"It was incredible! I mean I know how the eggheads described it as just stepping between rooms, but I swear it was like being on a galaxy spanning roller coaster. Nothing at all like going through the portal between Equus and the Human World.

I was shocked to see that the world we went to looked so much like our own. The trees, the grass... the fresh air... everything was familiar, yet it wasn't. We were on an alien planet... and it looked a lot like someplace you could find in Equestria!

That first trip through the Stargate... was the most amazing thing I have ever done."

-Excerpt from the journal of Sunset Shimmer

Chapter 4

Contact

Stargate Clearing

Stargate Planet 002

"Easy! Ah gotcha!"

Sunset blinked as she suddenly felt the urge to inhale. That was something to note for future missions. Breath OUT before stepping through. A hoof steadied her as Sunset shook her head. Looking at the hoof's owner, Sunset couldn't help but smile before reaching up to the side of her head and tapping the headset. She had to know if radio signals could travel back through the gate.

"SGI Command, this is EG-1," she said.

"Read you loud and clear EG-1," came the surprised reply from Twilight. "Guess as long as the gate's open, we can talk at least. I'll make a note of that. Radio signals can travel both ways."

"Also... start training our teams to exhale before entering the gate. First instinct is to inhale on the other side."

"Noted. We'll reopen the gate in about... 48 hours for a check in. Be careful out there Sunset."

"Copy that Twilight. EG-1, over and out."

Shortly after Sunset cut the channel, the Stargate deactivated. Her team was now truly alone. The first ponies on an alien world. With the very real possibility that they'd never see home again. After a moment, Sunset looked for the rest of her team. Applejack was still next to her, offering support. Just like her human counterpart, she was a steady rock to lean on. Vinyl Scratch was nearby examining the control panel many in SGI were unofficially calling the DHD, or Dial Home Device. Rainbow Dash... was doing loops in the sky, saying something about being the first Pegasus to fly in an alien sky. It would probably be a while before reality struck her. But for now... Sunset let her enjoy the moment.

"Ok... first priority should be to set up some kind of shelter. Odds are the weather here isn't like back home. Probably more like the Human World or the Everfree Forest. Wild and uncontrolled. After that... supplies. Then... we figure out where in Tartarus we are," Sunset said.

"Looks like we're on the edge of a forest, so materials ain't a problem," Applejack said, before pointing a hoof at the ground ahead of them. "Ah think that's a path. And if ah had t' guess... used regularly. Meanin' somepony's been here recently. Reminds me of th' road ah use between Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres."

Once Rainbow Dash decided to rejoin the team, the four explorers got to work setting up something like a base camp. After they had a basic shelter, Rainbow Dash went back up into the sky and perched herself on a cloud to watch for anything coming towards the gate. Applejack went deeper into the forest to get a sense of what kinds of plants were around, and Vinyl Scratch was going through the supplies they had available... while listening to some music with her ever present headphones. Sunset... just looked around in awe. She had been expecting to see something truly alien. Strange shaped and colored plants, strange colored sky...

But there was none of that around the Stargate. The sky was just as blue as on Equus, the trees looked to be some kind of evergreen... even the grass was green and felt like grass! The only thing that really stood out, other than the Stargate itself, was what looked like rings crossing the sky. It was certainly beautiful.

Rainbow Dash was lounging on an alien cloud. It was still amazing to think about it. While she was making history, she knew that it wouldn't be known for Celestia knows how long. After the initial awe wore off, the Pegasus calmed down. It had been a couple hours since they set up the shelter, and already Rainbow Dash could see that Sunset had been right. The weather here was wild. There were storm clouds on the horizon. But to her calculating eye, they were not coming towards the Gate. Sometimes being Ponyville's Weather Mare had its advantages. Stretching her legs, Rainbow Dash rolled over a bit on the cloud, planning on taking a cat nap, when she spotted something. Going upright again, she narrowed her eyes to try and focus on what she saw.

Something was coming down the dirt road.

"Sunset Shimmer? Rainbow Dash," she called over the radio. "Something's coming down the road. I'm gonna go take a look."

"Thanks for the heads up Dash. Try not to get spotted."

"They'll never see me coming."

Taking a chance to look around, Rainbow Dash just flattened herself against the cloud and literally pulled it around her before spreading her wings and flying the Trojan Cloud towards the unknowns. After a few minutes, Rainbow Dash was lurking above several individuals the likes of which she had never seen before. Like a Minotaur, they were on two legs and had two arms. But they were tall and a little lanky, unlike the built like mountains Minotaurs. They were also wearing some kind of robes, and the lead one had a walking stick. After reporting what she saw, Rainbow Dash floated her cloud back towards the Gate.

