Pony Nation

by TimidWolf

Chapter 1: Beginnings

One year ago in Equestria...

A snow-white unicorn with a triple-gem cutie mark closed her shop for an early lunch so she could walk down to the old library. Rarity didn't know what to expect when she got there. She didn't even know if Twilight would be inside or not. All she knew was that her friend, who had been gone for several weeks, showed up at her boutique without warning twenty minutes ago. She told Rarity that she needed to get to the library as soon as possible, where Twilight would explain to her why. Then as quick as she appeared, she took off.

Rarity arrived at the library and knocked on the door with a front hoof. When no answer came from inside, she used her magic to slowly open the door. She peered inside, but could see nothing because all of the shades were drawn. With a little trepidation, she stepped through the doorway.

"Hello?" Rarity called into the darkness as she closed the door behind her. "Twilight?"

"Sur-PRISE!!!" a pink pony exclaimed as the lights came on, loud noisemakers were set off and confetti was fired into the air. Rarity jumped a little and skittered backward into the door.

"Pinkie Pie!" she yelled, "You scared the living daylights out of me! What in Equestria are you doing here?!"

"Well I thought I was supposed to be throwing somepony a surprise party!" Pinkie explained. "But I guess it's not for you either. Twilight wasn't very clear on the details."

"Oh, my," a timid yellow pegasus spoke up from behind a table stacked high with dusty books. "Pinkie, you scared her more than me or Applejack."

"I was not scared, Fluttershy, just startled," Rarity told her before she realized, "Wait a second, you're here too? And Applejack?"

"Ya got that right," the country pony said as she trotted down the stairs to join the other three. "Jus' as Ah thought. Everythin' here's been untouched ever since Twilight left way back when. Did she tell ya ta come over here too?"

"Yes, but I cannot possibly imagine why."

"Well, yer guess is as good as mine," AJ said.

"Wait a second!" Pinkie interjected. "If Twilight told all of us to come to the library, then shouldn't Rainbow Dash be here, too?"

"I would have thought that she would be the first one here," Fluttershy reasoned.

Just then everypony heard a rush of air from outside, followed by a loud thump against the door. "Ha! Made it!" came Rainbow Dash's muffled voice from the other side.

"Speak of the-" Applejack started.

But no sooner than she started to speak, a bright light glowed in the middle of the room. Then a brilliant white flash blinded the ponies for a second. When they could see again, they looked where the light had been and saw their long-absent friend, purple wings spread, wearing a set of saddlebags emblazoned with her six-pointed star cutie mark.

The rainbow-maned mare burst through the door, saw the purple alicorn and stopped. Her mouth dropped open and she could only mutter, "No way..."

"Not quick enough, Dash!" Twilight said playfully.

"Twilight!" Pinkie exclaimed and tackled her to the floor with a hug. "You're back, you're back!"

Everypony followed suit and hugged her together. Twilight, stuck in the middle of her friends' affections, was probably the happiest of all. "It's so good to see you again, girls!" she said. "I've missed you all so much!"

"We've missed you too!" Fluttershy said as everyone peeled themselves off of Twilight.

"So, Princess," Rainbow Dash said, nudging her, "what the hoof have you been up to? Last we saw you, you said you had some work to do on Earth with Lorenzo."

"Is he here, too?" Rarity asked.

"No, he isn't," Twilight answered. "He, Princess Celestia and I have all been very, very busy. But I'm happy to say that all of our hard work has finally paid off!"

"Well that's great, Twi," Applejack said. "Does that mean you're here ta stay?"

"How come you brought us all here just to tell us that?" Rainbow asked.

"Did you bring any snacks?" Pinkie inquired.

"Hold on, girls!" Twilight said with a raised hoof. "There's a lot I need to tell you, and we don't have a lot of time. Just let me explain and you'll be ready by the time we go."

"Go?" Fluttershy asked meekly. "Go where?"

"Princess Celestia must need us in Canterlot, as per usual," Rarity said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Not exactly, Rarity," Twilight clarified. "This time, I'm the one who needs you."

"Well, wherever you need us, count us in!" Dash said as she flapped her wings excitedly and hovered above everypony. "We go where you go, just name the place and we'll be there!"

"I thought you'd say that," Twilight said as she used her magic to open her saddlebags and lift out five bundles of paper tied in red string. She laid them on the floor in front of her as she proclaimed, "Pack your bags, girls! We're going to Earth!"

"Earth?" Applejack asked. "Are ya serious?"

"Absolutely!"

"When are we leavin'?" AJ asked again.

"Tonight!"

"Tonight!?" Everypony echoed loudly.

"Talk about short notice!" the country pony exclaimed. "How're we supposed ta get ready before then?"

"Don't worry," Twilight assured her, "I have it all covered in your itinerary!"

"Well thank ya, princess of organization..." Applejack muttered under her breath.

