Zane opened the refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of water from inside. He asked if there was anything his guests wanted.
"I've got water, as you can probably tell. There's juice, soda, tea, whatever."
"Tea would be lovely." Twilight decided. Her friends were in agreement. Zane poured each of them a glass before sitting down at the table.
"So what'd you wanna talk about?"
Twilight took a sip, lubricating her throat so her words would ring clear.
"As I mentioned before, we came here from Equus. While the laws of this universe appear solely scientific, ours are dictated by both science and magic. There are limits of course, but we're about even in terms of development."
"I kinda figured, what with your dialect being the same as ours and everything."
"Ponies primarily inhabit the continent of Equestria, though our cultures are linked like yours. Spike's here because I hatched him from an egg using an incubation spell. It was a test to ascertain my magical abilities. The monarchs of our land are my mentors. Their names are princess Celestia and princess Luna.'
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they have something to do with the sun and moon."
"Precisely. Celestia raises the former while Luna coaxes the latter. Before them, their task rested on the shoulders of others."
"I'm also gonna guess they're the ones who sent you."
"I'm sorry we have to disturb you like this. We wouldn't have come if there was any other way."
"Don't apologize. If something's wrong, I'll help however I can."
"As unfortunate as it is to say, a threat to our planet has emerged here on Earth - something deadlier and far more mysterious than humans. We don't know what it is or how it got here, but it seems to have come directly from the core. We were hoping you could offer us some insight into what it might be."
"Well, I haven't seen anything weirder than usual. Can you tell me what it looks like?"
"In Equus, there exists a portal between worlds - a mirror leading to the astral plane. In addition to raising the moon, Luna serves as a guardian of the realms, maintaining balance and harmony in the space-time continuum. While monitoring your galaxy, she discovered a veil of shadows creeping over this world. You're sure you haven't seen anything?"
"No, but I believe you. The fact you're here must mean something's goin' on. Is there anything else that might help us out?"
"Well...I've been having strange dreams lately. Princess Celestia believes they're premonitions, as it seems one has already come to pass."
"What are they about?"
"The first one was about a girl around Spike's age. She narrowly avoided being attacked by wolves this morning. The second was about an older girl with black hair. Both of them were covering their eyes."
"I know exactly who you're talking about. There's only three people I know of with that hairdo."
"Who are they?"
"My friend Maria, her brother Brandon, and their friend Emily."
Twilight's eyes widened. Could it be true? Was she bringing people Zane knew together?
"You really believe it's them!?"
"I'm positive. No one else looks like 'em. If they do, I haven't seen 'em lately."
"Do you have a way to establish contact? I want to warn everyone in case something happens."
"Tell you what. Let me grab a shower, make some dinner for the night and we'll call Maria. She's the most likely to believe your story."
Twilight sighed a breath of relief, falling back to her chair.
"Thank you so much. I don't know how we'll ever repay you."
"Just helpin' out a friend. No payment necessary."
Twilight grinned. For the first time since arriving on Earth, she was able to relax, feeling at ease with the party's progress. At least they weren't lost in the dark anymore.
Pinkie helped Zane cook dinner that night. She felt guilty for critiquing his room before, recognizing the mellow demeanor and laid-back attitude. He was just a normal guy, and that was okay. He brought out a stereo from the back. It came with a built-in radio, a tape deck, and a compact disc player. He introduced Twilight's friends to rock music, popping in a burned copy of Shai Hulud's demo. Spike and Rainbow were instantly enamored by the aggressive, passionate melodies. While apprehensive at first, Rarity couldn't help but fall victim nostalgia. The chaotic cacophony belied waves of emotion, cradling her back to her fillyhood when the world seemed so much brighter. Twilight found hope in Damien's vocals, seeking strength to be better than she was yesterday. There was a new layer of introspection she'd never experienced before. It took her on a journey through the darkest corners of her soul, many of which she didn't know existed.
"So this is what music sounds like here?"
"There's all kinds of styles out there. Maria's into heavier stuff like this. I think it suits her personality fairly well. You'll probably agree once you talk with her yourself."
"Can you tell me why she hides her face? In my dream, it didn't feel like she was hiding anything. It's almost like she just didn't want me to see her."
"She doesn't like people knowing what she's thinking. Keeps 'em on their toes and gives her the element of surprise. It's a philosophical choice more than anything."
"Sounds a lot like Luna, at least in some ways. She doesn't talk much unless she has to."
"Maria's been through a lot. She tried to off herself a few years back. Left home to lick her wounds for a while. It's been a long and tedious process, but I've definitely seen improvement. She's a lot more chill these days. I think she just gets caught up in her own head thinkin' about life. It can seem kinda long sometimes."
"You think she's jaded?"
"Probably a little. She was diagnosed with depression when she was only five. It was around the same time her old man got arrested."
"What did he do?"
"Manslaughter. Guess he got hammered at the bar one night and killed some dude in a fight. That's why I don't drink anymore. That and my own mental issues."
"To tell you the truth, we were hesitant to come here because of the terrible things humans have done. If it wasn't for our world being in danger as well, there's a good chance we would've stayed behind."
"I understand. I'd feel the same way in your shoes, but I try to look for positives where I can. My mom passed away this last summer. I thought about ending it for a while too. If it wasn't for Maria, I don't know where I'd be now."
"I'm glad you're still here. You seem really nice. I know we came into this judging you harshly, but I'm glad we're getting to know each other better. Maybe by teaching each other about our races, we can work on fixing some of our issues. It's worth a try, don't you think?"
"Somebody wants to help save this fucked up ass world, I ain't gonna complain. Least it's somethin' to pass the time."