Sunset looked up as Rainbow Dash landed and reported what she saw. To the fire maned mare, it sounded like something similar to humans. Just taller. And different from the description of the Invaders. This was a First Contact situation. And Sunset was going to be the one to initiate.

No pressure.

Calling for the rest of her team, Sunset checked her Arc Caster. Just in case. As soon as Applejack and Vinyl Scratch came over, she filled them in on what was discovered before suggesting that they go and meet these aliens. While Applejack was a little hesitant, she also agreed that it might be a good idea to make some friends on this planet if possible. Could make survival easier. Once everyone had checked their gear, Sunset led her team back to the Stargate. In Sunset's mind, she was trying to figure out just what exactly she was going to say. After all... first impressions were always important, and she wanted to at least try to sound diplomatic and regal... and... not start a war by saying something stupid.

As the four ponies approached the Stargate, they saw the aliens as they too were approaching. The lead alien stopped and looked at the four mysterious beings. A tap of his staff on the ground, and his entourage stopped as well. Sunset took that as her cue to stop as well, hopefully showing respect. Taking a deep breath, Sunset brought a hoof to her chest and gave a respectful bow.

"I am Captain Sunset Shimmer, Equestrian Royal Guard, Stargate Initiative. We come in peace," Sunset said, introducing herself before bringing her head up again to see the alien's response. While the "we come in peace" line was pretty cliche, she really couldn't think of anything else to say. She was no diplomat. In fact... she could be pretty blunt and to the point.

The lead alien seemed to consider her words before he opened his mouth and...

Sunset Shimmer officially ran head first into the language barrier.

All thoughts of first impressions, diplomacy, and grace left Sunset's mind as she groaned and started lightly bopping herself on the head and calling herself stupid for assuming an alien species would understand them instantly. Applejack sighed and just patted the exasperated mare on the shoulder in a show of support. Rainbow Dash looked between her teammates and the aliens, unsure what to do. Vinyl Scratch...

Vinyl Scratch used her magic to pull out a small music player from her backpack, making sure to go slowly so as not to be seen as an aggressive act. The aliens seemed to focus on her the moment she cast her telekinesis spell. She set the device down in front of her, slipped her headphones off, turned the speakers to amplify the sound, and started up some music after turning up the volume. What emerged from the device was auditory serenity, an orchestra piece heavy on the cello.

The aliens seemed to look at the strange device in confusion before the lead alien gave a smile and bowed to the foreign DJ. Vinyl Scratch turned off the music and put her gear away, slipping her headphones back around her neck. The lead alien said something again before motioning down the path.

"I think he wants us to go with him," Vinyl Scratch said.

"And how do you know that?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Because..." Vinyl replied, before mimicking the alien's gesture. "He wants us to go with him."

"What was that ya played for 'im?" Applejack asked.

"Something Tavi composed. She's my roommate and a talented cello player. You know we made an Electric Chello Dubstep for a wedding one time."

As the group traveled down the path, Sunset lagged behind a bit. It was pretty obvious she was kicking herself for making a stupid mistake. After a moment she shook her head and looked up at her team. Vinyl Scratch came through for them. While she wasn't as familiar with the DJ's human counterpart as she was her other teammates, she had met her in a more official capacity during the Battle of the Bands incident with the Dazzlings. In fact, it was Vinyl Scratch who, along with Spike, busted the Rainbooms out of a basement and helped them to directly challenge the Sirens, and allowed for Sunset to prove herself to her friends and the whole school.

After a while, the lead alien stopped and looked back at the Ponies. With a smile, he swept his arm out towards an amazing sight. A beautiful city at the base of a mountain.

"Ikana!" he declared.

"By Celestia... that... is amazin'!" Applejack said in awe.

"Eh... Canterlot's better," Rainbow Dash dismissed, although it was pretty obvious she was impressed as well.

As the alien led them through the streets of the city Sunset assumed was called Ikana, they were confronted by many different alien species. Most seemed to be like their guide, but they also caught sight of others. One was insect like, another looked to Sunset like a big panda, and yet another looked like it was part fish! They were mostly gathered in what looked like a bazaar. Applejack managed to catch sight of a customer paying for something, and ran over to take a look. The burly panda alien dropped what looked like a few gold coins into the waiting merchant's hand, and was given a beautiful piece of fabric in return.

