Every pony in Equestria knew that the Everfree Forest could be a dangerous place. Animals of all kinds, some not even known to the ponies, lurked within the trees, and on particularly dark and unpleasant nights the plants themselves seemed to move with evil intent.

Certainly, as Twilight Sparkle plunged headlong through the dark forest, the trees reached out for her, their dry branches blocking her path no matter which way she turned. The sharp ends whipped against her sides and face, a couple striking hard enough to draw lines of blood. Even when they didn't, they scored her purple hide sharply enough to promise welts tomorrow.

Except for a few gasped cries at particularly savage slashes, Twilight Sparkle ignored them entirely. She had to keep moving. If she didn't, she wouldn't have to worry about what happened tomorrow. She dove through the grasping branches with reckless abandon, spurred by the sounds she could still hear far behind her.

Though she was far from a woodspony, she had been in the Everfree Forest a few times and was able to keep the sounds she made to a minimum despite the desperate pace. Hooves landed on soft grass where possible rather than dry twigs. Her small frame let her push through the branches that clawed at her without breaking them, and brush offered paths that she could slip through with only the bare whisper of leaves.

The creatures that pursued her did not bother with such subtlety. The racket they made was monstrous, their enormous forms breaking through the branches that reached ineffectually for them. The forest was filled with the crackling reports of shattered wood and hiss of trampled leaves, punctuated occasionally by the roar of her pursuers' fury as they unleashed it in her direction or at innocent creatures startled out of their homes. Their location was obvious to every creature in the forest, and it was just as obvious that they did not care. Twilight ran.

A large tree root loomed up ahead, the thick wood nearly as tall as Twilight herself. She timed her steps, gathered her legs underneath, and leaped clear over the root, her outstretched hooves just barely clearing it.

As she landed, Twilight broke through the dense foliage and found herself barrelling toward the river that cut the forest in half. She yelped in surprise, hooves skittering along the dirt of the riverbank as she fought to come to a halt. She came within a foot of stumbling straight into the water before she regained control, leaving shallow trenches of dug earth in her wake.

Twilight's chest heaved with exertion as she stared helplessly around in the hope an idea might be waiting there for her. Absolutely nothing sprang to attention; she would just have to brave the current and hope that she had enough lead on her pursuers to make it across.

She would be an awfully easy target if they found her in the middle of the river.

Twilight paced to the edge of the river, swallowing nervously as she eyed the dark waters. There was simply no more time to be indecisive. Nothing for it, then. She trotted back several paces to get a good running start and took a deep, steadying breath.

Digging her hooves into the soft dirt, she propelled herself forward, galloping to the very edge of the river. She tensed, ready to leap...and a deep shadow raced up to the surface of the water, breaking it and sending a wave of water in all directions.

The surprise caught Twilight flat-footed and she stumbled with a cry, planting her face in the ground. She shook her head hard to clear it and regained her feet as swiftly as she could, eyes darting up to see what had blocked her way...and her gaze kept going up, forcing her to crane her neck and dance back several steps to get a proper look.

An enormous serpent stood there in the river, his slender body rising high into the air. Purple scales glowed with a gentle iridescence in the moonlight, water sleeting off them effortlessly. A mane of fiery orange hair topped his head in sharp contrast to his scales, and despite the water it looked sleek and voluminous, clearly lovingly cared for. A curious moustache capped the end of his long, square jaws; though one side was the same color as his hair, the other was a curling deep purple.

In other, less dire circumstances, Twilight might have agreed with her friend Rarity that the serpent looked simply fabulous. After all, Rarity had donated her lovely tail to fix that moustache not so long ago.

As it was, Twilight just let out a breathless laugh of relief. "Steven!"

The serpent broke out into a wide smile, craning his neck down to get a better look at the dwarfed pony. "Well if it isn't little Twilight Sparkle!" Despite the serpent's size and potential intimidation factor – which, admittedly, was somewhat hampered by the expertly styled hair – his voice was smooth and gentlemanly. He dipped into a sweeping, courtly bow. "It's been quite a while since you and your friends came to visit me! How is that wonderful pony Rarity doing?"

The relief in Twilight's expression faded as Steven chattered on. "Steven..."

"You know, I still haven't had a chance to thank her for the fabulous scarf she gave me for the holidays!" Steven ran a hand down his chest to demonstrate, though the complete lack of a chill in the air meant he was going without.

"Steven."

"It was so thoughtful of her! You know, the waters really do get so cold in the winter time..."

"Steven!"

"And the design is simply to die for!"

"STEVEN!" Twilight couldn't keep the frustration from her voice, surprising herself with the volume. She darted a nervous glance over her shoulder, eyes flicking back and forth into the forest behind her.

Luckily, it managed to startle Steven as well, and he blinked down at her, a hand to his chest. "Dear me. No need to shout."

Twilight winced and turned her attention back to him, looking briefly ashamed. She hated to be rude to such a friendly creature, but right now... "Steven, I'd really love to stay and chat with you, but there's no time! I'm being chased, and I need your help!"

Steven Magnet reared back in surprise, his eyes wide. "Chased? By whom, dear girl?" Even as he spoke, he cocked his head, apparently only now hearing the sounds of pursuit in the near distance.

Twilight shook her head, expression strained. "No time," she repeated. "It's bad. Please!"

Steven glanced over her head toward the source of the noise. His expression firmed as he appeared to come to a decision, and nodded sharply. "Naturally, my dear! Anything for a lady!" With that, his tail rose out of the water and rested on the bank beside the pony.

Twilight leaped up, but had to crouch low to keep her balance as he lifted her into the air. As he swung her out over the water to the far bank, he continued, "I shall face these ruffians and drive them back! It is the least I can do as a gentleserpent and friend!"

Twilight shot him a grateful smile as she bounded down onto the safety of the far bank, but worry quickly replaced it as a roar erupted from the forest very near the river. "Please be careful!" she called up to him. "They're very dangerous!"

Steven waved a dismissive hand. "Don't you worry about me, dear Twilight! Now go! They shall not pass!"

The pony bit her lip, but there was little she could do. She had to regain her lead as quickly as she could. With a last worried look up at the serpent, she turned from the river and bolted into the thick brush of the forest once more.

A bare minute later, as Twilight wound her way through the ever-thickening trees, the entire forest shook with a vast, leonine roar of challenge. The pony squeaked in surprise and nearly planted her face in the ground again as she tripped over a tree root.

She pulled herself back up, stumbling as swiftly as she could back into her frantic pace, but threw a wide-eyed look over her shoulder. Was that Steven? It sounded nothing like him, but it had to be. Hope surged in her breast; perhaps the dandy serpent really could drive her pursuers away.

Twilight barely had time to vault a fallen tree before that hope splintered. Several roars, which had sounded loud before but were now high-pitched and short in comparison to Steven, rang out in rapid succession. There was another earth-shuddering bellow from Steven, but at this distance she couldn't tell if it was a battle cry or a sound of pain.

Silence fell. For several tense minutes, the only sounds she could hear were those of her own passage as well as her thudding heartbeat. She galloped along, ears straining and flicking to try to hear something, anything. When they finally caught the all-too-familiar sounds of her pursuers, she let out an involuntary cry, heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. She squeezed her eyes shut for a minute to push away the tears.

Her sense of friendship told her to turn around to help Steven. Forget the consequences. She nearly did, her steps becoming uncertain as she thought about it. But...as much as she wished she could help him, this run through the forest was bigger than either of them. If she stopped now, so many more would get hurt. The only way to put things right was ahead, not behind.

The forest stretched out endlessly in front of her, brush and trees giving way to trees and brush. Twilight's chest began to burn with the effort, her breath coming in ragged, gulping gasps. She knew the tricks to doing well in a race, but that was only friendly competition. Pacing oneself just wasn't an option here, and though the young bookworm had been more active in the past year than ever before, she was no athlete. The stitch in her side hurt with a steadily building fury, and she wanted nothing more than to find a cool spot to curl up in and sleep for the next two days. She huffed out a determined snort, pushing those thoughts away, and pressed on.

---

An eternity of pain and fear later, Twilight's hooves thudded along open ground as the dense growth of the forest parted without warning. Ahead she saw her goal, at long last: the ruined castle of the sister princesses. It lay on the other side of a deep chasm, but a sturdy rope bridge lay just ahead of her. Twilight gasped out another desperate laugh of relief and found a small bit of extra speed, her tired hooves carrying her over the bridge and to the other side.

As she reached the other side, she slowed, looking back over her shoulder at the bridge and the stone blocks to which it was tied. Maybe she could untie it. That would certainly slow them down. But the bridge had seen plenty of use since she had first come to Ponyville, and the rope was strong and secure. She couldn't cut it with hoof or horn, and untying it would take too much time and effort. She was already so weary from her run through the forest, and she would need every last drop of strength in the castle. She let out a hiss of frustration and turned to trot into the ruins. The time Steven bought her would have to be enough.

It didn't take long to find the doorway she sought. A tower on the edge of the castle remained standing, though time had caused the roof and patches of the walls to crumble away, leaving gaping holes through which moonlight ran. She stepped through one of those now, the tower entrance blocked by a pile of rubble, and trotted to the deep shadows at the far edge of the barren room. Had she not already been here once before, she wouldn't have found it at all. Perhaps that would delay the pursuers even more. A pony could hope.

Twilight found the open doorway within the shadows, itself a gaping hole leading into complete blackness. She paused, staring into that darkness, then took a deep breath and concentrated on her horn. It lit up swiftly, a gentle glow emanating from the tip and pushing the shadows away. It revealed a stairway leading down into the gloom. Needing to see those steps was the reason she had called light, and certainly not because that blackness looked creepy and foreboding. Not at all. She swallowed once, then steeled herself and trod down the stairs as swiftly as she dared.

The flight wasn't long, and she quickly found herself in a wide room, her soft unicorn's light spreading out in a circular pool around her. It illuminated the lichen-covered stone beneath her hooves, worn smooth over the ages and covered with a fine layer of dust. Ahead of her, a small pedestal rose from the stone floor, squat and circular. Beyond that, the pool of light faded, but there was just enough to make out the presence of another shape at the far end of the room. Twilight stepped forward cautiously, and the light fell across the object in the dark. It was a giant ring of dark stone.

The ring stood on end, its circular curves stretching high overhead. Six or seven sufficiently acrobatic ponies could stand on each others' backs and walk through the ring without trouble. Seven markers lined the ring, each sculpted into the shape of a chevron in hard angles. Between the markers, simple carvings decorated the ring: while the outer ring bore normal decorative lines, the inner ring was marked with a series of pictographs, each one looking very much like a pony's cutie mark.

At a glance, Twilight could make out a lightning bolt, a bushel of apples, and a cluster of stars very much like the ones that graced her own flank. The entire ring sat nestled within a dais, a series of shallow steps leading up, inviting her to walk through. The entire construct was just a worked piece of stone, she knew, but it still gave off an aura of infinite serenity and patience. It had stood here for countless millennia, and would stand for countless more.

Twilight glanced at the pedestal that stood very close to her now. She could see the same cutie mark symbols arrayed in rings around it as well. They looked natural to her, but this was not an unfamiliar device. Other symbols, alien ones, should be there. And she had only seen the spell that would retrieve them performed once before. She huffed out a breath, squaring her shoulders. "All right," she said to herself, putting more confidence behind the words than she really felt. "Let's do this."

She planted her feet firmly on the stone and lowered her head, pointing her horn toward the ring. Her simple light faded, stranding the room in total blackness, but only for a brief second. As soon as it vanished, it reappeared, far stronger than the gentle light before. Infused within that bright glow was more powerful magic, and she sent it questing out to touch the ring. She felt...nothing. It stood there, implacable and unyielding as a rock.

Gritting her teeth and trying to ignore the weariness in her limbs and the pain of her self-inflicted wounds, Twilight poured more will into her magic. The glow about her horn intensified, and the walls and ceiling of the room lit up as brightly as the stone floor, each as bare and timeworn as the next. Still she could not feel the energy she knew must be within the ring.

Twilight took a deep breath and thrust her horn forward. She wasn't sure how much magic the spell needed, but it had strained even Princess Celestia's abilities when Twilight saw her perform it. Twilight would never dare to compare her own talents to her mentor's, but the princess wasn't here now - the stray thought nearly made Twilight's will buckle, but she kept herself steady - while Twilight was. She would have to be enough.