"I understand how overwhelming it must feel right now," Twilight said, "but I couldn't wait another minute on Earth without my friends. The Earth-Equestria Resolution literally just became law on Earth hours ago, which means I can finally give you all these!"

Twilight motioned to the bundles of paper. Each packet had one of her friends' names written on it. She tapped a front hoof on one of the tied bundles and said, "These are your boarding passes for Chalk 815, the first commuter Blink transport to Earth. It leaves tonight at nine o'clock."

"Nine o'clock?" Rarity asked. "Why, that only gives us about six hours to get ready, eight at the most! How will I be able to decide what to pack for the trip before then?"

"You won't have to," Twilight explained, "because I have it all outlined in your instructions: what to bring, what not to bring and things to expect on Earth, plus travel fare and directions to your final destinations."

"Our final destinations?" Fluttershy asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, there's another thing," Twilight said. "I kind of already made special plans for us. Each of you has a special assignment at a certain location on Earth, where you will spend an extended amount of time assisting the humans."

"Whoa, back up," Rainbow Dash cut in. "What do you mean, 'extended' amount of time? That sounds like a lot."

"The decision to go is completely up to you," Twilight said, "but if you do decide to then I'm hoping that you will stay on Earth for at least six months."

Everypony let out shocked gasps, as if their friend had just asked them to gallop to the end of the world. Rainbow jumped high into the air and bellowed, "WHAT?! Six months?!"

"That's if you decide to go. But I really hope you'll consider going, because either way I need to go back to Earth."

"So let me get this straight," Rainbow Dash said as she hovered above Twilight. "One day you come to us saying you have to go to Earth with Lorenzo for awhile, and you end up going away for weeks! Then from outta nowhere you show up again, just to tell us that you're going back? And you want us all to go with you for months away from home?! To drop everything and go, just like that?!"

"Yeah, Ah don't know, Twi," Applejack said with apprehension. "That's a long time ta be gone. Ah mean, Ah've still got a whole farm here ta manage."

"Yes, Twilight, and what about my boutique?" Rarity asked.

"And my animals?" Fluttershy concurred.

"Don't forget my weather detail!" Rainbow Dash said.

"And what's Ponyville to do without a Pinkie Pie?!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Girls, I know this is a lot that I'm asking of you, more in fact than anything we've ever done together," Twilight explained. "But this is bigger than parasprites, bigger than the Crystal Empire, even bigger than Night Mare Moon. This is Planet Earth, the human homeworld. And the entire planet is in trouble. A lot of bad things have been happening to the humans, some of which are complete mysteries even to them. It's been Lorenzo's wish that with our help, our natural abilities and fresh perspective on the situation at least some of the damages can be repaired."

"Um, no offense, Princess," Dash said, "but how do you suppose we do that? I mean, what could we possibly do that they haven't already figured out how to do with their fancy technology and stuff?"

"I've often asked myself that, Rainbow," Twilight said. "I've learned all about what the humans have done and what they're capable of. They may have built machines that tell them where the clouds are in the sky and what they look like, but they can't fly up to one and stomp some rain out of it. They may know what the apple is made of and why it grows better in some climates than others, but they can't find fertile soil just by scooping some dirt up and looking at it with the naked eye. And they might have mastered electricity and learned how to use it throughout their daily lives, but they can't generate it out of their own body. These are our natural talents. This is what we bring to the table."

Twilight took a moment to look at all of her friends as she told them, "When the EER was ratified, another special consideration was made. As of now, I am the Equestrian ambassador and leader of all ponykind on Earth. That means my word on Earth is as good as Celestia's word in Equestria. When I speak there, everypony listens. I have pledged to the humans the full support of Equestria during their difficult times."

Everypony was silent for a moment as Twilight let the words sink in. Then she continued, "I wouldn't have done that if I didn't have faith that you all, my friends, could do your part to help the human race. That's why I'm asking for your help once again. We have accomplished so much together: taught others the true value of friendship, thwarted the plots of tyrants, and even saved a kingdom from certain destruction. But this task will be the greatest and most difficult that we will have ever undertaken: to save a nation and, if necessary, an entire planet. Can I still expect you all to stand by me as we take this on?"

For a few seconds nopony said or did anything. Then they all looked at each other and one by one they smiled, as if they knew exactly what each other was thinking. They all looked back at Twilight and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Thank you, everypony. Now, first things first. Fluttershy?" Twilight began as she levitated one of the bundles and passed it to her. "Included with your boarding pass are instructions for getting to your final destination. It's a zoo, where many of the animals are sick. A lot of animals on Earth are getting sick and no one knows why. The humans need someone who understands animals the way you do to help them get better."

"Oh my," Fluttershy said as the caught the papers with a front hoof. "That sounds like a big job, but I'll do my best to help the poor creatures."

"Atta girl," Twilight said before switching her focus to the cyan pegasus. "Rainbow Dash, you have worked under Spitfire's direction before. Right now she's on Earth working a special assignment that will hopefully repair some of the savage weather patterns the planet is experiencing. I would like you to join up with her and assist with the mission. First follow my instructions, then when you are asked to provide orders show the humans the additional papers."