"Well... should probably pack some bits fer the next mission," Applejack said as she caught up with the group. "Jus' saw one of 'em payin' with gold coins. At least... ah think it was gold. Looked like it t' me."

"We still gotta deal with the Language Barrier," Sunset pointed out.

While the group did attract some attention, they were not looked upon as something totally foreign. More like new travelers. One particular alien actually approached Rainbow Dash and was apparently trying to sell her some fabric that would accentuate her rainbow colored mane. The athletic Pegasus just tried to wave him off in response. As they traveled down the street, Sunset could see they were getting closer to an impressive structure. Soon enough they were walking up the stone steps of an important building that Sunset and her team could not identify the function of. Rainbow Dash made a point to check her Arc Caster, making it clear she was on alert.

The sound of four sets of hooves clopping on the stone echoed through the main hall as they followed their guide. Sunset made a note of the acoustics, knowing that there was no way to be sneaky without pulling something over their hooves to muffle the sound. The alien stopped before a set of ornate doors and dropped to a knee, saying something loudly in his native language. A moment later a response came in a distinctly female voice. The guide stood up, opened the door, and motioned for EG-1 to proceed inside without him.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset lead the way, and soon found herself standing before a raised platform with stairs. The same female voice called out to them, seemingly beckoning them to come closer. As the four ponies came up over the stairs, they discovered an ornate chair with another alien sitting in it. Sunset had to admit that Rarity would probably go crazy with how impressive the craftsmanship of the alien's gown was.

"So... anybody wanna hero?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Ah ain't sure how we're supposed t' even communicate wit' 'em," Applejack countered. "Vinyl Scratch's music can only go so far."

"Well... it did get us this far at least," the resident DJ replied.

Sunset just sighed and facehoofed. What went unnoticed at first was the alien woman raised a hand, and started to quietly say something before said hand was shrouded in an energy field. Instantly, Sunset Shimmer and Vinyl Scratch looked at the alien, sensing a spell being cast. The fire maned Unicorn took a defensive step back, lowering her head and getting ready to cast a shield spell, when the alien just gestured at EG-1 as if she wanted them to speak.

"Sunset? What'cha doin'?" Applejack asked.

"She cast some kind of spell," Sunset replied. "I don't know what kind."

"Well... nothing happened as far as I know. Then again... I'm no magic expert. I never did go to Celestia's school," Vinyl Scratch spoke up as Rainbow Dash took a defensive posture.

"Well... I did... for a while," Sunset said, focusing on the alien woman. "But... other than the recent combat training, I haven't really learned anything new for years."

"So what gives?" Rainbow Dash asked. "What's this lady doing to us?"

"Well... certainly not harming you if that is what you think."

All eyes locked onto the alien woman as she stood up and smiled.

"Did you just..." Sunset trailed off.

"A simple Magicka incantation to translate your language. You will be able to understand us, and we you. I... am High Priestess Kora, and I bid you welcome to Ikana honored travelers."

"Captain Sunset Shimmer, Equestrian Royal Guard, Stargate Initiative. These are my teammates Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Vinyl Scratch. We're explorers from... another world."

Kora smiled and bowed before the ponies, saying that it was actually quite common for travelers from other worlds to come to Ikana.

"Would you like any refreshments? I... apologize if we do not have anything fit for your people as we have never met before..."

"Water will be fine fer now," Applejack said. "Although ah would like t' see some of yer fruit."

"Of course."

Firestar Base

Stargate Initiative Headquarters, Cascade Mountains

Equestria

"I made a mistake..."

Twilight was pacing in her office. She was worried about Sunset and her team, and it had only been a few hours since they left. But she couldn't help but feel like she just lost them. Rarity was trying to match the Alicorn's pacing, taking measurements and trying to generally calm her friend down.

"I'm sure they're fine darling," the fashionista said. "Now stop this pacing and let me finish. You keep fidgeting with your uniform so I clearly need to make adjustments."

"I'm just not used to wearing something like this Rarity," Twilight sighed and stopped her pacing. "But its not that. I just... I'm scared. What if I sent them out, never to return? What if they get killed on some alien planet? What if..."

Rarity shoved a hoof into Twilight's muzzle to stop her.

"Twilight... nopony expects you to be the best at everything. None of us were ever trained for this kind of work. Now I know I'm the last pony to be the voice of reason in our group but... do you have faith in Sunset and our friends?"

Twilight nodded. After a moment, Rarity removed her hoof and smiled.