The surge of determination coursed through the young pony's body, flowing up into her horn with a fierce intensity. The light around the horn burst into overglow, the room suddenly as bright as daytime. Twilight's eyes were squeezed hard in furious concentration, every inch of her being directed through her horn toward the ancient stone ring.

And suddenly, she felt it. A tiny trace of power flowed out from the pedestal in front of her toward the ring, only barely detectable even with the flood of magic Twilight needed to even see it. The ring soaked up that power steadily, running it in an endless loop. Twilight could feel where a connection to something beyond the ring should exist, but there was none. The ring was an island, disconnected from the network it should reside on. Celestia had said it was 'out of phase', like the switch on a train track...

There! The network did lay beyond the ring, but barely noticeable. It was as if Twilight could only see it by looking out of the corner of her mind's eye. Tricky, but she understood now what she had to do. Her horn glowed ever more intensely, painfully bright even through her tightly-closed eyelids. She shaped her magic appropriately. It was oddly simple, really, requiring more brute force than finesse, but dear Celestia did it need a whole lot of force! Sweat dripped down her forehead, rolling down to her chin in rivulets, but she paid it barely any mind. She finally settled her magic against the lines of energy snaking through the ring and, for lack of a better word, shoved.

Nothing in the physical world moved, but she could feel the energy somehow shift, twisting and redirecting itself in ways that made her head spin if she tried to follow it. She tenaciously kept up the pressure with the force of her magic, and she felt the energies begin to ponderously align with those beyond the ring.

Between one second and the next, the slow, heavy weight of the energy sped up. With a sudden jolt, the two ends of the link snapped together, sending out a thunderous resonance that did not touch the room but instead ran straight down her horn and through her tired body. She let out a cry and collapsed to the ground, legs splayed awkwardly about her. The light of her horn vanished abruptly, taking the magic with it. The room fell into blackness once more.

Twilight groaned, shifting listlessly on the ground. Forget sleeping for the next two days; she was ready to sleep for a month. The ringing in her body slowly eased, and with its departure her awareness of her surroundings returned. She tried to ignore it, wanting instead to just lay there and rest. Just for fifteen minutes or so. But a sound from outside caught her attention, and her blood ran cold as she recognized shouting. They were in the ruins!

Panic lent her strength, and she wobbled back onto her hooves. It took more effort this time, but she called forth her unicorn's light once more. It was the soft glow it had been before, but she winced at the light and squinted through it to the pedestal. There were no more rainbows, no more cupcakes. Instead, a completely alien script covered its keys, harsh and angular designs that only vaguely appeared to be pictures. Her eyes darted over the myriad pictographs frantically, searching for familiar ones. She had studied the symbols given to her constantly, burning them into her memory for just such a night as this one. In her fear and weariness, she almost couldn't remember what she was looking for.

She lifted her hooves onto the pedestal and took a slow, steady breath. Trying to move quickly wouldn't help if it got her nowhere. Focusing inward, she sorted through her memory until seven particular symbols stood out in her mind. Holding the images there, she scanned the pedestal methodically, firmly ignoring the sound of movement outside getting nearer. The symbols finally began to make sense to her, and in short order she found the ones she needed. She jabbed at them with her hoof, and one by one, the keys she pressed as well as the chevrons on the great ring lit up with a dull but steady light.

As she entered the last symbol in the sequence, the sounds of footsteps approached. They were on the stairs. Twilight struck the dome in the middle of the pedestal to activate it, and the Stargate awoke.

Brilliant blue-white light surged from the inside of the stone ring, rushing to fill the void within the circle. As the light met itself, it expanded, pouring out into the room in a powerful vortex that looked nothing so much like a sideways spout of water. Twilight flinched away, shielding her eyes from the intensity of the light. But as quickly as it flooded the room, the light stabilized, pulling back into a flat surface. The roar that had accompanied the surge of energy died away, and all that was left appeared to be a placid pool of water, the surface rippling gently in some unknown wind.

The stillness that followed the activation of the gate was short-lived. A deep voice roared from behind her, shouting out words in a guttural language Twilight did not understood, but the tone of the command was clear enough: Halt! Twilight whirled around, eyes wide, as three humans made their way down the steps and into the gate room.

At least, two of them looked human. The two figures on the sides wore black and grey armor, flexible material covering where the metal plates did not to allow for ease of movement while maintaining protection. Supple, decorative leather covered the armor on their upper chests and shoulders, giving them an imposing ceremonial look. Their heads were the only visible parts of their body, the hair shaved down to stubble and black makeup ringing their eyes. On their foreheads, the shape of a horse's head in profile stood out visibly.

The creature in the center looked very much like the others. Two legs, two arms, same armor. But rather than a human's head, the armor seamlessly rose up into a sleek black neck, the metal segmented like an insect's carapace. Atop the neck was the head of not a pony, but a full-sized horse, and an evil one at that. Eyes glowed a fiery red, sharply contrasting against the black metal, and the horse's lips were pulled back in a fixed contemptuous sneer.

There was one more similarity. All three carried battle staves. As they entered the room, they leveled said staves at Twilight. The bulbous end on the center figure's staff split and pulled back, revealing a blaster muzzle. He shouted something again, his voice deep and amplified, made all the more menacing by the echo within the chamber.

The pony didn't wait around to see what would happen. She knew all too well. She drew back and spun on her rear hooves, launching herself toward the Stargate. The figure loosed a blast of energy which flew through the air, but Twilight was just quick enough and it splashed harmlessly into the stone at her feet. The horse cursed and shouted, and all three opened fire.

If Twilight had been any less tired, she would have tried to dodge. As it was, she just tried to outrun the blasts. It shouldn't have worked, but the sort-of humans didn't lead their shots well, and she was a small, dim target. The blasts exploded behind and around her, but none struck home.

As she ran for the gate, she clenched her jaw and poured her remaining strength into one last spell. Once more, her horn shone brightly, and as she raced up the steps toward the coruscating blue light, the spell coalesced in her mind. She threw herself at the Stargate, but just before her outstretched horn touched the light, she released the spell, vanishing with a burst and sparkle of light. Everything went black.

---

When Twilight came back to herself, she was in midair and falling forward. She tumbled into the ground, but it wasn't stone any longer. Metal clanged noisily as her hooves slammed onto it and she staggered forward, just barely keeping her balance. Light seared into her eyes, the lit room blinding after the relative dark. Alarms were wailing all around, red lights flashing in time to the ear-splitting cacophony.

A series of metallic clacks in front of her cut through the noise, and her attention was drawn to several humans ringed around the base of the ramp she stood on. Nearly all of them had guns pointed at her, and by their posture and expressions were about a second away from opening fire. She tried to stay as still as she possibly could. Behind her, she heard two loud thumps, but didn't dare turn to see what made them.

"Hold your fire!"

The voice cracked through the air as one of the humans raised his hand as a signal to the others. Those with guns didn't lower them, but did relax enough that Twilight could too. She turned her attention to the one who'd spoken, who was standing with three others at the base of the ramp.

He was a reasonably tall man - though all humans were tall to her - with stark, weatherworn features, and though she had been too distracted by the noise and light and rather lethal weaponry pointed at her to notice faces among all the green uniforms, she recognized him now. She also recognized the shorter woman standing beside him, as well as the tall dark-skinned man on his other side who was settling his own battle staff back to rest on the ground. She knew them, and relief flooded her at the sight of them, but she was already looking to the fourth person in the group.

The man, younger than the others but looking no less confident in his camo and tactical gear, stepped forward from where he stood by his tall friend, peering through his glasses at her. "Twilight?"

The pony's face split into a wide but weary smile. "Daniel!" She tried to take a step toward him, but her legs had evidently decided to stop working without her permission. She fell forward, the slope of the ramp carrying her into a tumble.

She might have continued that undignified and fairly painful slide to the bottom, but Daniel Jackson reached her in two quick strides, kneeling to catch her in his arms. "Easy there, Twilight. I've got you."

Twilight smiled dizzily up at him. "Okie dokie lokie." With that, she relaxed for the first time all night, slumping against him into unconsciousness. The world went blissfully black and quiet.

Stargate: Equestria

Incursion

Chapter 2

Being the best of the best of the Stargate program, SG-1 was used to getting the risky missions. Even routine survey trips could hold surprises that, after so many years, ceased to be surprising. Sometimes the inhabitants of a world disagreed - violently - with SG-1's presence on their land. Sometimes a seemingly-innocent scientist turned out to have a well-intentioned but flawed scheme that would threaten the entire sector. Sometimes a planet thought to be uninhabited held a Jaffa encampment, forcing a retreat through the Stargate that dumped SG-1 on a planet of cute, happy, intelligent ponies. If there was a way to derail a routine mission, they'd seen it.

Even so, few missions were derailed while standing in front of the Stargate before Command even had a chance to dial out.

After Twilight Sparkle's unexpected appearance and subsequent collapse in the gate room, Daniel had scooped her up and fairly bolted out of the gate room. The rest of the team had to double-time it to avoid getting locked out of the elevator to the infirmary level. Now, they watched through the window as Doctor Fraiser tended to Twilight within.

General Hammond turned away from the window to face the team. Three turned their attention to Hammond, while Daniel continued watching the doctor work with calm but worried eyes.

"So," began the general in a conversational tone. None of them missed the dangerous glint in his eye. "Would someone like to tell me exactly how that horse-"

"Pony, sir," O'Neill, who never cared much for danger, corrected helpfully.

Hammond shot him a sharp glare, and O'Neill shut up. "-how that Equestrian got past our iris?"

O'Neill kept silent and tried to appear as if he were wise for doing so. Carter spoke up instead. "Teleportation, sir. If you'll remember, we covered it in our debriefing after we came back from Equestria. Twilight Sparkle, that pony in there," she nodded at the window, "showed an ability to teleport over short distances. When she appeared in the gate room, she was several meters in front of the gate itself." She shrugged. "We already know radio signals can pass through the gate. It's how our GDOs communicate with SGC. I don't know the exact method by which she teleports, but temporarily converting to some form of energy would amount to the same thing as a radio wave."

Hammond grunted. "Yes, I remember your report, Major. Is this a common ability?"

"Not so far as we saw, General. We weren't on planet for long, but I got the impression Twilight's abilities were pretty unusual."

The general shook his head. "I hope you're right. I do not like the idea of a race that can get past the iris without our permission. The Tollans were able to and the Goa'uld very nearly invaded Earth by exploiting it." He eyed each team member in turn, though only Carter and Teal'c were looking directly at him. "Even if the Equestrians are as peaceful and friendly as your report suggested, they still present a risk. Particularly since your report also suggests that they are behind us on the technology curve and as such are more vulnerable."

Teal'c spoke, his rumbling voice calm and neutral as always. "I must point out, General Hammond, that the ponies were strong enough to throw off the rule of a Goa'uld once before."

"Yes, they did," Hammond responded impatiently. "They caught one lesser System Lord who was not expecting a revolt by surprise. You all know just as well as I do just how much trouble the Goa'uld can cause when they're expecting hostile resistance."

Daniel stirred, and the conversation fell silent as Doctor Fraiser stepped out of the infirmary room. She sighed. "General, I want it on the record that I'm a doctor, not a vet."

O'Neill tilted his head, peering at Fraiser. "So how long have you been waiting to use that line?"

Fraiser only arched an eyebrow at him in reply. Hammond ignored O'Neill entirely. "Duly noted, Doctor. Now what can you tell us?"

The doctor folded her arms. "Her injuries are far less severe than her fainting implied. Mostly several minor scratches and some bruising. The worst injury I found is a bump on her head, but the swelling has already begun to fade. I don't know anything about Equestrian physiology and only a little about horses in general, but I checked out what I could and everything seems nominal. She's in no danger that I can tell. Really, it looks like she collapsed from simple sheer exhaustion. I've cleaned and bandaged her wounds, but beyond that there's not much more I can do." She shrugged a bit. "Right now, all she really needs is rest. Once she wakes up and I can finish checking her over, she's free to go."

"Thank you, Doctor." Fraiser acknowledged the general's dismissal, disappearing back into the infirmary. Hammond nodded sharply once to SG-1. "Your current mission is postponed until further notice. You're the only humans our visitor has had contact with. I'd much rather not deal with an alien with her kinds of abilities being confused and frightened in a strange place."

O'Neill looked disappointed. "And I was really looking forward to exploring Desert Planet Number...what are we up to now?"

Teal'c gravely answered, "Forty-seven, Colonel O'Neill."

