• Published 6th Oct 2019
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Ponies on Earth and their New Horizons - TikiBat



All actions have consequences, and sometimes those consequences can lead to new and exciting things!

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Chapter 12: Two Worlds, One Story

The last week of her scholarly excursion to Equestria had flown by in a heartbeat, and even though it was full of monotonous work, it was the kind of work that Scarlet absolutely relished. To some, studying star maps and doing advanced astrophysics was a dull bore, but for Scarlet it was her passion and she didn’t care if it made her a boring pony.

Despite her trip nearing its rapidly approaching end, she still couldn’t help but spend time getting some last minute work in— she could only imagine that inter-dimensional trips like these would be exceptionally rare, and she wasn’t going to waste a single minute of her time here. As she neared the main observatory she pushed the large wooden doors open and trotted in, waving at a pair of Equestrian technicians as she passed them, “Hey, Thunder! Hey, Sol! They got you two working overtime again?”

The gray night pony nodded her head, glancing towards the blue unicorn that sat off to the side. “Yep! Finishing up some unplanned maintenance, I guess they forgot to recalibrate it when they were working on it before. No sweat though, the extra bits we get for this are well worth it, isn’t that right Sol?”

“Mhmm, beats working back on that dock in the Crystal Empire that they had us at before.”

Scarlet smiled, “That’s certainly a nice perk. So are Tyler and Sarah in there?” She asked, gesturing towards the main observatory with a wing.”

The blue unicorn nodded, “Yeah, just came back from break maybe five, ten minutes ago? Nebula and Windseeker were helping them earlier, but clocked out when they all broke for their break.” She glanced towards Thunder and then back over to Scarlet, “Starting early again Scarlet?”

“None of the fun stuff yet, just the boring paperwork. You know, logging which quadrants we’re on, any anomalies with the existing maps, that kind of stuff.”

Thunder Smiled. “Sounds like a boatload of fun, I think I’ll let you handle that stuff and stick to the technical oddities.”

Scarlet smirked. “Not a fan of paperwork?”

She replied with a mock face of disgust, earning laughs from both Scarlet and Sol.

“Well I’ll let you two get back to work, have a nice night if I don’t see you before you break.”

Thunder smiled, “You too, Scar. See ya later.”

Scarlet trotted towards the interior doors and walked into the observatory proper. As Scarlet made her way over to her desk she smiled at Tyler and Sarah, who were already hard at work on their respective tasks for the night.

“Hey Tyler, Sarah. You guys have a nice day?”

Tyler turned away from the computer for a moment and nodded, “Yeah, I took a nice walk this afternoon and did a little fishing down by the pond. Not much else.”

“Did you catch anything good?”

He shook his head, “Nah, just some Equestrian bass, tossed ‘em back after. How about you? Did you do anything fun?”

She shrugged, “Not really, just meditated for a little while before dinner. I know this means nothing to you, but I almost managed to dreamwalk during it but got distracted before I could. I don’t think very many night ponies can do that back home. I only know two that have been able to actually do it with any regularity.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow and laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. It doesn’t mean a whole lot to me but at the same time I guess it really wouldn’t. I don’t know how that kind of stuff works or even feels, but it sounds like fun, and to be honest I wish I could understand it. Getting to make your own dreams and go off on some crazy adventures or something sounds really fun.” Sarah added as she walked over from the telescope.

Scarlet nodded. “What’d you do today Sarah?”

“Oh you know, much of the same. Stopped by the library and tried reading some of their books. Get this, they have their own version of Indiana Jones, Daring Do!” She excitedly cheered. “And the story’s aren’t even half bad either. I’m honestly tempted to buy up the whole set and bring them home with me if they’ll let me.”

“I don’t see why they wouldn’t, books should be perfectly fine.”

“I guess we’ll find out then eh? I think tonight’s pay night so… looks like I know what I’m spending it all on.”

Scarlet laughed. “You know you’re just like my husband, dropping all of your hard earned cash on books and other collectible stuff.”

“I think I’d get along well with your husband then.” She paused. “So what’re you up to anyhow? Just stopping by early?”

Scarlet shook her head, “Nah, I figured I’d help you guys out with the mundane paperwork. I felt like I was starting to get too comfortable with not doing work, I figured I might as well get back into the swing of things and take some more notes on Equestrian astronomy while I still can.”

“Not one for taking time from work? I thought you had a blast the other day at dinner?”

She nodded, “Oh I did, there’s just so much to do here and not enough time to do it so I don’t want to waste any of my free time when I have the opportunity to use it to my advantage. I love vacations just as much as the next pony, but we’re talking about the unknown cosmos of another world here!”

“How’d that cave tour go by the way? Tyler and I didn’t get a chance to stop down there.”

