidly changed its expressions and colors.
“Hid?” surprised Razor Edge.
“Sir?” worried Cloudbreaker and Dim Silhouette.
“What happened to you?” asked Grace.
Hidden Path opened his mouth like he was going to say, but couldn’t utter a word. Only after some seconds he finally managed to start the phrase.
“I… met that turquoise mare… from the group of castle workers…”
“What did she do?” asked Razor Edge.
“It was something terrible?” said Dim Silhouette.
“She… she decided to take me out for a date!”
All his colleagues got taken aback and froze.
“And you?” quietly asked Grace.
“I didn’t know what to do! What to say! I could give ourselves away! I just got lost!”
“You told her that you don’t know?”
“Yes!”
Grace, Razor Edge and Dim Silhouette shook their heads but then, in a second, laughed. Cloudbreaker just looked nowhere with big eyes and raised his eyebrows.
“What are you laughing at?” shouted Hidden Path.
“The girls just wanted to go on a little date with you!” said Razor Edge.
“She’s one of our objects of observation!”
“And so what?”
“Similar situations were described at some of our lectures…” said Cloudbreaker still being in his isolated wave.
“What?” exclaimed Hidden Path. He began to feel embarrassed.
“Don’t tell me that you have no experience in this field,” said Grace.
“I’m not a spy, I’m a detective!” objected Hidden Path. “I was taught how to watch, notice things and solve mysteries, not how to seduce girls!”
Grace sighed and uttered “Hard case…”
“Listen…” she began. “Yes, she is one of our objects of observation, but it doesn’t change anything! She just wanted to spend some time with you, so give it to her! If she invited you herself, then she doesn’t know who you really are! Just stop think about the work all the time at once and have some nice time! Just be yourself and don’t speak about our true aims!”
“But what if it’s their secret plan to detect us?” objected Hidden Path.
“How did she behave?”
“Well, she was quiet and shy, just like bearer of the Element of kindness.”
“Then I can tell you with one hundred percent confidence that she doesn’t know who we really are. She just wanted to date you!”
“Yeah, next time just agree,” said Razor Edge. “Just… Wait, how long ago it had happened?”
“What?”
“Her attempt to invite you.”
“Well, about half of an hour ago,” Hidden Path looked at the wall clock.
“Dammit, dude! Run and find her and tell that you agree!”
“What? But she’s…”
“Think about it like about a date with a zebra, or a deer, or an antelope,” offered Dim Silhouette.
“Well… I’ll do it,” said Hidden Path and left the room. Soon his colleagues heard the sound of a gallop.
Cloudbreaker, Grace, Dim Silhouette and Razor Edge looked at each other.
“You think it was good idea?” asked Cloudbreaker.
“Yes,” nodded Grace with a smile. “He had to have some good time with a girl long ago.”
“We can only wish him well,” said Dim Silhouette.
“And, by the way, this date may turn out into significant event, and our Hidden Path may become historical figure,” grinned Razor Edge.
“Why?”
“First stallion who dated an alien!”
All other smiled too.
“Yeah…”