"Thank you. I'm sure going to miss Desert Planet Number 47."

Hammond gave the two an unamused look, then turned and strode off down the hallway. Daniel went to the infirmary door and had his hand on the handle when Carter spoke up, sounding amused. "You really think she needs someone to watch over her when Doctor Fraiser told us she was just sleeping?"

Daniel shrugged. "I think the general's right. I think it'd be bad if she woke up without a friendly face around. Besides, even if you only needed first aid and sleep, wouldn't you want someone looking after you?"

Carter smiled and lifted her hands in acquiescence. O'Neill waved a hand. "Knock yourself out. Just let us know when she wakes up."

Daniel smiled a little and nodded, opening the door and disappearing inside the infirmary. The other members of SG-1 wandered off down the hallway to enjoy their downtime while they could.

---

Twilight awoke slowly, blinking sleep out of her eyes. She lay in bed and stared groggily up at the white ceiling for several heartbeats, luxuriating in that drifting, mellow state of awareness that lay somewhere between a dream and wakefulness. She felt sore but rested, like she'd helped Applejack out on the farm the day before.

Well, whatever she'd done, it felt so good to just lay in bed. Five more minutes, then. She pulled the white covers tighter around herself and snuggled down into the deliciously soft pillow.

Wait. White ceiling? White covers?

With the realization that she wasn't back home in Ponyville, her memories came rushing back into her like a freight train. Panicked, she shot up into a sitting position. That brought pain with it, but she paid it little mind. She looked around wildly, seeing the room but not really comprehending it. The last thing she'd seen before waking up here was... "Daniel?" The word rasped in her too-dry throat.

"Easy, easy, Twilight. I'm here. Just relax." She turned to find Daniel sitting at the edge of the bed, one hand reaching to her shoulder to steady her. He looked like he'd just woken up too, with mussed hair and no glasses on his face.

She did relax after a moment, leaning against his arm for support as she sorted through the events of the night before. "...So I..." A fit of coughing cut her off.

Daniel leaned over and grabbed a glass of water off the small table by the bed. He held it up to her, and she saw a straw already in it. "Here. Drink slowly."

She tried, though the water was gone all too quickly anyway. She shifted until she could sit up on the bed properly, wincing as sore muscles began to complain here and there. She noticed several bandages covering her sides, the tape pulling a little as she moved. "So I did it? I guess I'm on Earth, huh?"

Daniel leaned back in his seat and grinned, spreading a hand out to either side. "Welcome to Stargate Command, buried underneath Cheyenne Mountain in beautiful Colorado."

"Huh." The pony frowned. "I...have no idea where that is."

"Exactly, which is why I'm telling you. They're big on secrets around here." Daniel picked up his glasses, sliding them back onto his face and stifling a yawn. He studied her for a moment, grinning. "I don't think I saw you with your hair frizzed out like that back in Equestria."

Twilight blinked, her cheeks coloring. One hoof lifted to brush ineffectually at her hair. "Um, yeah. Bedhead. Sorry."

"Don't be. It looks good on you."

The pony blushed harder and smiled weakly at the compliment. A thought distracted her as she felt her mane and she asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

Daniel frowned at that and pulled his sleeve back, checking his watch. "It's been...16 hours. I guess you really needed your sleep."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Sixteen...? No! Oh, no! Oh no oh no!" The words kept repeating themselves as she pushed at the covers, trying to climb down off the bed. "I have to go! I didn't mean to be gone so long!"

"Woah, woah!" Daniel caught her around the chest, her hooves flailing ineffectually at the air in frustration. "Twilight, slow down! Think!" Gradually, the pony's panic died, and she looked up at him with worried eyes. He ran a hand over her back, trying to offer some comfort. "Look, I know something bad's happened, but you've got to approach it rationally. Is anything planned to happen soon?"

Twilight bit her lip and tried to think. Finally, she had to shake her head. "Not...that I can think of."

Daniel spread his hands. "So either it's already happened, or it hasn't happened yet and we've got time. We want to help, but there's no sense rushing around like headless chickens."

Twilight's ears drooped and she sighed, nodding. "Right. But...we can't waste time. I thought I'd be back in Equestria in an hour or something."

Doctor Fraiser entered then, pushing the privacy curtain aside. "I see the patient's awake." She pursed her lips. "More like heard. Are you getting her riled up, Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel stood up. "Uh, Twilight, this is Doctor Fraiser. She needs to check you over, then you should be okay to leave. Right Doctor?"

Fraiser smiled at Twilight, though a little tentative. "Right. It shouldn't take long." She sighed, looking at Daniel. "I've treated aliens before. Even the non-human ones. But..."

"She's a talking pony. I know. It takes a little getting used to." He looked back to Twilight, who bristled a little at the cavalier description. "I'll be right outside, Twilight. I need to let Colonel O'Neill know you're awake anyway." She nodded shortly and he left, stepping out into the hallway.

Doctor Fraiser's smile warmed. "Twilight, is it? I just need to take a few tests and make sure you're unharmed. It won't hurt and won't take too long." Twilight essayed a smile in return and the doctor settled in.

---

Daniel stood up as Twilight swung the infirmary door open, the doorknob glowing lightly with her magic. She looked considerably better. All the bandages had been removed, though there were still faint lines marking where the branches had scored her. Her hair was neat and straight once more; Doctor Fraiser must have found a brush for her. She gave him a brief smile and they started down the hallway together.

"So Doctor Fraiser told me she's the Chief Medical Officer," Twilight remarked as they walked. "You've got quite a few doctors and nurses here, right?"

Daniel nodded. "Enough medical staff to look after the whole base. Why do you ask?"

They rounded a corner, and Twilight shrugged. "Shouldn't the Chief Anything be too busy to deal with first aid? I wasn't hurt that bad."

"Offworlders get special treatment. Call it a courtesy."

They reached the elevator and Daniel hit the button. After a short wait, the doors opened to reveal Colonel O'Neill and a young soldier Daniel had seen once or twice around the base before. O'Neill simply lifted his head in greeting, but the soldier stared at Twilight a little wide-eyed as she and Daniel stepped inside.

The pony didn't seem to notice, instead smiling up at O'Neill. "Hello again Colonel."

"Twilight. You're looking awake."

The smile faded, and she bit her lip. "Yeah. Daniel said I was out of it for a while. I hope there's still time to save everypony."

Daniel's eyebrows climbed, and he looked to O'Neill. "Everypony?" he echoed.

O'Neill shook his head. "Save it for the briefing room." He gave Daniel a mildly disgusted look. "I know why she says it, but don't you start in with that 'everypony' stuff too."

The doors opened and the two men and pony stepped out. O'Neill paused and held his hand against the elevator door, preventing it from closing behind him. He met the soldier's eyes. "Relax, Corporal. You act like you never seen a talking pony before."

The corporal blinked at O'Neill, then shook himself and offered a quick salute. O'Neill waved him off and let the doors close. He turned to find Twilight glaring up at him, and for once Daniel wasn't spared the ire either.

"Why do you all keep calling me a 'talking pony'?" she demanded, stomping a hoof down on the floor.

O'Neill started walking, and Twilight had to trot to keep pace with him. "Well, it's accurate." The pony snorted in response, annoyed.

Daniel fell into step on the other side of Twilight. "It's not meant to be an insult, Twi. Not everyone at SGC goes offworld, and most of the offworlders who do show up here are either humans or humanoid. You're the first, uh..." he shrugged. "Well, the first equinoid they've seen."

Twilight cocked her head, giving him a skeptical look. "Equinoid?"

Daniel waved a hand. "Sure. A being with equine characteristics. Anyway, it gives them a handle on the situation." He smiled briefly. "Sorry, I didn't realize it bothered you that much."

The pony huffed out another breath, rolling her eyes. "I feel like a lab specimen," she muttered.

The trio walked into the briefing room. Carter and Teal'c were there already, sitting in their usual seats on either side of the table. General Hammond stood at the far end of the table, hands gripping the back of the chair in front of him.

Hammond waved them in. "About time you two showed up." He turned his attention to Twilight and gave her a polite nod. "Miss Sparkle, glad to see you back on your feet. Welcome to Earth. My name is General Hammond. I am the commanding officer in charge of Stargate Command." He motioned to the chair at the other end of the table. "Doctor Jackson tells me you're feeling pressed for time, so why don't we get right down to business? Tell us why you're here."

Daniel held the chair out for Twilight, and she hopped into it, settling down on her haunches. He and O'Neill took their own seats, as did General Hammond. The pony looked around the table, trading quick greetings with Carter and Teal'c.

As the humans watched her silently, any good mood she had began to slip away. She let out a long breath, placing her hooves on the table. "Right." She stared at her hooves intently before speaking, apparently deciding how to begin. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Epona has returned."

Everyone sat up straight, staring hard at Twilight. Teal'c growled a curse under his breath. O'Neill glanced at him. "I hear you."

Daniel leaned forward. "You're certain?"

Twilight bit her lip. "I never saw her for myself, but what I did see convinced me of it."

General Hammond settled back in his chair. "I think you'd better give us the whole story, Miss Sparkle. Tell us everything you know."

Twilight nodded, but fell silent for a long minute as she gathered her thoughts. Finally, she said, "It began about a day ago." She paused, then said with a touch of frustration, "No, I guess it'd be almost two now, wouldn't it?"

Shaking her head, she continued. "Spike and I were in Canterlot - that's our capital," she explained on seeing their puzzled expressions. She gave them a bleak half-smile. "You didn't hang around long enough to get to know us very well. Canterlot's where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna live. It's where I used to live before moving to Ponyville. I still have a library there, though most of my books are in Ponyville now. I'd gone to visit Princess Celestia, but when the attack came she was dealing with some administrative issues. I was in my library, catching up on some studying..."

---

"Spiii-iiike!" Twilight trotted through the library, letting out a huff of annoyance. "Now where is that dragon?" The library was in some disarray; several books were stacked in sloppy piles on the floor, and though she hadn't had a chance to look at the shelved books she was certain many of them weren't alphabetically ordered.

The door bumped open and Spike staggered in, his entire upper body hidden by the wavering tower of books that reached above his spiny head. He managed to avoid tripping over any other books, though, and found a clear spot to set down the new stack. "Whew!" He turned to Twilight, leaning against the books and wiping his forehead with the back of an arm. "This place is kind of a mess, Twilight."

The pony rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I noticed." She sighed helplessly as she stared around her. "I told Princess Celestia anypony was welcome to use the library as long as they didn't harm the books."

"Well, you can't say they haven't listened," Spike replied cheerfully. He picked up a couple of books, peering at the titles to compare them. "Everything looks like it's still in great shape. It's just the organization that took a beating." He slid the books he held onto two seemingly-random spots on two different shelves. "But don't worry, we'll have this place cleaned up before dinner!"

Twilight gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Spike. Say, you haven't found Perilous Parrots of the Peleponys Peninsula yet, have you?"

Spike frowned and dug into a pile, eventually coming up with a book. "Is Huffy Hawks of Hornduras close enough?"

"No," she called over her shoulder. She wrapped a couple books in magic, floating them up to peer at each before setting them aside.

"Feisty Falcons of Fillydelphia?"

"No."

"Edgy Eagles of the Everfree Forest?"

Twilight shook her head irritably. "No!" She paused, adding, "But keep that around for later. Come on, Spike, you haven't let me down before!"

"I haven't had to go running all over Canterlot to retrieve your books before!" Spike finished putting away the stack he'd brought in and stretched forcefully before heading for the door. "I'll make one more round and see if I can find any more. A few ponies weren't home when I called, but they might be in now. And don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for Parrots."

"Thanks, Spike," Twilight called after him. She turned back to the books as he shut the door, huffing out a breath that blew her bangs up for a moment. "I guess I'll keep cleaning up in he-"

The only warning she got was a brilliant flash of light outside the large picture window. She barely had time to register it before tremors shook the tower, sending her staggering. The air filled with the roar of stressed stone and metal, and clouds of debris were visible outside. Dimly, she could hear the sounds of ponies shouting and screaming far below.

Another flash rang the tower's bells again, and Twilight lost her footing. She tripped over a small pile of books and fell, sprawling on the floor between two larger stacks. She heard Spike call her name outside the door; the little dragon sounded terrified. Before she could answer or even move, the tower shook again, two violent tremors in rapid succession rippling up the stonework.