“Oh it was awesome, It’s hard to explain but I just felt so cozy there. I even got to pick up a few souvenirs for my husband and foal and got to meet some more night ponies. Overall, it was interesting to say the least, and it really made it clear how different they are compared to their earth counterparts.”

“Well it sure sounds like you had a fun time. We appreciate you helping out with the boring work by the way, it really helps cut down on the workload.”

To the casual observer it might seem that the group had been hard at work for the better part of a few months, but in actuality it had only been a few weeks since the group had arrived in Equestria. As resourceful as the trio had become, they were only a small part of the larger team, and after this week they would be gone, leaving their work for some future group to pick up.

Maybe someday she could find her way back here, but that probably wouldn’t happen any time soon. As much as Scarlet enjoyed the outpost and Equestria as a whole, she missed her family and couldn’t wait to get back home to them. Perhaps she could bring them along for the next trip if there was ever that possibility, she’d have to ask the Princess the next time she had the chance to.

She shook her head and returned to the task at hand. Equestria had so many more stars left to map, and not nearly enough time left to map them as she wanted. Still though, the opportunity to even be a part of this was more than anything she could ever ask for and she was happy to be a part of it, even if only for a short while.

“So what’s the plan tonight Sarah?”

The human looked away from the large telescope in the center of the room, “Not much, just finishing up the stars in quadrant five, moving onto six, seven, and maybe eight if we have time to get to that tonight.”

“Ah, so the less prominent stars then?”

She nodded, “I’m glad you said less prominent instead of less important. So many people back home seem to disregard ours like that. They might not be as prominent as some of the more visible stars and constellations, but they’re still out there, even if people don’t see them.”

“I couldn’t have said it any better myself,” Tyler added, “If you want to jump in early feel free to do so, I know the paperwork’s a bit boring and I wouldn’t fault you if you wanted to get to the real fun stuff.”

Scarlet smiled, “I’ll think about it, someone’s gotta get this done though and I’d rather knock it out before my shift really starts so I can get more out of it.”

Tyler shrugged, “Hey you do you, we really do appreciate it though, so thanks again.”


As Scarlet walked around the outpost she couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. On one hoof, she was excited to get home and see her family again, on the other she was sad to say goodbye to her new friends and all the interesting wonders that Equestria’s night sky had to share. The end of their trip would be here in only a few hours, and already she had received a flurry of emotional goodbyes from some of the permanent staffers that she had come to see as close friends during her short trip to Equestria.

She had already carefully packed away enough notebooks to easily fill in her small bookshelf back home and couldn’t wait to properly organize all of her research. For as much as she had learned on this trip, she had only barely scratched the surface of everything that Equestrian astronomy had to offer. Her collected volumes of research and notes would still make for an interesting read for astronomers back home, and she had decided to start properly curating it all into an actual book. She didn’t expect it to be anything that would make waves in the industry, but hobbyists and others who couldn’t make the trip on their own would probably find it interesting enough to buy a copy which would at least help fund some of her own work.

There was one more pressing matter that she wanted to address before she left, thanking the princess for even letting her be a part of the team. She approached the large observatory doors and knocked a few times, waiting until the princess called her in. With a confident smile Scarlet began to trot towards the princess, who greeted her with a smile of her own.

“Good evening again Scarlet. Crescent has told me that there was something you wished to speak with me about?”

She nodded, “I just wanted to thank you again for letting me be a part of this. It really means so much to me.”

Luna nodded, “It was my pleasure to help a pony that appreciates the night as much as you do. You are returning to Earth soon, correct?”

She nodded, “Yeah, I don’t know when or if I’ll ever be able to come back here again, but I wanted to just give you a personal thank you before I left. There was another thing too, it’s about my notebook.”

The princess let out a small laugh, “And which one would that be? I couldn’t help but notice that your saddlebags are filled with far more than what you arrived with. Do you plan to share some of the research on our stars with Earthly astronomers?”

A smile began to spread across Scarlet’s face, “Yes actually, we don’t really know a whole lot about Equestria’s stars back home, I kind of figured that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to organize and publish my notes— if that’s alright with you that is.”

Luna smiled once more, “I would never stop somepony from sharing a love of the night with others, please go ahead, and share what you’ve learned here.”

Scarlet excitedly nodded, “Thanks Princess, for everything. I hope that I’ll be able to come back for another visit someday.”

“I wish you the best of luck wherever you may go, if you should find your way back to this world again, I would be delighted to hear of what has transpired with your endeavours.”

Scarlet smiled and trotted out of the Observatory, running into Thunder and Sol on the way out, “Oh hey guys.”

