Solar Conquest II: A Trip to a New... World? Book 1: First Contact

Chapter 6

Alpha and Charlie were strapped to a wagon headed to a place called Canterlot, apparently the capital. For some reason, they didn't think to shoot at the ponies who were detaining them. Now that they thought about it, they had barely fought back. All they were told is that they were going to be in the presence of the leader, Princess Celestia. They also heard the pink pony continuously rambling on about literally anything in her mind.
It seemed, at least, that they had learned the names of those who had tied them to the wagon. They were, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and a lizard named Spike. The one named Twilight Sparkle had somehow recognized their laser rifles, and confiscated them. The strange thing is that she had both a horn with anomalous properties, and wings. All of the other ponies had either wings, a horn, or nothing. The one named Rarity had a horn, and the two named Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had wings. The last two had nothing. "Genetics, I guess," said Charlie.
Eventually, they arrived at Canterlot. Two guards untied Alpha and Charlie from the wagon, "How'd ya do that? You don't even have fingers!"
"Shut up, Charlie." they were then escorted to the Royal Castle. They walked through many halls, and eventually reached the throne room. Seated at the front, was a giant, majestic pony with flowing hair as beautiful and seeming almost as bright as the sun. It had two large wings, and a horn that looked like it would extend into the sky forever if it could. This, they figured, must be Princess Celestia. Seated to the left, was a smaller, but still large pony black as night. The pony's brilliance gave off the confidence of a wolf running through the night, of a stream flowing under the moonlight. Her wings could give her the power to soar to the moon and back if she could. Then to the right, was seated the purple pony they had seen before, Twilight Sparkle.
Celestia spoke in a commanding voice, "Cothranians, I believe, why do you come to the peaceful land of Equestria? To conquer? To war? The forces of evil and good are at balance here, if these are your intentions, you must leave."
"Oh, great Princess Celestia," said Alpha, not wanting to disrespect Celestia and get killed, "we do not know our master's intentions, we come here as explorers."
"Very well, then."
"Do not trust them this quickly, dear sister! Thou knowest they had weapons with them!"
"Luna, you know that all armies, even the exploring ones, need a way to defend themselves. Calm down, sister."
"That still doesn't explain why they didn't go back after they got scared, and left, princess Celestia," said Twilight."
"If I may interrupt, the reason why we didn't go back was because our tear disappeared before we could make it in time," said Charlie.
"Tear?" asked Twilight.
"Y'know, like a portal?" No response. "Spacetime hole? A vortex?"
"I think I understand what you're saying. Like a... a gate from one world to another?"
"Yeah, something like that, I guess."
"What is the current state of Cothran?" asked Celestia. "Is Evershine Free still alive?"
"Everything is running pretty smoothly, but I haven't heard of this pony before. If she was ever here, she probably died during a Katharan bombing."
"I see," Celestia's voice trailed off, but only for a moment. "My verdict," Celestia said authoritatively, "is that the Cothranians in the land of Equestria are to be given temporary shelter until they are capable of returning to their homeland."