The bookshelf nearest Twilight was mostly empty in the bottom two-thirds, but the upper third was packed full of books. The top-heavy shelf wobbled with the shuddering, and on the last strike it overbalanced. The shelf fell with a sickening grace down toward Twilight, who could only look up in confusion and horror, one hoof raised to shield her face.

As the bookshelf fell, so did the books, sliding out one by one to pile on and around Twilight. One particularly heavy tome fell corner-down, striking her just above one ear. Pain-filled stars burst through her head, and everything fell away into blackness.

(Twilight lifted a hoof to gingerly touch the fading bump, wincing. "I just realized how many times I've been knocked unconscious in the last few days. I'm surprised Doctor Fraiser didn't find anything else wrong with me."

She cleared her throat, folding her hooves on the briefing table once more. "In any case, I don't know how long I was out. But when I came to...")

"Twilight! Twi! Twilight Sparkle, please wake up!"

Dimly, Twilight woke to the sound of Spike calling her name. She peered around through squinted eyes until she found a purple and green blur standing in front of her. It had a claw on her shoulder and was shaking her roughly.

She raised her head, smiling dizzily. "M'right here, Spike...thought y'were gonna go get more books..."

Spike threw himself at her, hugging her around the neck. "You're awake! You scared me half to death, Twi." He backed away and grabbed her forehooves, tugging insistently. "C'mon, help me get you out of here!"

Twilight blinked owlishly at him, then twisted her neck. She winced at a sudden stab of pain, but fought it off as her senses slowly returned to her. She could see now why he was pulling; she was buried under a mound of books that had covered her when the bookshelf fell. The shelf itself would have come down on top of her, but the stacks that had already been on the floor propped it up, keeping it a few inches above her head.

"Okay...okay, Spike, hang on." She concentrated, settling her magic on the books around her. She gently shoved them away, and with a little difficulty was able to crawl out from under the shelf.

Twilight wobbled for a second, then settled her feet more firmly on the floor. She looked up as her vision cleared and gasped, staring out the window.

Smoke rose from the main halls of Canterlot in the near distance; thick, billowing clouds that looked like they might have been from fires. Though she could see some wreckage, there was far less of it than the tremors earlier had suggested. Come to think of it, the tower was still standing, too, which was a good sign.

But more important than the buildings themselves was the scene playing out before them. On the Canterlot grounds sat a giant...thing. She might have thought it another building but for the fact it had not been there before. It hunkered down on the grass, looking nothing so much like a giant, angular beetle, its slate grey color and sleek shape at odds with the cheerful white architecture around it. A small window sat where its head might be, which was the only indication that it wasn't an actual creature. That, and the large opening at the foot of the thing, which had a ramp leading up...

...on which stood ponies. Their colorful forms stood out against the grey backdrop of the ramp. They trod up into the beetle in pairs, every one of them hanging their heads low and looking despondent. They were watched over by two enormous figures standing guard at the head of the ramp and at intervals along the lines of ponies, which stretched out a little distance onto the grass before the beetle. The figures looked human, but had black equine heads that gleamed in the sunlight. Each of them carried a staff.

Twilight knew those staves. She could recognize the weapons for what they were. When they first met, Daniel Jackson and his friends had told her they were of Jaffa make. These must be Jaffa, then: the kind Daniel knew, not the horses who mounted a swiftly-aborted attack on Ponyville so many months ago.

She flicked her eyes down along the line, and froze. The scene had been distressing enough, seeing the ponies herded into the beetle, but what she saw at the end made her blood run cold.

Princess Celestia stood there, following the ponies in front of her. Her wings were tucked back against her sides, a thin metal band wrapping around them to prevent her from extending them. Shackles graced her slender legs, keeping her from taking more than short, prim steps. Two Jaffa kept pace on either side, holding staves pointed directly at the princess. No, Twilight realized, not staves. These were shorter and thicker, but their purpose was not immediately obvious. The princess was not broken, though; her mane and tail flowed in the wind and she held her head straight and proud as she always had, though her expression was a mask of grave sadness.

Twilight took all this in in the space of two seconds. She choked out a cry, not turning from the window. "Spike? What's...what happening?"

"Equestria is under attack." The voice was decidedly not Spike's. It was feminine and young, but confident and melodious. Twilight had not heard that voice often, but she recognized it and spun around in surprise.

Princess Luna strode into Twilight's library, framed by the open door at her back. Though the mare was a fair bit shorter than her sister Celestia, she looked no less imposing. She moved with perfectly confident grace, wings tucking back smoothly as she approached Twilight and Spike. Her expression was a calm mask, but Twilight saw her eyes flick to the terrible scene outside, a small wince crossing her features.

Twilight offered a hesitant bow. "Princess Luna, what are you doing here? What's going on?"

Luna turned her full attention back to Twilight, her face smoothing over into neutrality once more. "I'm getting you out of here. Canterlot isn't safe any more." She began to trot to the windows encircling the library, checking out each one warily.

Twilight followed, frowning. "Out? But we have to go help! Princess Celestia-"

"I know." The words cracked like a whip, cutting Twilight off. The princess did not turn to face Twilight, still making the rounds. "Shall we three attack those guards? I counted at least ten of them, all armed. How long do you think we would last?"

Twilight's frown deepened. "But...you're Princess Luna. I know how strong you and Princess Celestia both are. Surely we could..."

This time, Luna did not interrupt, but turned from her search to give Twilight a steady, piercing look until the younger pony's voice trailed away. "Do you truly think that Celestia would not act if she could? Do you think she would allow her - our - subjects to be taken prisoner if she were capable of preventing it?"

Twilight didn't have an answer, and Luna shook her head. "No more questions. Not now. Either we leave now or we are captured." She nodded out one small window. "They're coming this way."

Twilight's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. "All right. How do we get out?"

Luna trotted past Twilight, heading for the door. "Veils."

Twilight blinked. "But I don't know how to turn myself invisible!"

The princess stopped and looked over her shoulder at Twilight, mild surprise on her face. "You don't? What has Celestia been teaching you?" She waved a hoof before Twilight could answer. "No, don't answer."

The unicorn bristled. "Well, why don't you teach me?" she asked, a hint of acid in her voice.

This earned her a skeptical look. "You think we have time for a lesson now?"

Twilight waved her own hoof at Luna, showing more confidence than she really felt at the moment. "You demonstrate, I'll follow."

Luna considered her for a moment more, then nodded. "You get one shot. If you can't, grab my tail and I'll cover all three of us." With that, Luna's horn began to glow a deep purple, darker than her own hide, as she drew her magic together. She shaped the magic carefully, giving Twilight time to draw in her own magic and watch Luna work. After a few seconds of concentration, there was a brief flare and Luna vanished from sight.

Twilight's eyes narrowed. "Spike, get on my back." The dragon obeyed as Twilight focused on the new spell, tongue sticking out between her lips in concentration as she tried to copy Luna. It took twice as long as Luna's had, but finally it coalesced into a satisfying bright flash. The world dimmed as the veil bent light around her, but there was still more than enough to see her surroundings.

Spike shifted on her back. "Cooool."

Luna's voice drifted from where the princess had stood before, pleasant surprise warming it. "Well done, Twilight. I see why Tia likes you."

Twilight blushed at the praise, but before she could speak the sound of footsteps on the landing outside could be heard. Luna hissed, "The shed on the far side of the transport ship! Meet me there!" Then there was no more opportunity to talk as the doorway darkened.

Two Jaffa strode into the library, staves held at the ready. As with the guards below, these two bore equine heads, and the red eyes stared coldly at the disheveled room. One barked a command to the other in a language Twilight didn't recognize, and they spread out, circling the room on either side. They pushed book stacks aside with their staves as they walked, checking for any place a pony might be hiding. They didn't see the ponies standing in the middle of the library at all.

The door was left wide open, and Twilight began to ease her way toward it. She placed her hooves carefully, stepping lightly and trying to avoid slipping on any books. She hoped Luna was doing the same, otherwise she'd find herself bumping into the princess's tail end quickly. Who knew what would happen to the veil then?

It took an achingly long time to reach the door, and Twilight was treated to the infuriating sight of the Jaffa knocking over the few books and statues in the library that hadn't already been on the floor. It took every ounce of effort not to whirl on them and give them a piece of her mind. Spike resettled himself carefully on Twilight's back and hugged her neck, maybe guessing at what she was thinking. She felt her anger ebb away under that reassuring touch.

Eventually, the pair reached the door, and though they kept their steps careful they were able to quicken their pace once outside. They made it down the stairs and onto the ground, taking a short breather underneath.

Spike whispered in Twilight's ear. "Luna said transport ship. You think she means the big beetle?"

Twilight shrugged, careful not to disturb Spike. "It must be. What else is there? Besides, I think I know the shed she meant." She eased around the stairs, trying to peer through the gloom of the veil. "Easiest way is to go behind the ship, I think. Long way around, but it gets us the furthest from the guards."

Spike let out a sigh. "It's your show, Twi."

Twilight moved away from the tower at a steady trot. The grass muffled her hooves nicely, but if she moved any faster she could feel the veil slipping away from her. Maybe with practice she could stay perfectly invisible at a full gallop, but right now it was all she could do just to keep it around them both.

Twilight kept to the cover of Canterlot buildings to aid her concealment. She wasn't sure how well bright sunlight could penetrate the veil, but she certainly didn't want to take the chance. It treated her to a less-than-pleasant look at the damage the attack had caused. There were no toppled buildings, surprisingly, but many were cracked, and at least one tower's parapet had shattered and fallen to the ground in a crumbled heap. Twilight only thanked her lucky stars she saw no ponies among the wreckage.

Halfway around the transport ship, Twilight lurked in a tower's shadow for a moment and prepared to dart for the safety of the next building. As she stepped out into the open, Spike hissed in her ear and pulled hard on her mane. The pony bit down on a yelp and halted in place. She turned to glare at Spike, and in doing so saw the reason he'd brought her up short.

Two more Jaffa strode between the two buildings, heading directly for them.

Twilight froze, pouring everything she had into the veil. If she lost her grip on it now, they were done for. The two could only watch as the Jaffa bore down on them, apparently heading for the ship. Ten feet...five feet...three feet...two, one...

...and the two walked right around Twilight. One passed so close in front of her that she could have touched its leg with her horn. The other passed behind her, and she felt the wind of its passage stir her tail.

The two continued toward the ship a way and Twilight was almost ready to breathe a sigh of relief when the one who'd walked behind her stopped, turning to stare directly at her. She caught her breath, eyes wide and staring back into those evil red points of light.

The other walked on for a pace or two before realizing its partner had stopped. It turned and growled something, but didn't appear to notice Twilight, only looking at its partner. The first one responded, but didn't look away from Twilight. She didn't understand them, but could imagine the conversation well enough: What is it? I don't know, but I felt something there.

The tableau held for what seemed like an interminable amount of time to Twilight. Then a light smattering of dust drifted down into her field of vision from above, the breeze blowing it into her face. She wrinkled her nose, sudden panic racing through her brain, as well as a brush of irritation. If something as cliche as a sneeze gave her away, she might as well hang it up right now.

Something about the way the dust interacted with the veil caused the attentive Jaffa to take a step forward, its posture suddenly wary and even more certain there was something there. Its partner, however, took better note of its surroundings. It shouted a warning and reached out with a hand, jerking its partner back just as a sudden crack of broken stone pierced the air and several tons of balcony plummeted to the earth.

Debris and dust fell in an earth-shuddering pile not two feet away from Twilight and Spike, and the pony gave up any thought of holding still. She threw herself backward, just barely clearing the ground as a particularly large chunk of stone slammed into the ground where she had just been standing.

She slumped to the ground, still holding onto the veil for all she was worth, trying to figure out how to silently gasp in a breath and not start choking on the dust that filled the area between her and the Jaffa. She settled for burying her face in the grass, which cut the dust just enough to let her take several steadying breaths.

As the debris settled into a heap, she could hear shouting from the two Jaffa. They stayed where they were, apparently arguing with each other, until a booming voice from nearer the ship called out to them. The argument cut off abruptly, and from what Twilight could hear they were moving away from the rubble.

The pony got to her feet and checked over her shoulder. "Spike?" she whispered.

"That was way too close," he hissed. "Can we just get out of here?"

"Don't have to tell me twice," she murmured, pulling herself to her hooves.

She wasted no more time in crossing the field, and soon found the shed she was looking for without further incident. It was a small, unassuming little building set where the Canterlot gardeners stored their tools and other equipment. It was within sight of the transport ship, but Twilight could see that none of the guards were looking its way as she approached. The shed's door was slightly ajar, and she nudged it aside as delicately as she could before slipping inside.