Over dinner, the group discussed their next course of action. Twilight informed Zane of the lights Luna discovered before their arrival. He seemed to take some solace in the hopeful news.
"Well, then. Let's hope these predictions of yours keep coming true. I'm curious to see how this pans out."
As promised, Zane dialed Maria. Anyone else would've thought he'd lost his mind, but not her. Twilight learned quickly how perceptive humans were: particularly ones with abnormal personalities. It was almost scary how fast the Drake figured her out.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Maria."
"Zane? What's up?"
"Seems like a lot nowadays. There's some people here to talk with you. Looks like somethin' big's goin' down. They thought we could help."
"Somethin' big? What's happening?"
"Might be better if you heard it from their mouths. Mind if I put 'em on?"
"Sure. May as well."
Zane handed the phone to Twilight. She levitated the receiver with her magic.
"Ms. Drake?"
"Everything okay? What's this all about?"
"What I'm about to say may sound absurd, but I promise it's the truth. I'm asking you to listen with an open mind."
"Hit me."
"My name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm an Alicorn princess from the planet Equus. I arrived on Earth with my friends today at the behest of our higher monarchs, princess Celestia and princess Luna."
"I follow you so far. You're telling me you're a horse princess, right?"
"Pony, but yes."
"How'd you get here anyway?"
"A portal. On Equus exists a mirror to the astral plane. The plane itself serves as a gateway between worlds."
"I've heard of it. It's a big concept in spiritual circles."
"It is?"
"Believers in new age philosophy refer to their experiences in the astral realm as projection. I suspect it's not nearly as complicated as it's made out to be."
"The astral plane contains time within all spaces. Each universe can be accessed through a multitude of pathways, though time itself cannot be reversed. The mirror happened to be our path to you."
"So what's the deal? Some kind of aliens get through or somethin'?"
"Not exactly. Whatever it is came from Earth itself. Luna described it as a mass of shadows, but the rest of us haven't seen what it looks like. Celestia told us to meet Zane here, but nothing out of the ordinary seems to be happening. We were hoping you could fill us in as to why."
"I have an idea. Whatever's waiting might be biding its time, waiting for the moment to strike. If that's true, we might have a window to build our defenses."
"That's just it. We don't know how. All we know is there are forces at work beyond our control. Strategy's useless unless we can stop them from getting around it. Humans can't even protect themselves from magic, much less something even more powerful."
"The first step is to calm down. If you're too afraid to think, it'll only kill you quicker. What we know now is how little we know, so the most logical to do would be to monitor the situation - look for changes in the shadows' behavior. That's where Luna would come in, right? Can you still keep in touch with her here?"
"Yes. She's on the other side of the portal."
"Excellent. Keep in contact while you can. If we can't think up a strategy long-term, we can at least come up with something on the fly. Might not be much, but it's better than nothin'."
"You're surprisingly calm given the circumstance. Mind if I ask why?"
"You'll find my perception doesn't exactly align with other people. I've heard nothing to indicate you're unstable. You can't fake that kind of fear."
"After we reach Luna, what then?"
"We wait. We do what we can to take our minds off it. It's natural to be afraid of things we don't understand. Avoiding them is at the core of our survival, but when we can't, we have to adapt. Even if we can only do so much, it's better to do what we can. If we fail, at least we can say we tried."
"How do we lessen the fear? I've never been so terrified. I don't possess the insight to cope with something this life-threatening. None of us have been through anything like this before."
"Zane'll think of somethin' to keep you occupied. We'll do whatever's in our power to keep you safe. Trust in us if you can trust nothing else. There are people around you who care. Keep that it mind when the fear takes hold. You're not alone. You never have been and never will be."
"I see now. I think I understand."
"Let me know if anything happens. Unless I'm at school, I'll be here if you need me. Take care."
"You, too. Good night."
"Night. I'll talk to you later."
"Yeah. Later."
Maria hung up, leaving the rest of the group to their devices. Twilight quickly followed suit, putting the device back into its holder.
"Told ya," Zane said cheekily, "You're not the only smart cookie in town. She's got a good head on her shoulders. You're a lot alike in that regard."
"It's strange," the Alicorn muttered, "She was trying so hard to be objective, but I could feel the compassion in her voice. She's a kind person, isn't she?"
"Best I've ever known. All the bad shit you heard about us? She's the opposite of that. She's a good kid - just a bit troubled is all."
"What should we do now?"
"You're welcome to stay the night. It's safer if we stick together. Just let the princesses know so they don't freak out. I'd rather not deal with pissed off royalty right now. I'll be up for a bit, so we can play games or watch movies until we fall asleep. It's really your call."
"Yeah. I think we could all use some distraction. It's better than standing around feeling sorry for ourselves."
"I'll make us a drink and some popcorn. You guys look around, see if you can find somethin' you like."
"Thank you for taking us in. It feels nice to have someone else looking out for us. It's been a bit lonely back home."
"Not a problem. Try not to worry too much, okay? I trust Maria with my life, and now you know why. Put what faith you can in her and things are bound to work themselves out. I just know it."
"Do you think we'll get to meet her soon?"
"She'll find a way. She always does."
"You're a good man, Zane. I hope one day you find the happiness you deserve. We're all rooting for you."
"I appreciate it. I'm hoping the same for you. I know you're scared, and that's okay. You have my word we'll make it through this. All of us."
Twilight smiled wearily. Though the situation appeared grim, she could rest knowing her friends were steadfast in their devotion. If things turned for the worse, they would come to her aid without question. She only wished her resolve could be so strong...