A Letter From a Friend
Celestia sent a message to an old friend. A friend she hadn't contacted for- well, she didn't want to think about it. She didn't even know if it would be wise, even so long after the fight, to contact any being outside of Equestria.
"Your turn!" Rainbow urged Twilight. "Flap- no, harder- against the current, Twilight, you need wind! Good!" The experienced flier hovered above her friend. "Gosh, you sure learn slow for such an egghead."
"Flying can't be learned from books. Believe me, I've tried." Twilight let her focus slip and fell a foot. She flapped again and rose.
"Better." Rainbow Dash sighed. "Practice, Twilight! I know you're busy, but flying takes work!"
"I can tell." The purple Alicorn panted. "When you do it- even Fluttershy makes it look easy."
"We've practiced, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash said. "Look, I know you need this, but Soarin is having a poster signing in a half hour at one if the starbits near here. Why don't you practice on your own? Or Fluttershy can help. But I have to get down there- I may get a chance to get into the Wonderbolts!"
"Sure, Dash." Twilight Sparkle sighed. She let herself slowly down using a combination of flying and magic.
"Great!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly and sped away.
"Your Highness!" A grey stallion trotted up to Twilight and saluted. "Princess Celestia would like to see you in her quarters."
"All right." Twilight said. "thank you." Celestia usually spoke to her in person when they needed to talk. Twilight wondered what could have been going on. She teleported herself to the hallway outside of Celestia's room and knocked. "Prin- Celestia?" She hadn't gotten used to omitting the 'Princess' yet. "It's Twilight Sparkle." The door swung open and Twilight trotted in. Celestia was reclining on a couch, looking at a letter with a strange seal. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, Twilight Sparkle." Princess Celestia looked at her former student, now her colleague. "I want you to read this letter."
"Letter-" Twilight Levitated the letter with her magic and brought it in front of her eyes. At first it looked like it was in a strange language, but at a closer glance, she saw it was normal...
"Read this?" Twilight looked at Celestia to make sure.
"Yes, Twilight."
'Dear Princess Celestia,
What an honor it was to recieve your letter. I heard from Eve of Ev that you have not contacted anyone outside of Equestria for quite some time, and I thank you for contacting me.
I agree that it is time for our two kingdoms to get to know each other. I am sure the citizens of Oz would love to meet those of Equestria. A handful of the older residents remember the years before Nightmare Moon, but so much has happened since then. I am sure we have both matured as rulers since the two thousand years we last saw each other- I as a child, you as a filly.
I look forward to seeing you once again.
With friendship and respect,
Princess Ozma of Oz'
Twilight Sparkle looked up.
"This is from- outside of Equestria?" She said in disbelief. "You had friends from outside?"
"Yes." Said Celestia. "We all did, back then. It was a simpler time, of great friendship between all lands. Come, Twilight, sit here. I'll tell you a story of long, long ago, a tale written down only once."
Twilight did as Celestia bade and sat on the couch beside her friend and ruler. Celestia smiled into the distance and began to speak.
"Long, long ago, before Nightmare Moon, Equestria and all of the nearby kingdoms were at peace. Even the Griffin kingdom did not invade and attempted to make friends.
"The Antlertic Ocean has another name: The Nonestic Ocean. On the other side, there are many smaller kingdoms, the largest of which is Oz."
Celestia looked at Twilight. "Here." In a flash, a map appeared beside Twilight Sparkle's hooves.
Twilight looked at the map.
"Oz?" Twilight asked. "What's that?"
Celestia laughed, not unkindly. "Let me finish the story." Twilight nodded.
"Ok."
"Oz was ruled by a man descended from Lurline, a fairy, who created it. The inhabitants were mostly human- Human looking, anyway. You see, Twilight, very few humans have the capacity for magic. They don't believe."
"Wait." Twilight had to interrupt. "Humans are real?
"Yes." Celestia said. "Now, I was good friends with this man's daughter. So was Luna. We met every so often on an island halfway between our two kingdoms, and remained close as we grew older. However, this ended soon after I recieved my cutie mark. One day, Luna and I visited the island at our designated time, and instead of Ozma, we were met by Glinda."
"Who?"
"Glinda. Nopony knows where she came from or how old she is, but she has magic more powerful than anypony in any universe.
"Wait- There's more than one universe?!" Twilight's brain was struggling to process everything Celestia was explaining.
"Yes, but- Let's not get into that now, Twilight Sparkle." Celestia smiled at the newest princess of Equestria. "I know this must be confusing."
"Twilight nodded.
"Glinda told Luna and me that Ozma had been kidnapped and her father destroyed. A new wizard ruled Oz, and he remained in power for a long, long time.
"It was around then that Equestria set up magical protection and left the usual time stream. These are all secrets only Luna and I know. Even Cadance does not know the full extent of our knowledge, but she has been told different things.
"Soon after, Luna became possessed by Nightmare Moon- And the rest, as they say, is history." Celestia looked at Twilight. "I decided that now, with a new princess, was the time to contact my one time best friend."
"She isn't kidnapped anymore?" Twilight blurted out, then yelled at herself for being such an idiot.
"She is free, yes. It seems her memory was wiped and she was transformed into a boy, but regained her former shape end memory." Celestia leaned in to look at the map. "In Oz, nopony grows old unless they want to and there are very few deaths. Destructions, rarely, but death even less. Ozians cannot die." Celestia then pointed one dainty hoof at the desert surrounding Oz on the map. "This desert is deadly- To touch, to breathe."
"How do we get across? Teleportation?"
"If we are invited." Celestia answered. "Oz has magic even Luna and I can barely imagine."
"Were you invited?" Twilight asked.
"Not yet- I believe we should invite Ozma and her friends here, first. I believe many of them are- Strange. Even to humans." Celestia smiled suddenly. "Luna and I will be so glad to see Ozma again!"
Twilight grinned back. "Let's get planning."