The shed was dark, only a trickle of light seeping in from the door and a small window at the back. She wound her way through the rakes and shovels and seed bags, but the space wasn't very big and it was empty of any ponies. She called out softly, "Princess Luna?"

"About time you two got here." The voice came from directly beside Twilight, and she nearly jumped out of her skin in surprise. The veil dropped away and there was Luna, amusement written all over her face at the sound of Twilight's yelp and stumble.

Twilight finally released her hold on her own veil, letting the magic fall away. As she did, the shed brightened up significantly, and the trickle of dim light became a warm glow that gave the shed a more comfortable, friendly look. "Not funny," she grumped at Luna.

"I beg to differ," the princess said, a sparkle in her eye. "Come, let's not waste any more time." She put action to words by walking to the very back of the shed where a space on the floor had been kept clear of any tools or bags. She lowered her horn and began to work another spell through it. She didn't slow the spell down for Twilight's sake, and it completed swiftly. A seam appeared in the floor and it popped open slightly; a trap door. Luna held it open with one hoof. "We're going down."

Twilight found stairs under the door and, after a moment's hesitation, started down them carefully. The narrow passageway was slightly steeper than she'd like, with stone walls and not a single light to be found. The stairs stretched into blackness.

She bit her lip, but Luna was right behind her. She called up her unicorn's light, a soft blue-white glow that spread through the passage out to a gratifying distance, and walked down far enough that Luna could follow her and close the door.

They began walking down the stairs, which curled around in a wide circle. "What is this, Princess?" Twilight asked.

"I thought it was obvious," came Luna's reply. She sounded a good deal more relaxed now that the immediate danger was past.

Twilight snorted lightly. "Yes, it's a secret passage. But...where does it go? Why is it here? I spent most of my life in Canterlot and I never knew about this!"

Luna sighed. "My sister is a wonderful pony. She guides with a gentle hoof, trusting in everypony to do what is right." Her voice turned a little wry. "I prefer to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. This is one such preparation. The tunnel will come out at the base of the cliff, and from there it is a short run into the forest and away from seeking eyes. I sent every pony I could reach this way. There were far fewer than I would have hoped, I'm afraid."

Twilight was silent for a time. "Princess Luna...please tell me what happened. You seem to know what's going on."

It took several minutes for Luna to respond. "Canterlot was struck by fire from the sky."

"That's...poetic."

"But accurate enough. Bolts of energy, each one powerful enough to tear apart anything it strikes. We weren't the only ones, either. Manehattan and Fillydelphia were both attacked as well." She sighed. "I fear for them."

A chill ran across Twilight's spine. "Ponyville! Was Ponyville hit?"

"No, it wasn't. Our attackers were concerned with subduing the biggest cities from orbit." Twilight's relief was short-lived as Luna continued in a clinical tone. "I expect they'll sweep through the smaller towns like Ponyville and Appleloosa on foot.

"After attacking us from orbit, their ground troops landed and began rounding up everypony they could find. And they came for Tia and me specifically." The detachment bled away into anger and bitterness at the last.

Spike, who was turned around so he could see Luna, leaned forward. "Um, Princess...how did you escape?"

Luna nickered out a laugh, still with that twinge of bitterness. "I have been home for over a year now, and still those pompous aristocrats won't talk to me. Tia must meet with them alone and listen to their troubles that are troubling for nopony but themselves. Then she meets with me and we talk about any important issues that came up." The bitterness left her voice, replaced by undisguised warmth. "My sister and I understand each other better now that...than we used to. When she said she wanted us to rule together, she meant it and I am forever grateful to her." She sighed. "But she can't control anypony else, and they are skittish as newborn foals around me."

Twilight and Spike both remained silent as Luna talked. It was clear that despite the trouble Equestria was facing that set her on edge, she was enjoying the chance to talk to somepony other than Celestia.

The princess cleared her throat, apparently realizing she was drifting. "But as to your question. I was resting in my chambers. Our attackers went straight for the great hall where Tia was receiving the noble foals. I saw them enter the hall from my window." She shook her head, soft hair whispering against the stone. "If I went to Tia's aid, we would both be captured right now. She would have wanted me to instead save every pony I could. Especially you, Twilight Sparkle. So I did my best to do just that."

Twilight blushed a little at that. "Oh. Thank you, Princess." She frowned, and when she spoke next she couldn't keep the worry out of her voice and didn't really try. "What will happen to Princess Celestia and the captured ponies?"

"There, I think, we don't have to worry too much. Our attackers can be deadly, but they tend not to kill out of hand. The ponies will either be imprisoned or put to work. Tia is probably the safest of us all right now."

Twilight blinked, incredulous. "Imprisonment? Slave labor? Forgive me, Princess, but that sounds like plenty to worry about!"

Luna remained placid. "As long as there is life, there is hope. I don't intend to let them remain prisoners for long, Twilight."

Twilight just shook her head. "I believe you, Princess. I just hope we can." She asked the next a little hesitantly. "Those soldiers...were who I think they were, weren't they?"

"Jaffa." The word came out flat and more than a little cold, confirming Twilight's fear. "And if their armor is anything to go by, then...Epona is leading them."

Twilight shivered. "I remember the story Princess Celestia told us. She's really back?"

"Perhaps it's another who shares her obsession with horses. But I know of no other who wants Tia and me alive."

On that note, the trio fell silent as they made their way down the rest of the stairs. Eventually, the tunnel led them out to the base of the cliff, just as Luna had said. They made the short run into the woods without being spotted, and only then did they stop for a rest.

"Princess, how safe are the Canterlot ponies?" Twilight was sitting on her haunches next to a tree with Spike snoozing lightly on the ground beside her.

Luna tilted her head from where she sat in mirror to Twilight. "Safe enough. Nopony knew the location until I sent them through the passage, so the Jaffa can't get the location from those they captured."

Twilight peered at her. "I have to admit I'm surprised at how many bases you've covered, Princess."

Luna flicked a wing in idle dismissal, but she smiled. "Please, Twilight. I'm not as young as I look. I've had time to think about all this."

"Right. I guess it's easy to forget that." Twilight stood, stretching her limbs out. "If you don't mind then, Princess, I want to get back to Ponyville as quickly as I can. I need to make sure my friends are safe." She nudged Spike gently and he woke, rubbing his eyes.

Luna rose too, stretching out her wings before folding them back. "Very well. The safehouse isn't too far from Ponyville in any case. But we'll need to start forming plans on how to rescue those captured. I think Tia will be safe, but time is not on our side."

Spike climbed up onto Twilight's back, and she nodded. "All right, Princess. Let's not waste time, then."

The journey from Canterlot to Ponyville by air normally took about 30 minutes. Walking along the road, just shy of two hours. But forging a path through the only-partially-tamed forests and hills between Canterlot and Ponyville while avoiding random but frequent patrols? That required the better part of a day.

Twilight and Luna spent most of that time discussing their options. They couldn't start working on solid plans until they knew what resources they could call on. Naturally, the topic of the original Jaffa horses and SG-1 came up. Twilight demurred at first, but Luna eventually got the full story out of her. Luna of course knew about the Stargate and what had happened the last time it was activated, but only from Celestia's perspective. She seemed very interested to know what Twilight had to say about it.

Twilight concluded the tale with a hesitant, "And...I think I know how to contact them."

Luna paused from where she had been able to push through a particularly thick bush. She turned wide eyes on Twilight. "How..." She put two and two together and her eyes narrowed, lips splitting into a conspiratorial grin. "You watched Tia open and close the gate, didn't you."

Twilight couldn't meet her eyes, but she smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah. I think I can do it."

Luna stared a second longer, then let out a wicked little laugh and shook her head. "I hope my dear sister knew what she was doing when she took you under her wing. You are going to be quite the hoofful."

Before she could say anything further, there was a crack of leaves and twigs somewhere ahead of them. All three immediately crouched down behind the brush Luna had been about to go through. They each found an opening in the leaves and peered through.

A Jaffa patrol had come into view. One horsehead and two humans were walking in their direction, all holding readied staves. They looked alert, but did not move as though they'd heard anything unusual. There was nowhere for the ponies to run; any movement would make noise enough to attract the Jaffa's attention, and the light from attempting another veil would draw them just as quickly.

There was only one way out Twilight could see. She motioned close to both her friends - she felt she could count Luna among that number now - and whispered as softly as she could. "Spike, please stay with the Princess. When I run, give them a minute to chase me. You two go on into Ponyville and then to the safehouse."

Spike began to protest, but Luna touched his shoulder with a gentle hoof and he quieted, though still looking none too happy. Twilight gave him a reassuring smile. "I know what I'm doing. I think. I'll return with help as soon as I can."

She glanced back in the patrol's direction, took a steadying breath, then burst from the brush, racing past the patrol as fast as her four legs would carry her. She shrieked, high and loud, the sound filled with all the fright she could load into it. The Jaffa were caught off-guard, and it took a second of them watching her go before the horsehead barked out a command to the others. With that, all three took off after Twilight, chasing her into the Everfree Forest and away from Luna and Spike.

---

"And they chased me," Twilight finished, still looking down at her hooves. "They even fought their way through a friend who put himself in their way to try to slow them down. The Jaffa were at the gate when I teleported through. But they couldn't stop me, and...well, here I am." She gave the humans around the table a tentative smile.

Everyone was silent for a moment, then Colonel O'Neill turned in his chair to look at General Hammond. "So when do we go?"

Twilight gave a start at that, and she turned puzzled eyes to Daniel. He raised his own eyebrows and shrugged, but smiled. Though O'Neill had been instrumental in stopping the attack on Ponyville before it began last time, he had gone about his business with a bad grace, at least in Twilight's eyes. That he was the first to speak up in her favor was a welcome surprise.

Twilight's rising hope began to fade as Hammond held up a hand to O'Neill. "One thing at a time, Colonel." He folded his hands on the table, fixing Twilight with a steady gaze. "The most immediate thing I want to know is how the devil did you know Earth's address?"

Four pairs of eyes - two human, one Jaffa, and one pony - silently turned to look at Daniel. He looked around, blinking a couple times before turning to Hammond. "It was a precaution. At the time, I didn't know Equestria's address, so after Celestia locked their gate I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to find it again. I figured there was a better chance we'd re-establish a connection if one of the ponies knew our address."

Hammond frowned at Daniel. "And this wasn't in your debriefing report," he spread his hands, "why, exactly?"

Daniel shrugged and scratched at his neck. "I, uh. I figured it wouldn't come up." Carter snorted at that.

Hammond grunted. "All right. Let me see if I understand the situation properly. This Goa'uld Epona used to control the planet two or three thousand years ago. Two beings who are somehow still alive today chased her off-planet; this Celestia and Luna who led the Equestrians from that point on. Now the Goa'uld is back, and she has an army of Jaffa which she's using to capture every intelligent being she can." Twilight nodded mutely, sinking down lower into her chair.

"She intends to subjugate the planet and make Celestia watch." Teal'c turned steady eyes on Hammond. "We cannot permit this, General."

O'Neill jumped back in. "Teal'c's right. And even setting aside the fact that kicking Goa'uld ass is our general policy, you said it yourself earlier, General. If the Goa'uld could enslave these guys, they could use them against us. I know I'd give a lot to have winged magical allies, and I sure wouldn't want them for enemies."

The briefing room fell silent as General Hammond considered the situation. Finally, he allowed, "I can see a few good reasons for kicking the Goa'uld off the planet." He leaned forward, catching Twilight's eyes directly. "But I don't much appreciate your Princess Celestia slamming the door on us the last time. I'm sure she had her reasons, but if I send my people to aid yours, then I expect something in return."

Twilight's ears folded back and she wilted a bit. "I'm not sure I can promise anything, General..."

Hammond sat back, waving his hand. "I just want to meet her. When all's said and done, she can come here for a visit. We'll extend every courtesy to her. You have my word on that."

"I can't tell Princess Celestia what to do," the pony sighed, "but I'll try."

"Thank you." Hammond looked to O'Neill. "I'm placing SG-3 and SG-5 under your command for this mission, Colonel. If the Jaffa army is as large as it sounds, you'll need the support. Some of their members are on leave, so it will take a few hours to recall them. In the meantime, Major Carter, your report said we do not know Equestria's address, correct?"