"All right! I was wondering where she went all this time." Dash snatched the floating papers out of the air and scoffed, "So, weather detail? Easy peasy lemon squeezy!"

"I sure hope so. Now, Rarity," Twilight started as she picked up the next bundle, "you are without a doubt one of the best seamstresses in all of Equestria. I need you to bring your skills to Manhattan and-"

"Um, Twilight?" Rarity interrupted and asked, "I'm sorry, dear, but did you mean to say Manehattan?"

"No, Manhattan," she clarified. "It's an island in the northern United States."

"Ah, I see," the white unicorn said. "What a clever pun. Anyhow, please continue."

"As I was saying, you're going to Manhattan to adapt your fashions to the human race. You're also going to see if anyone who needs clothing can afford it. Many of the humans are too poor to afford the clothes they need, especially during the winter months."

"Good gracious!" Rarity exclaimed as she used her blue magic to take the papers from Twilight's pink magic grip. "Not enough clothes for everyone? Sounds like a job for generosity to me."

"I agree," Twilight said before she moved on to the country pony. "Applejack, I'm putting your green hoof to work. There's a region in Midwestern America that the humans call the Heartland. This is where they usually grow all of their food, but for some reason their crops are failing. I'm counting on you to work with the farmers and restore the dying crops necessary to feed the population."

"You got it, Twi," AJ said as she bit the papers in midair. She set them down at her hooves and added, "Ah'm ready ta get mah hooves dirty and help."

"And last but certainly not least," Twilight said as she picked up the last bundle of papers, "Pinkie Pie."

"Present!" she piped up.

"Pinkie, Lorenzo has told me that most people on Earth aren't as happy as they used to be. It's probably on account of everything their planet is experiencing right now. But whatever the case may be, I need you to connect with the humans - especially the kids - and help them find reasons to smile again."

"Um, no offense, Twilight," the pink pony said, "but if you want to help out the baby goats, shouldn't that be a job for Fluttershy?"

"What? Goats?" She thought for a second and added, "Oh, goats and kids, I get it. No, I meant children, as in human girls and boys. Kids is short for children on Earth."

"Ohhh!" Pinkie said in realization as she bit the papers and put them down. "That makes more sense. Okie dokie lokie!"

"Great!" Twilight said. "That should be everything!"

"Wait a second!" Pinkie interjected, "That's not everything! What are you going to be doing while we're off saving the humans?"

"Well," she explained, "since I'm the Equestrian authority on Earth, most of my work will be at the United States' capital. It'll be government work mostly, not nearly as interesting as what you all will be doing. But remember that I'm just one step away from meeting with the top human leaders. So if you have something you need to pass on to them, just let me know and I'll carry the message."

"But if we're hither, thither and yon all over the country," Applejack said, "then how're we gonna talk to ya?"

"I've got that covered, too," Twilight assured her. "I have instructions in your packet for how to buy and use a cellular telephone, and for establishing an email account."

"Email? Do what now?"

"That means electronic mail," she clarified. "It's how most of the humans communicate over long distances. It's not dragon fire, but it's still reliable."

"Hey, speaking of dragon fire," Rainbow Dash said, "how come Spike isn't here with you?"

"Spike's on his way from Canterlot right now," Twilight said. "He wanted to see you all off." She stopped to stifle a yawn, then continued, "Whew, I'm exhausted. That reminds me, everypony should go home and try to get some sleep before we leave tonight. There's a huge time difference between right now in Ponyville and the time of day on Earth at the Blink Facility. I'm normally asleep right now."

"How big of a difference is the time?" Rarity asked.

"It's about thirteen hours later there than it is here."

"Good heavens!" she exclaimed. "You're absolutely right, Twilight! We should go rest for awhile. A pony needs her beauty sleep, after all." Rarity fluffed one of her curls with a hoof.

"So what's the plan, Princess?" Dash asked.

"Well, it's about noon now," Twilight said. "You all should go home, get a little shuteye, read over my instructions and get your bags packed. Then be back here no later than six o'clock so we can walk to the Blink Facility together. Don't oversleep, or else we'll have to leave without you."

"Don't you worry, Twi!" Applejack declared. "We'll be here!"

"Great! Then I'll see everypony at six!

Twilight's friends took turns hugging her again and telling her how much they missed her before they all filed out of the door. When she was alone, she trotted upstairs and looked out her window to watch everypony walk home. At that moment she remembered the events that brought them together: how Princess Celestia had assigned her to Ponyville to make friends, how she met her friends, how they worked together to stop Night Mare Moon's return and the lessons she learned along the way. Since then they have all learned more about themselves and each other, which made their friendship even stronger. Now she feels as if she is following in her teacher's hoofsteps: now she is the princess, and she is putting the same faith Celestia has in her into her most trusted friends.

All she hoped for was that the humans would try to exercise a similar faith.