The gray night pony looked up from her desk and smiled, “Hey Scarlet, I suppose this is probably the last time we’ll see each other?”

Scarlet nodded solemnly, “Yeah. We’re out of here in a few hours, I just wanted to say a few goodbyes before we board the train.”

The blue unicorn gave a quick nod, “It’s sure gonna be quiet around here, I don’t think any other astronomer, save for the princess herself, has spent so much time in here.”

Scarlet let out a laugh, “I hope I didn’t bother you guys too much, this has been a once in a lifetime opportunity, I didn’t want to waste a single moment of it.”

“It’s been different, but fun. We’re really going to miss you three, even if we’ve only known each other for a month now.” Thunder added.

Sol nodded, “It’s crazy how fast a month flies by. One minute three strange aliens are stepping off into your home, the next you’re saying goodbye to new friends.”

“It’s weird. I feel like this place has become a second home to me, even if I might never get back here,” Scarlet mused.

Thunder shrugged, “You never know, anything’s possible. So many ponies have come here to study or research the stars, and out of all of them I think you three might be the most memorable.”

“It helps that you’re also the first aliens here, that’s definitely memorable.” Sol added with a smile.

Scarlet nodded, “Look me up if you guys ever make it over to Earth, I’d love to show you around our observatory sometime.”

Thunder smiled, “For sure. Take care Scarlet.”


The group walked back into the Crystal palace, feeling as if they had just done the opposite only yesterday. Scarlet was unsure of what the future would hold for her or if she would ever get a chance to come back here, but she was grateful for the experience nonetheless. The group was oddly silent as they walked towards the portal room and through the security checkpoints. Without asking them directly, Scarlet could only assume that they were thinking the same as she was, silently reflecting on the trip they had all taken and bonded over, and wondering what the future would hold.

By the time they had reached the portal and had been cleared for passage, a looming sense of sadness could be felt hanging over the group, Starry included.

Scarlet looked towards their guide turned friend and embraced him in a tight hug, “Thanks for everything. This has been an amazing month, and I’m really going to miss you. You’re a good friend Starry;- please give my regards to Starshine too, I know we didn’t talk much but she’s a very lucky mare.”

Starry smiled, “I’ve spent the last year wondering how inviting Earth astronomers would impact our operations. I wasn’t sure if you would be more of a hindrance than a help, but you three have really shown that it’s the latter. We’re going to miss you, too.”

“I’ll have to talk with Sapphire and see if there’s any easy way to keep in touch. My offer still stands by the way, if you’re ever out my way Silver and I would love to host you in our city. It’s not much now, but I think it’d be cool to show you what we’ve done, especially after this trip.”

The Equestrian night pony nodded, “Perhaps I’ll cash in a few of my vacation days as you put it, and make the journey down there myself.”

Tyler looked towards the portal and back towards the Equestrian, “I hate to leave so soon, especially after making so many new friends… It’s been a real pleasure, Starry,” He held his hand out towards the pony, “I know I’ll remember this forever.”

Sarah smiled, “If you do make it to Earth, look us up too, maybe we could all meet up somewhere and hang out. I’m sure Scarlet wouldn’t mind hosting us too… right?” She asked with a grin.

Scarlet nodded, “Absolutely. If you two ever have trouble filling the hours, give me a ring, I’d love to hire you on full time. We’re looking at upgrading some of our equipment and I could use a few talented astronomers to help run everything.”

“Well, we can’t delay this forever, as much as I’d like to. It’s been a joy spending time with you three, and I’ll definitely try and keep in contact as best as I can.” Starry reached into his saddlebag for a moment, pulling out a small bag, “It’s cheesy I know, but I would be remiss if I didn’t offer you something to remember your visit by.” He carefully opened the bag and slid out the three metal medallions that he had custom ordered from Mystic Ember.

“Starry, you didn’t need to do this—”

He cut Scarlet off with a warm smile, “The front has the sigil of the outpost, the back has your names transcribed in Equestrian on them, I know it’s not much but think of this as a way to commemorate our achievements here. Mystic Ember was right when he said that an object’s true value is the story it tells us, and these tell a story that I hope you’ll all share with your friends and families back home.”

Scarlet carefully held the offered medallion, smiling as she read the front of it. From Equestria to Earth, and the endless cosmos up above, the memory of this adventure shall live on as long as we live. Thanks for being a part of the journey, - Starry

She held out her hoof in thanks, grinning as Starry returned the gesture, “Thanks again Starry, this means a lot.”

“It was my pleasure, now if we’re all done being sentimental, I believe you have a world to return to.”

Tyler nodded and slowly stepped towards the portal, looking towards Sarah, “Well, I think work’s sure gonna be boring after this.” With a smile he stepped through, leaving the other human alone with Scarlet.