"Correct, sir. We couldn't find the right address before because it would have reported as a dead link. Twilight, how likely is it someone might shut off your gate?"

The pony frowned in thought. "Princess Celestia could, but she's...she's captured. Maybe Princess Luna, but she's counting on me to come back. I don't think anypony else knows about the Stargate or can close it."

Hammond nodded. "Then it's your job to find the right address before the other SG teams are ready, Major."

"Yes sir." Carter shuffled the papers in front of her, finding the one she was looking for. "I have Daniel's notes on possible combinations. I'll get started on that right away."

Daniel leaned forward and offered, "I'll see what I can research on Epona. So far she sounds like a standard Goa'uld, but there may be clues to her character."

Hammond nodded assent to that, then looked down the table at each member of SG-1 in turn. "Get prepped, folks. I doubt Epona's going to agree to a diplomatic solution. Dismissed."

---

"What is this thing?"

Twilight sat on a chair in Daniel's office. She was having some difficulty with the swiveling 'feature'. She had to plant her hooves on the desk to keep from sending the annoying thing into a dizzying spin.

The chair wasn't what she had asked about, though. She sat in front of a lit screen with some kind of controls on the desk before her. The screen was currently filled with what amounted to an encyclopedia entry on Epona as goddess of some people called the Celts. Or the Romans. It was a little confusing.

Daniel was seated at the other end of the table. A few books sat stacked in a pile before him, and he flipped through an open one. "It's a computer," he replied without looking up. "Sort of a compact, interactive database. Books, pictures, video, audio, it's all on there."

She cast a skeptical look at him, then back to the computer. "Really. Sure you don't want to trade?" Daniel blinked at her, and she added, "I am interested in it, but I don't think we've got time to teach me new stuff. It might be better if I looked through the books instead." Her face twisted in a brief grimace. "And all I can think about right now is getting back to Equestria. This waiting is driving me a little crazy."

Daniel set his book aside and got up, kneeling next to Twilight's chair. He slid an arm around her and she leaned into him gratefully. "We'll free them all, Twi," he murmured, leaning his forehead carefully against hers. "I promise."

A faint smile touched her lips and she leaned harder against him, but squeaked in surprise when the motion sent the chair rolling and spinning away from Daniel. He caught her by reflex, and she ended up pressed against his chest in a tight hug.

Daniel eyed the chair for a moment, then the pony in his arms. "All right. You take the books."

She actually giggled at that, but pushed gently away from him until he loosened his grip enough to let her slide down to the floor. "I appreciate that, but to be honest I'm not even sure what we're looking for."

Daniel got up and retrieved the chair, pulling it back to the computer. "Just information on Epona. She was on Earth long enough to establish herself in the pantheon of gods in one of our ancient civilizations. A lot of Goa'uld and a couple other races were like that. Sometimes there's a clue in the history as to their personalities, things they'd be likely to do."

He frowned at the computer and took one of the controls in hand, and the text scrolled along, occasionally showing a picture of pottery or art. "Unfortunately there's not a lot on her. She was venerated by the ancient Celts as the goddess of horses, and the Romans picked it up when their empire spread to the Celts."

Twilight frowned, peering at the screen over the lip of the desk. "Venerated? But...I mean, you remember Princess Celestia's story. She worked us ponies hard and even sold some of us into slavery. That doesn't sound like somepony to worship."

"You have to understand, Twi, they presented themselves as such. The first Goa'uld we ever encountered was one of the worst, and he was the head of an entire pantheon. We see hostile aliens bent on domination, but people who don't know the truth see beings with great power who can be pleased or displeased, so you better do what you can to please them.

"The other thing is that on Earth, horses are worked hard." He sounded a bit uncomfortable as he said, "They're...slaves, really. They're not intelligent creatures, but simple beasts of burden. They were vital to human colonization in ancient times all the way up until we developed machine transportation. They carried loads, pulled wagons and plows, and carried riders. Still do in some areas of the world.

"Don't get me wrong," he added on seeing her disgusted expression, "horses have always been treated well. Epona was a big deal back in those days because horses helped keep humans alive. But they've always been servants." He grinned down at her. "Maybe I'll introduce you to an Earth horse someday. It'd be an education."

Twilight snorted lightly. "Yeah, I can imagine." She shook her head. "But that doesn't really tell us anything, does it?"

Daniel shrugged. "Not much, but some. Epona considers horses to be servants." He pulled up a crudely drawn picture of a human standing between two horses. He pointed to their necks, and Twilight could see a collar around each. "Servants may be treated poorly and worked hard, but they're rarely killed. As long as the ponies keep their heads down until we're ready to move, I doubt Epona will hurt them."

"Yeah...Luna said that, Teal'c, and now you. My head believes you all, but the rest of me..." She sighed and slumped in place, leaning on his leg. She felt his hand rest between her ears and closed her eyes.

There was a knock at the door. Without waiting for a response from Daniel, it swung open to reveal O'Neill and Teal'c. O'Neill jerked a thumb down the hall. "Come on. Everyone else is suited up. It's time to go."

---

One more Twilight stood in the gate room surrounded by humans. At least this time they weren't pointing any weapons at her.

Ten men she didn't know stood in a line against the back wall, all facing the Stargate. Each was loaded down with the gear Twilight had come to associate with the SG teams, their tac vests laden with grenades and a boxy little gun each - a P90, she recalled. The two men in the center wore the golden leaves of Majors. Not that Twilight had been told this, but they matched Major Carter's insignia. One was a solid looking black man who looked as if he could take Teal'c in a fair fight, and the other almost looked like a younger version of O'Neill.

In front of the troops with their backs to the gate stood SG-1. Twilight stood in the middle between O'Neill and Daniel, with Teal'c and Carter flanking them. Twilight certainly didn't miss the surreptitious glances the men were throwing her way, but SG-1 ignored them as they finished prepping for departure.

O'Neill finished fiddling with his gear, sliding his green cap over his hair. "All right, folks, introduction time. Twilight Sparkle, this is Major Warren and Major Altman. They lead SG-3 and SG-5." He pointed to each man and team in turn as he named them. The two Majors eyed Twilight, but nodded respectfully all the same. "Boys, this is Twilight Sparkle, the Equestrian ambassador to Earth." His voice was completely deadpan, but Daniel lifted a hand to his mouth to hide a sudden grin.

Now that they'd been introduced, every one of the men gathered stared more openly at Twilight, who flicked a glance up at O'Neill, then rolled her eyes. She directed her most stunning smile at the SG teams, grinning until her eyes were closed in adorable little half moons. "Hi! I'm a talking pony!" she chirped. Daniel started coughing and had to wave away a concerned Teal'c.

"That she is," O'Neill agreed cheerfully. "Equestria's full of 'em, gentlemen, so you'll get used to it. I've already briefed Majors Warren and Altman, but here's the short version: we go through that gate and secure the surrounding ruins. Once that's done, SG-5 will hold the Stargate and maintain communication with SGC. SG-3 will accompany SG-1 to the Goa'uld's location. We blow her sky high, break the Jaffa hold on the local population, free the princess if she's not in another castle, and return home. Any questions?"

One of the SG-3 team members couldn't help himself. "Princess, sir?"

O'Neill nodded impatiently. "Long flowing hair, golden tiara, four long pretty legs. You know, standard princess."

To his credit, the man only blinked, then grinned and saluted O'Neill. Twilight couldn't help looking a little scandalized at the description of her mentor, but pushed it away. O'Neill was easier to understand the longer she hung around him, which was probably just as well.

O'Neill looked around. "No more questions? All right, Major Carter."

Carter took a step forward, checking a handheld device before looking up at the assembly. "It took a little work, but we were able to isolate Equestria's address. We sent a MALP through about 30 minutes ago and it didn't detect anyone on the other side. But it's been collecting data ever since the gate closed, so once we've established connection I'll need to review the log before we head through." She glanced back at O'Neill, who raised a hand and waved up to the control center.

There was motion behind the glass, though Twilight could barely see from her vantage point. She frowned and cocked her head, looking around the room. "Shouldn't there be another pedestal here?" she asked Daniel. He only pointed to the Stargate, turning around to face it. She followed his example.

For a moment, nothing happened. Twilight was just about to ask Daniel again when the room lit up with spinning lights, a warning alarm going off somewhere high overhead. The inner ring of the Stargate began to spin, and Twilight danced back in surprise. It rotated until apparently it found the first symbol for Equestria's address, then the top chevron shifted and clicked into place. A booming voice drowned out the klaxons: "Chevron one encoded!"

Daniel commented, speaking as clearly as he could to cut through the mounting noise. "We never had a DHD pedestal for our gate. We have to dial out...a little differently."

Twilight could only settle back on her haunches and nod, staring up at the Stargate. Everyone around her gave off an air of boredom; they'd seen this a hundred times or more. She couldn't help it, though. The graceful movement of the ring was almost mesmerizing.

Daniel knelt beside her. Despite the general noise of the announcements and klaxons, she could hear his voice quite well. "If you're ever stuck without a DHD to dial out on, you can turn the gate on by hand. ...Well, hoof. It's hard, but possible." He paused as the announcer called out chevron four, then pointed up. "See all the metal attachments around the gate? It's spinning the whole thing manually." Twilight could only nod, eyes beginning to make out the details as he pointed to them.

The seventh chevron eventually snapped into place, the disembodied voice from the control center chanting, "Chevron seven locked!" Once more she was treated to a rush of blue-white energy that poured out of the gate, nearly reaching the end of the ramp where they stood before withdrawing back into the event horizon.

Major Carter was already working at her device, scanning through reports of activity from the MALP. Eventually she looked up to O'Neill. "No signs of movement in the last 30 minutes. Looks clean."

O'Neill waved behind him. "All right. SG-5, take point. SG-3, follow us in." SG-1 made room for the first team. They started forward, unslinging their P90s as they strode up the ramp toward the shimmering gate. Major Altman was the first one through, his team following close behind. The gate made gentle sounds as the horizon closed over the back of each.

Once SG-5 was fully through, Teal'c hefted his staff and started forward, Daniel following close behind. Twilight stayed near him, hooves striking the metal ramp with a clatter on each step. She slowed as she approached the gate, though Daniel strode right through without hesitation. It looked so much like water. She took a deep breath and held it, plunging through the gate with her eyes closed, and consciousness temporarily left her for the fourth time since the trouble began.

---

The world came rushing back to Twilight, and once more she found herself back in the dim little room underneath the castle ruins. She staggered as she stepped out of the Stargate and had to keep moving; Major Carter was right behind her.

SG-5 hadn't had time to get lights set up yet, but they'd clicked on little lights attached to their firearms, and those bright beams of light swept around the room, illuminating it well enough. It was late afternoon here, and the stairway at the far end was lit with a warm orange light.

The rest of SG-1 came through, followed shortly by SG-3. SG-5 moved up the stairs, moving furtively as they reached the top. O'Neill followed, as did the rest of SG-1.

Twilight followed Daniel out, and a sense of unease began to grow. She peered around as the soldiers spread out. "I feel like somepony should be here. It's so quiet, though."

Daniel stepped over the rubble that half-blocked the way out of the ruined tower. "We heard a couple of noises when you came through our Stargate. That was probably your pursuers hitting the iris."

Teal'c stood on Twilight's other side, peering out into the forest. "If so, they are no longer a concern."

Twilight frowned. "A couple? Yeah, I heard two thumps too." She looked up at Daniel sharply. "But there were three chasing me."

Right on cue, one of the SG-5 soldiers furthest away from the tower left out a shout and a chatter of gunfire, then stumbled into a retreat. Flashes of light tore into the ground at his feet; a whole lot of flashes. The combined force sent a gout of earth and cobble exploding into the air.

From both corners of the wall on which the tower stood, a battalion of Jaffa emerged. Horseheads and bare-headed foot soldiers alike poured out into the small open section of ground, their battle staves leveled at the humans. The SG soldiers raised their guns, but the Jaffa had been waiting and ready. They had the advantage of surprise, and even if SG-3 had been outside as well, they would still have outnumbered the humans.

The Jaffa lined up in a semi-circle, trapping the humans against the wall of the tower. Twilight looked about frantically, but they'd brought enough Jaffa to prevent a way out. Each human had at least one staff pointed directly at them, and most had two. Twilight got three trained on her, and she shrank back against the wall.