"Then there is nothing to be worried about," she said. "We know what Applejack and Rainbow Dash can do, and you know what Sunset Shimmer can do. They'll be fine. Trust in our friends... and have faith."

"You're right," Twilight sighed as she again went through the calming exercise. "Once they're through the gate, there's nothing I can do. But... maybe there is something I can do on this end. For one, we need a defense of some kind to keep unwanted visitors from coming through the Gate. And to go with it we need something to let us know our teams are coming through. We should also fortify the gateroom some more... and... hm... lets see..."

"Now that's the Twilight Sparkle I remember. Always organizing."

"Princess Twilight?"

Both mares looked to see who was at the door. A guardspony entered and presented a file folder.

"Latest from Canterlot ma'am. Princess Ember has convinced some dragons to assist with base defense, on the condition that at least one future EG Team has a dragon. She's also sending another supply of dragon scales, along with a shipment of raw materials from the Dragonlands. We've also received word that Zebrica and Saddle Arabia are sending personnel and supplies."

"Thank you guardsman," Twilight replied. "I'll have a report ready to send back to Princess Celestia via Spike soon. Have the dragon scales sent down to the Quartermaster's Office as soon as they arrive. The raw materials... I'll want an inventory of what exactly they are before we can figure out what to do with them."

"Yes ma'am."

After the guardspony left, Twilight sighed. Rarity patted her on the shoulder and left. A few minutes later she returned with a mug of tea and offered it to the Alicorn, saying that she really needed to take a break from being a General. Twilight sighed at the title, but couldn't argue with her friend. She did need a break. Even with one team offworld, they were STILL getting everything set up here at home.

Temple of the Goddess

Ikana City

SP-002 (Ikana)

"Its amazing that your people can accomplish so much, yet... I cannot deny the evidence before me."

High Priestess Kora had been talking with EG-1 for several hours now, learning more about Equestria. In return, she had told the ponies more about Ikana. Not only was that the name of the city, it was the name of the planet itself.

"Unfortunately it won't mean squat if we can't get home..." Rainbow Dash sighed.

"You cannot return to your world?" Kora asked.

"No... we can't. You see... we don't know the symbols for the Stargate that connect to Equus. You're actually talking to the very first team we ever sent through," Sunset replied. "Our mission was actually to find the symbols that will lead us back home so that we can send more teams through to other worlds."

"I see... if there is any way I can help..."

Kora was cut off as another alien approached.

"Priestess... Lord Thok Mok has come!"

"What? Here? Now?"

Kora stood up, looking agitated. Sunset stood up as well, asking if something was wrong. Kora thought for a moment before asking the Equestrians to follow her, and quickly.

"I thought we settled the tribute to the Empire..." Kora said as she pulled a grate out of the wall, revealing a hidden tunnel. "If you are new to travel through the Stargate, then the Tlak'khan must not know of your existence. Otherwise they may attack your world in order to claim its resources for themselves."

"Tlak'khan? Who are they?" Vinyl Scratch asked.

"No time. In here, quick. Stay hidden. Stay safe."

As soon as they were safely inside the tunnel, Kora slid the grate back over the opening before making herself more presentable and returning to her chair. Sunset was able to make out Kora as the priests quickly cleared out any evidence of her having any guests. Soon, she heard heavy footsteps entering the chamber.

"Hey... what's going on?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Quiet," Sunset hissed before getting as close to the grate as she can, pulling her mane back to prevent it from poking out through the grate. She could hear Kora address the newcomer, but couldn't make out what the response was. Only that it was in a guttural language, and it did not sound friendly.

"I apologize if our tribute was less than we normally give, but this year has been a bit sparse and... I mean no disrespect my lord..."

The sound of something meaty striking flesh came to Sunset's ears, and she watched as Kora went down. Soon, the assailant stepped into view before pointing at Kora and the other priests. Narrowing her eyes, Sunset got her first glimpse of the alien. It was big like a Minotaur, built like a tank, and... she saw something strapped to its back that made her blood run cold.

A Staff Weapon.

The same kind of staff weapon that she had been shown back at SGI HQ a day before the mission. Several had been recovered during the attack on Canterlot, most damaged by Celestia herself, but one had been intact. A bulbous tip that could split open to fire, and on the opposite end a flattened portion good for clubbing anyone who got too close.

Several more of the brutes appeared and started to drag the priests off somewhere. Kora was the last to be taken, and the lead brute just stood there looking important.

"Girls... I think we just found our Invaders..." Sunset said quietly.