Sarah turned towards the portal and paused, “Goodbye Starry, it’s been great.” She turned back towards the portal and followed in Tyler’s footsteps, leaving Scarlet alone for a few more moments.

Scarlet walked towards the portal, gazing at the strange gateway that had been the start of one of the most interesting adventures of her life. She took a few hesitant steps towards it before pausing and turning back towards Starry, “Goodbye friend, until we meet again.”

Starry smiled, “Farewell.”

Scarlet turned back towards the portal and stepped through, ending her Equestrian adventure and returning to the life she had temporarily left back on Earth.


Scarlet trotted off the plane and towards the arrival gate, thanking the flight attendant on her way out. The flight home had been silent and full of peaceful reflection.

As much as she already missed Equestria, she was more than happy to be back home with her family. She couldn’t wait to just talk with Silver on the ride back home and see Orion again. Silver had already lit up the comm with dozens of questions and messages, and she had happily told him that they could talk once they were back home, face to face.

It wasn’t a long walk to the baggage claim area, and before she even had a chance to look for Silver, he had run towards her, catching her by surprise with a tight embrace and nearly knocking her over in the process.”

The very exhausted looking Stallion pulled her into a tight hug while Orion excitedly ran up to her, bringing a smile to her face. “Scarlet, I’m so glad you’re back home! I missed you so much!” He said as if he was relieved that she was back.

“Silver— what’s gotten into you?” She questioned in a daze, the sing-songy quality of her voice standing out more now that she was back on Earth.

“I just missed you. I knew taking care of a night pony foal on my own would be hard, but man, it’s a lot harder than I thought! Your voice sounds beautiful by the way, is that a hint of Equestrian I’m hearing?”

She returned the embrace and held him close for a few moments, glancing down towards Orion who was excitedly jumping around, “Well… I’m glad you had some time to really appreciate the miracle of fatherhood… So how was it? The house isn’t a wreck I hope?”

He broke the hug and let out a nervous chuckle as he looked down at Orion, who had a large grin on his face, “Yeah… about that… He’s uhh… well you missed his diablo phase— but I think he’s over that now!”

She let out a sigh and shook her head, worried at what the response would be, “Silver…”

He began to gesture around with his hooves, “Don’t worry though, I figured out how to keep him calm and It’s only a few holes in the wall!.. and some broken dishes here and there— don’t worry, I cleaned up the glass right away and no one got hurt! And uhh… oh, he also kind of got into the pantry and figured out how to climb up to the top shelf— we’re gonna have to fix those too. Oh, and the TV’s broken…”

She quickly cut him off, “Okay, how about you tell me what isn’t broken? I feel like that’s going to be a lot easier.”

“Well the windows are good, and he didn’t break the other TV… Oh and I got the most adorable pictures of him snuggling up with Cosmo and that plush your grandmother made for us… So uhh.. How was your trip?”

Unsure of how to react to the news, she simply let out a flurry of laughter, catching him off guard entirely, “Silver, it was great. I’ve got a few souvenirs for you two and I’ve got enough notes to write my own book… Sounds like Orion really gave you a run for your money though.”

Silver let out a few nervous chuckles and waved her towards the exit, “Yeah… we can talk about that over dinner, why don’t you tell me all about your trip on the ride back? I’m sure Orion’s dying to get some attention from you too.”

Scarlet looked down at the excited colt and smiled, “Is that right now? Well how was your month little buddy? I’ve got some presents for you that I think you’re gonna love!” She reached into one of the bags she held at her side and pulled out the spider plush, earning a nervous glance from Silver.

Orion excitedly jumped over towards the plush, pulling it close and holding it tightly, earning a happy cheer from Scarlet. She glanced over towards Silver, walking towards him with a grin, “I know you’re gonna hate this, but I’ve got a new recipe that we have to try sometime… baked tarantula— I know you don’t like spiders but it’s meat we can actually eat and you don’t know what you’re missing, trust me!”

She felt a twinge of guilt as the color seemed to drain from Silver’s face for a few moments, “Yeah… uhh there’s one other thing I forgot to mention… Orion kinda tried that out on his own, too, and I think he’s a fan…”

She raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean by that… he didn’t get into too much trouble, right?”

“He uhh, well he ate a spider, but Wayne said it was okay and actually suggested trying it myself… I guess I know what’s for dinner then?”

Scarlet let out another series of laughs and shook her head, “I feel like your month might have been just as exciting as mine.”

Silver nodded, “Oh you don’t even know the half of it… It’s great to have you back home though, I think I need another vacation after this, maybe we could take a trip to the lake when we get back?”

Scarlet smiled, “I’d love that, we’ve got so much to share with each other.”