The standoff held for several tense seconds, Jaffa and humans equally not daring to speak or breathe. Finally, one horsehead in the middle of the ring barked out a command in a sharp, alien language. Teal'c tensed, but O'Neill only cocked his head quizzically. The Jaffa spat again, and this time it was understandable. "Drop your weapons!"

O'Neill peered around at the Jaffa, then cursed under his breath. "Do it," he ordered, and threw his own P90 to the ground with a clatter. SG-5 and SG-1 followed suit, though Teal'c hesitated long enough to get a couple more staves pointed at him. With visible reluctance, he tossed his own staff to the ground in disgust.

Still the Jaffa did not move. O'Neill held his hands above his head, but leaned his head to one side. "Teal'c? What's going on?"

Before the ex-Jaffa could answer, they heard footsteps ringing on the few cobblestones that still poked through the grass elsewhere in the ruins. It was a steady, unhurried pace, but it grew louder with each step. After half a minute, the footsteps vanished as the walker stepped onto grass, and a bare second later another Jaffa appeared from around the wall.

This one wore a horse's head like the others, but as it strode behind the line of Jaffa Twilight could make out glints of golden trim, shining bright in the afternoon sun. It accented the deadly curves of the horse's neck and shoulders, and ran down the nose in a long thin stripe.

The newcomer walked at that same unhurried pace, not bothering to look at the humans until it reached the center of the firing line. Then it turned, and the horseheads on each side bunched in tighter to allow passage. The Jaffa stepped inside the ring, its own staff held straight with the butt planted firmly in the ground. Its deep red eyes swept the small yard, taking in every captor there. Twilight had to fight to keep from flinching as that gaze settled on her for a moment.

The Jaffa's gaze turned to Teal'c and froze, staring silently for a long minute. The big man stared back, his expression neutral but for a tensing in his jawline. Slowly, the Jaffa reached up and pressed a button at the base of its metal neck Twilight hadn't noticed before.

The transformation was swift and, at least for the pony, unexpected. She stared as the horse head began to shift and retract, panels disengaging and sliding into each other, the entire thing folding in on itself and pulling back into the collar that rested around the Jaffa's neck, revealing a simple human's face. So the horseheads were humanoid after all.

This particular Jaffa was a woman, though it was somewhat hard to tell. Her head was shaved, much as Teal'c's was, and her blocky jaw lent her an air of granite strength not normally afforded to women or mares. On her forehead sat the mark Twilight had seen before; that of a horse's head in profile. Unlike the others, however, this one was etched into her skin in gold.

Twilight's eyed widened, and she looked up to Teal'c, whose own forehead bore a golden mark as well, though of a different design. The man growled something out in the Jaffa tongue, a spitting remark that made the Jaffa smirk, though it made the soldiers around her tense up.

The woman stared around again at the captured humans, then turned her mocking gaze back to Teal'c. In clear, accented English, she spoke clearly enough for the entire yard to hear, and the sneer in her tone was unmistakable. "Welcome, First Prime of Apophis. I am First Prime Sh'vak. You are in Epona's domain now."

Author's Note: Hooo boy! This chapter took on a life of its own! I almost considered breaking it up into two separate chapters, but I decided to go ahead and finish it since everyone's already been waiting so patiently. I don't know if further chapters will be this long, but if not at least they'll be out quicker!

Chapter 3

Soaring high overhead, the birds of the Everfree Forest enjoyed an excellent view of the land. The forest itself spread out for miles in all directions, the lush green canopy broken only by a winding river that ran from the dragon-haunted mountains in the west to the lush plains in the east. Besides the river, the only other large break in the canopy was the ruins of the princess sisters' ancient castle.

Settled close to another mountain range, the ruins had been hidden from landbound creatures for the past thousand years, and only in the past few had they been rediscovered. Even so, creatures on the wing were rarely treated to so much activity as what was happening this afternoon.

A small group of two-footed creatures stood in front a broken-down tower set into an inside corner of the castle wall. A quarter-circle of other two-footed beings, these recognizable as the foe who had been running roughshod over this part of the world for the last two days, kept them penned in. The two groups were standing still now, but the promise of sudden action hung thick in the air.

Sh'vak, First Prime of Epona, swaggered forward another couple of steps. Though she didn't exactly smile, the gleam in her eye was that of a tigress who wants to have a little fun with her cornered prey. She fairly purred as she spoke, the words thick with mockery. "Well, 'First Prime'? Have you nothing to say?"

O'Neill glanced over to Teal'c, who shifted his weight a little at being addressed. Though the big man still held his hands behind his head, O'Neill knew him well enough to see that he was on the verge of violence. Sh'vak seemed to know it, too; she stayed well out of lunging range, though her posture never changed.

"You know very well I am not that person any longer." Teal'c managed to keep his voice level, but it sounded as tightly restrained as his body.

"Indeed." Sh'vak laughed, though her eyes glinted with a harsh light. "The infamous traitor. True Jaffa tell horror stories about you to their children, you know. You and your band of Tau'ri marauders." She swept her gaze over the humans, naked contempt showing. She paused when she saw Twilight Sparkle, and flashed the pony a much too toothy smile. "Ah, yes, and the animal who got away." Twilight eased back from that look, ears flattening in distress. Sh'vak continued, her voice quiet and deadly. "You killed two of my soldiers, little animal. They followed you through the Chappa'ai and never returned. It will be a pleasure to be the one to bring you all down."

O'Neill rolled his eyes. "Oh please." Sh'vak's attention snapped to him, and he continued. "Look, lady, if all you're gonna do is make empty death threats, could you come back later? We've got a lot to do." He glanced nonchalantly over his shoulder toward the tower. The soldiers outside had all moved away from the opening, leaving a clear field between the gate room entrance and the Jaffa. He turned back to Sh'vak, shrugging. "We might be able to squeeze you in tomorrow morning."

A hiss escaped Sh'vak's lips, her eyes blazing. "Empty? Fool, you have nowhere to run! At my command, you, the traitor, the animal, and every one of your men will be struck down. You had best beg for your life if you wish to live long enough to meet the goddess."

"Honestly, Carter," O'Neill complained, "is there some evil overlord's guide to boasting that gets passed around? I swear we've heard this exact rant three times in the past month."

"Just about, sir." Carter, for her part, was significantly more wary of the Jaffa and didn't take her eyes off Sh'vak, but still answered casually enough.

Sh'vak settled back on her heels, and much of the tense anger drained away. "Foolish children," she sneered, though it held as much pity as contempt now. "You think you're going to bluff your way out of this. Epona already owns this planet. The animals' traitorous leader is under her control. She is nothing more than Epona's plaything now."

Twilight's eyes widened, and the angle of her ears twisted to flatten in outrage rather than fear. "Princess Celestia is nopony's plaything, you evil...evil witch!" She took a step forward, but stopped as three staves trained on her, their ends pulled back to reveal the humming blaster muzzles.

"'Princess,'" Sh'vak scoffed, glaring at Twilight. "What is that to a goddess?" She swept her staff in a sudden, irritated slash. "Enough of this. You may enjoy meaningless banter, Tau'ri," she pointed at O'Neill, "but this is quickly getting tiresome."

Daniel snorted. "If that was true you'd have just gunned us down. You had us dead to rights, but you wanted to gloat."

A wicked smile crossed Sh'vak's lips. "True enough. Let it be done, then." She tapped the button at her neck again and the horse's head reformed over hers, red eyes glaring once more. She raised her arm high in the air and shouted a command in the Goa'uld language, her voice distorted and amplified by the mask.

Seconds passed. Nobody moved. Despite Sh'vak's irritation, she was clearly enjoying holding the fates of so many people in her hands and was milking it for all it was worth. The shadows of birds wheeling overhead passed along the ground silently, sending Jaffa and humans alike flickering for brief instants. When the First Prime felt she'd let the silence linger long enough, she cried out, "Mol kek!" Her arm began to fall...

...and all hell broke loose.

The air split with the thunder of leonine roars. There were so many that it was impossible to tell what direction they were coming from until the flickering shadows pulled together into one solid shape. Forms flashed down from the sky, moving at incredible speed as they darted in and out of the Jaffa firing line. Where they passed, Jaffa soldiers simply vanished, carried off by the brown and white streaks.

With the din of the roars filling everyone's ears and the firing line being torn down, the chatter of gunfire from behind O'Neill went nearly unoticed. Sparks flew from the armor of several Jaffa, and they jerked and twitched before falling limply to the ground, staves falling from their hands.

O'Neill wasted no time in taking advantage of the surprise, trusting the others to follow suit. He dove prone to the ground, snatching up his P90, and started picking his own targets. Bullets began to fill the air as the rest of the SG soldiers joined the fight. The ripsaw snarls of gunfire added to the high-pitched whine of battle staves firing wildly amidst the furious roars, creating one giant painful cacophony.

A shadow fell across his sight, and he looked up to see Sh'vak nearly on top him, holding her staff high over her head. Though her mask's expression couldn't change, her posture told him she was mad as hell. She brought the staff swinging down, the heavy butt end arcing toward his head like a hammer to a ripe melon.

O'Neill flung himself to one side, rolling onto his back. The staff missed him by inches, slamming into the earth just beside his ear. He stared up at the furious First Prime, standing upside down in his field of view, but something drew his eye up to the sky beyond her.

On first glance, it looked like an eagle: beak, feathers, outstretched claws, the usual. But the beak was open, and O'Neill realized that it was roaring, as were the others with it. Though it was diving straight at Sh'vak, he could see its tail whipping about behind it; a lion's tufted tail rather than an eagle's. The beast looked terribly familiar, but Daniel was a little too busy to supply him with a name just now.

Sh'vak froze, noticing his gaze shifting off her. It saved her life. She spun around into a crouch, staff sweeping up in a fluid motion to meet the oncoming talons. The butt of the staff smacked hard into one outstretched claw, causing the creature's roar to shift into a pained screech. It banked away, aborting its attack.

The First Prime's head whipped back and forth, noticing more of the creatures lining up for a run at her. She looked down at O'Neill, then back up at the sky, snarling out a curse. Dismissing him from her attention, she took off running toward the edge of the wall from which she had first appeared, two of the beasts in hot pursuit.

O'Neill lifted himself onto one elbow to watch her go, then shifted his grip on the P90 and turned back to the battle. Between the surprise attack and the loss of their leader, the Jaffa stood little chance. They fought tenaciously, but the battle was loud, brutal, and short. O'Neill raised his weapon and squeezed the trigger, a spray of sparks dancing off the armor of the last Jaffa standing.

Only one other Jaffa in sight was still moving, and he was clenched in the grip of one of the beasts. It carried the Jaffa beyond the cliff that separated the ruins from the rest of the forest, then unceremoniously pitched him into the abyss. He dropped out of sight, but not out of earshot; in the sudden silence, his scream could be heard a long way down, mercifully fading away before reaching the bottom. O'Neill winced in sympathy for the Jaffa, but there was nothing to be done about it now.

The whine of engines filled the air as the sound of gunfire died away, and O'Neill checked over his shoulder to see a glider lifting into the air over the walls of the ruins. The small fighter craft hovered in the air for a moment, the heat of its engines and the late afternoon sun causing its forward-swept wings to shimmer in his sight.

The two creatures that had been pursuing Sh'vak grappled the fighter, clawing ineffectually at the armored wings and cockpit. It hung in the air for another couple of heartbeats as if to taunt their efforts, then its engines flared to life, propelling it away from the ruins at speed. Knocked senseless by the sudden departure, the creatures spun in midair, freefalling for a bare second before regaining their wings.

The silence that fell over the small courtyard didn't last long. As the humans began to pick themselves up from the ground, checking over themselves and their squad mates, the air filled with the sound of every beast in the vicinity crying out another roar. The timbre had changed, though; where before it was a cry of challenge, now it was one of victory.

One by one, they came back to the clearing. They settled down in a ragged formation around where the Jaffa had stood, though their collective posture was not so much threatening as strutting. They fell into raucous chatter among themselves, and though the speech was difficult to follow, O'Neill recognized warriors talking excitedly about a finished battle.

Daniel edged over from where he had been standing, coming in close to murmur to O'Neill. As if in answer to an unspoken question, he said, "I think they're griffons." O'Neill nodded in acknowledgement, but held up his hand for silence.

The two that had chased after Sh'vak sailed back into the clearing, their wings spread wide. One settled onto the ground between two of its packmates, while the other swooped in to land in front of the humans. This one was notably larger than the others, and though its wings beat gently as it lowered itself to earth, the sheer volume of air they pushed sent dust and pebbles scattering past the humans' feet. It favored one claw, and O'Neill recognized it for the one who tried to divebomb Sh'vak.

