The Little Curiosities

by Comma Typer

Spring Fix-up

“An urgent letter for Princess Twilight!”

And the guard-slash-messenger rushes into Twilight’s office, holding up an envelope. The princess floats the envelope onto her desk, cuts it open with a royal cutter, and takes out the stapled stack of papers inside.

“What’s it say?” asks Spike, taking a closer look.

“It’s from Earth,” she says, standing up from her hair. “The Convocation of Countries have detected a pattern of anomalous storms in the Pace-ific Ocean. It’s already capsized two cargo ships and narrowly sunk a cruise ship. Most of them believe it’s Equestrian magic at work, and this report’s already been carbon-copied to S.M.I.L.E.”

“That secret anti-monster agency? Why are they involved?”

“They’ve been closely involved with Earth, checking the news to see if there’re reports of mysterious events that might’ve been caused by local artifacts dumped over there. As much as I love and adore Starswirl the Bearded, his example of just throwing stuff at magic mirrors isn’t exactly his best moment, not to mention that everyone else copied his behavior at the time…”

She coughs. “Anyway, S.M.I.L.E. notes that this suggests the presence of residual Storm King magic. If left unchecked, it may grow, but even now, it will continue to claim ships and even precious lives. They’ve tried adjusting the sea lanes, but the storm just spreads around, so the ships are just avoiding that huge chunk of ocean altogether.””

“So what are we gonna do?”

A royal sigh.

A hatch opens up, a staff flying straight into her magic grasp: the Staff of Sacanas.

“We coordinate.”

---

In the middle of the ocean, a storm rages on, clouds touched by the two-pronged symbol of the deceased Storm King himself as waves crash against the metal hulls of beastly aircraft carriers. Not too far ahead lies an island, surrounded by cragged rocks which, in lifetimes before, have sunk vessels and wrecked ships of great magnitude.

As the Staff is planted on the shore and then activated, sucking in the dangerous storm and quickly lightening up the sky—as officers and diplomats watching from afar cheer at newfound peace in their time—the princess stands in the middle of a dead plant monster, staring down at a pool of quicksand, which soldiers in advanced Earth-tech armor secure and lock down.

“Another portal from before the Change,” she mutters to herself, ignoring the researchers by her side already taking down notes on their papers and laptops. “This must be how the Storm King’s magic entered Earth. And to think... there may be others like it out there that we don’t know of! Creatures just falling through portals out of nowhere!”

---

“Hello?!”

And in the middle of a camping trip through the Everfree Forest, Silverstream and her crew stop, eyes already bugged out. “I know that voice anywhere! Hold on!”

Despite cries for her to not plunge into a clearly dangerous cave, she flies in anyway, appearing a few seconds later with a bigger hippogriff in her hold.

“General Seaspray?!” Sandbar yells. “Wh-what are you doing here in the Everfree?!”

“The Everfree... Camp?!” he yells, eyes darting everywhere. “I’m not on Earth, am I?”

Smolder crosses her arms. “Oh. You must be Seaspray’s lame Earth cousin or whatever.”

“Lame Earth cousin?!” he yells, flapping out of Silverstream’s grasp though with tired wings. “I am the Captain of the Luxe Deluxe, and I need to be back by tomorrow to handle my ship!”

“Ship going where?!” yells a curious Yona.

---

“International waters, which means... tax-free shopping!” shouts Rarity as she prances around on the deck of the ship.

And as Rarity gallops back inside to spend lavishly, her friends look outside: a couple ponies swimming by the pool and a seapony as well, other seaponies swimming with the ship as security guards in case other aquatic creatures try to sabotage the ship, Pinkie carrying home a box of cupcakes, and a couple older stallions and mares playing bingo on the side.

“And if you look to your right,” says a burly minotaur, whose loud voice apparently did not negate the need for a megaphone, “you’ll see Lightning Island!” There, an island sprouts up, holding up flags with the Storm King’s insignia on them. “This is the island where the Storm King’s magic leaked into the world from Equestria, and it contains one of the very few known naturally-made portals between Earth and Equestria! Now, it’s also a beautiful place to visit and get souvenirs, and if you have your coupons with you, you’ll get a fifty-percent discount on all Storm King bobbleheads!”

All the while, Sunset and Twilight lean by the railing, sighing together and enjoying the sunshine.

“I’m glad we can finally do something without having to battle evil Equestrian magic for a change,” Twilight says, relaxed.

Sunset raises a brow. “I still have to do today’s episode where I’ll be PSA-ing everyone about finding hidden artifacts or portals in your backyard.”

“But you get to do it on a luxury cruise ship and a fancy island!”

“...alright, fair point.”

Comments

[Venerable Ro]

Ah yes, the cruise episode. Goes a lot smoother with magic and ready access to Equestria already established, no?

[Ninjadeadbeard]

Heh, cute. But it does mean we don't get Sci-Twi adorably failing to eat chocolate fondue, so... points deducted? Added?

Whatever. Had me giggling right through.

[Frazikar]

Bummer, CHS (and company) don't get to (secretly) visit Ponyville ...

[FanOfMostEverything]

To be fair, that's an excellent place to do an on-location vlog on the topic. Dimensional gateways are no laughing matter.