The griffon puffed out its chest, shooting the humans a haughty, smug look. It opened its beak, but the banter from the other griffons rose up in volume. It clacked its beak shut, expression twisting into an annoyed grimace, then spun around. It opened its mouth, and a rough but recognizably female voice barked out, "HEY! SHADDAP! YOU MOOKS ARE RUININ' MY COOL!" The rest of the griffons obediently fell silent, though a chuckle or two filtered out of the crowd.

The lead griffon turned back, shaking out her ruffled feathers with an annoyed huff. "As I was going to say, you lot," she sneered, jabbing a talon at O'Neill, "just got saved by the one, the only-"

"Gilda?" O'Neill turned to find Twilight picking her way out of the rubble from within the tower where she had taken cover when the fighting began. SG-3 followed close behind her, the last member of which was just stepping out of the doorway to the gate room. The pony gave the griffon a puzzled look. "That is you, right?"

Ignoring the interplay for the moment, O'Neill raised a hand. "Nice shooting, Carl." Major Warren tipped off a casual salute, touching the muzzle of his P90 to his cap.

A full-throated roar burst from Gilda, shaking the ground around her. O'Neill spun back around to find the griffon's talons scoring the ground, drawing a claw back as if she meant to charge. "Listen to me! I. Saved. Your. BUTTS," she snarled, spitting out each word. "YOU OWE ME!"

Puzzled silence greeted the infuriated griffon. Finally Carter frowned, asking, "How do you figure?"

Gilda sneered, tossing her head back. "You saw her. She was just about to throw the signal to kill you all before we interrupted."

"It would not have happened," Teal'c assured her. "The Jaffa sprung the trap too early. SG-3 was still inside the gate room and had clear lines of fire."

"But thank you for your help," Daniel added brightly. He glanced over at the rest of SG-1. "I doubt we would have come out of it so cleanly otherwise."

The griffon stared at all of them in turn, even Major Warren, who hefted his P90 and grinned. Finally she let out a huff and rolled her eyes, easing back into a more relaxed crouch. Ignoring the humans for the moment, she rolled her eyes toward Twilight and grinned, self-composure returning along with casual arrogance. "Well, well. If it isn't Dorkus Magicus! How's the flip-flop doing?" She raised her injured claw to inspect it, eyes half-lidded. "Pretend I care or something."

Twilight stiffened at the insult narrowing her eyes at the griffon. Her voice came out icy but polite, putting a definite emphasis on the first two words. "Rainbow Dash is well. Thank you for inquiring."

Gilda made a rude noise, flipping her claw in idle dismissal. Whatever she had been able to say cut off in a sudden twinge of pain that showed in her expression, and Major Carter stepped into the conversational gap quickly. "How did you find us here...Gilda, was it?"

A purely baffled look crossed Gilda's face and she tilted her head to stare blankly at Carter. Finally she said, with much-too-exaggerated patience, "I wasn't looking for you. I've been hunting that psycho ever since she came down with her troops and started shooting the place up. I couldn't care less what happens to lame-o ponies, but it's only a matter of time before she goes after the griffons too. Figured I'd nip it in the bud."

She grinned wickedly. "Besides, we don't often get to hunt...interesting prey. The only reason we didn't take you all down too is because you don't look like them. Different uniforms and all that." She paused, then flicked an idle glance at Teal'c. "He kinda does, but whatever." Her sly grin returned. "Anyway, if we took you out, then who'd owe us a solid?"

Carter folded her arms, giving the bird a skeptical frown. "We didn't ask for your help. You gave it freely. What makes you think we owe you anything?"

Gilda considered Carter for a moment before launching herself into the air toward the woman. Carter tensed and the soldiers around her swung their weapons up, but Gilda slowed to a hover directly in front of Carter's face. She sidled in close, beak nearly touching nose, and slid a companionable arm around the woman's shoulders. She purred quietly, favoring Carter with a wicked smile. "Right now, cupcake, that solid is the only thing keeping me and my pack from hunting you for sport, too." She reached up with her free claw, lightly trailing one talon along Carter's bare neck up to her chin. "Now, what do you say to that?"

For an answer, Gilda got a flat, even stare. "This." And Carter pulled the trigger on the zat gun held at her hip.

Though the soldiers of the SGC preferred their P90s for general purpose work, through various encounters with the Jaffa and Goa'uld they had acquired more exotic weaponry. The zat'nik'tel, or zat gun, was one such. A compact weapon no bigger than a pistol, the zat gun was favored both for the low profile and its unique property of stunning with the first shot. It took two shots in succession to actually kill a creature. Major Carter only needed the one.

The little serpentine weapon spat out a flash of blue light that struck Gilda square in the belly. Electricity coursed visibly over the griffon and she flapped drunkenly away from Carter, shock written all over her beak. Her wings locked up, and she tumbled to the ground on her back, one wing trapped underneath.

The pack leaped to their feet, eyes suddenly sharp and alert and dangerous, and all of them fixed on Carter. Before they could move, O'Neill snapped his hand up in a halt command. When all eagle eyes were on him, he silently pointed to Gilda. After a moment, she twitched a leg, and let out a long, slow exhalation. "Owwwwwwwwwwwww..."

The pack relaxed. Slightly. They didn't appear to have murder on the mind any more, at least. O'Neill strode over to the limp griffon, kneeling next to her. "We'll think about it," he assured her blithely. He looked up and waved the other griffons over. "Give her an hour or two, she'll be flying and cussing like normal again. In the meantime..." His voice hardened. "Get the hell out of here. And take her with you. Teach her some manners while you're at it."

The two closest griffons shared a look, then started forward, their eyes never leaving O'Neill. They paused for a second as metal clicked and several soldiers shifted their weapons, then darted forward and dragged Gilda back into their midst. The dust stirred once more as every wing in the group began to beat, lifting the griffons off the ground as one. They spiraled around the courtyard briefly, then took off into the air, one of the griffons carrying Gilda on its back.

The humans watched them leave in silence until the last griffon disappeared over the treetops. O'Neill tilted his head toward Daniel without looking at him. "So what are they, exactly?"

"Mythical animals," Daniel supplied promptly. "Half eagle, half lion. Either Greek or Egyptian, there's some controversy over that."

O'Neill frowned. "What, like in that wizard book?"

"No, that was a hippogriff. Half eagle, half horse. Said to be the spawn of a griffon and mare."

Twilight, who had been staring at the ground where the Jaffa lay, blinked and looked up. "What?" She made a face. "Gross doesn't even begin to describe that."

Daniel cocked his head. "Since when did you start reading that series, Jack?"

O'Neill favored Daniel with a cryptic look. "There's a lot you don't know about me." With that, he spun around, nodding toward Major Warren. "Change of plans. Carl, your squad is to stay behind and help SG-5 defend this spot. SG-1 goes in alone."

Warren frowned at that. "Sir, you said we were to accompany you to the Goa'uld. You'll need us for fire support and demo."

"That was before we got made." O'Neill jerked his thumb behind him, indicating the world in general. "The First Prime escaped. Epona probably already knows we're here and that the Stargate's active again. And I trust that griffon about as far as I can kick her. I need you here to make sure we don't lose our only way home."

The frown on Warren's face deepened, but he nodded. He glanced over to one of his soldiers who was carrying a thick bandolier of C4 thrown over his chest. The man pulled the bandolier off, tossing it to O'Neill. As O'Neill passed it to Teal'c, Warren asked, "How are you going to get to the Goa'uld by yourselves?"

"Hey. It's us." O'Neill slung his P90 back into its strap, letting it hang freely. "Just make sure we've got someplace to come back to. Get on the radio and inform Hammond of the situation, then get yourselves dug in." He paused, then added, "See if you can get him to send any backup."

"Sir? Hammond told us we were all he had available."

O'Neill shook his head. "Not men. Maybe some of the big guns he keeps locked up in the armory. We never have big guns around when we need 'em, and right now we need 'em."

Warren's face split into a sudden, wide grin. "Yes sir. We'll have this place locked down tight." The two men traded a salute, then Warren turned to the rest of the soldiers. "Get these bodies clear, then start digging in." He headed off to confer with Major Altman, leaving SG-1 and Twilight alone.

Twilight stepped forward, eyes taking in the aftermath of the battle. Though the griffons had carried away most of the Jaffa, there were still a fair share of casualties lying about. Her ears folded down and she took a step back, looking up at Daniel. "Is...it going to be like this? All the way to Epona?"

Daniel was silent for a long moment, his face neutral. Finally he let out a sigh. "Maybe. It's a last resort, but these people mean to kill us, Twi. Your people are to be enslaved, so they have a bit of safety, but they're going to want to stop us. Permanently. Sh'vak doesn't seem like the kind to let go of grudges easily."

She let her eyes fall to the ground at her feet, still unhappy. "Last time you were here everyone came out of it alive."

Teal'c answered as he checked his gear, settling the bandolier across his broad shoulder. "Last time we were here, we faced no more than 40 horses confused and fresh out of cryosleep whom Celestia had asked us not to kill."

"Teal'c's right," O'Neill confirmed. "We had the advantage last time. Now there's an entire army, and they've been actively swallowing Epona's propaganda for who knows how long. We're not pulling any punches this time. Can't afford to."

Twilight nodded, taking a deep breath. "All right. So, where are we going?"

O'Neill opened his mouth...then closed it again.

Carter eyed him, a warning note in her voice. "Sir, you do know where to find Epona, right?"

O'Neill looked at everyone in turn, momentarily at a loss for words. Finally, he said, "Think I should have asked Sh'vak nicely?" Carter rolled her eyes, and he added defensively, "Look, she's probably in a big spaceship that landed somewhere. We just gotta find it."

Daniel frowned. "It would help if we had a place to start."

"Fine. You see any pyramids around?"

Twilight's ears perked up, and she looked up between Daniel and O'Neill before the former could retort. "What about the safehouse? Princess Luna won't have been sitting still. Maybe she has some information we can use." She shrugged, some of the unhappiness creeping back in. "At the very least, I need to make sure my friends are safe."

The two men traded a look, and Carter nodded. "Sounds as likely a place to start as any," she agreed.

O'Neill started toward the bridge, waving them along. "Let's get moving, then."

---

As the sun began to dip into the horizon, casting lengthy shadows over the land, SG-1 marched in single file from the castle ruins with Twilight in their midst. They crossed into the forest proper over the bridge, which Twilight was now heartily glad she had not cut. It had only been last night she'd made that choice, but it already felt like a week.

She refused to look down into the chasm as they passed over it, not wanting to chance spotting the griffons' talonwork. Her imagination was filling in a mental image easily enough in any case, and it was rather less than pleasant. She tried to distract herself by watching Daniel walk in front of her. It...worked surprisingly well.

The humans tended to wear clothes as a matter of course which hid most of their bodies, but hints and outlines came through anyway as motion shifted and pulled the clothing tight. She found she could follow the tensing of muscles within his haunches as he strode forward in that odd rolling gait bipedal creatures needed to walk properly. It was really sort of mesmerizing in its exoticism.

"Where is Rainbow Dash, anyhow?" The question startled Twilight out of her reverie, and she glanced guiltily back over her shoulder toward O'Neill.

He wasn't looking at her, though it was hard to tell with those sunglasses on, but her cheeks darkened anyway. Now that her, ah, focus was broken, she took note of their surroundings. They'd passed the bridge some time ago and were heading along the path back to Ponyville she'd become familiar with over the last several months. It bore signs of last night's pursuit; here and there broken branches lay on the ground, with noticeable scorch marks from the Jaffa staves darkening the ground and occasional tree. It certainly made the path easier to follow.

She gave her head a small shake. "Sorry, Colonel, what was that?"

"Rainbow Dash," he repeated. "Gilda asked after her, but you didn't say much. How's she doing?"

"Oh." Twilight frowned, looking ahead. And not at Daniel this time. "Like I said, I was in Canterlot. I don't know what's happened to anyone in Pony..." She blinked, then smacked her forehead with a hoof. "I totally forgot! Rainbow Dash isn't in Ponyville. She took off last week for Appleloosa. She wanted to go visit her buffalo friend Little Strongheart, plus it was Braeburn's birthday but Applejack couldn't leave the farm to give him a present, so she took it with her." Her mouth snapped closed as she realized she was rambling. In all the excitement, if a pony could call it that, she'd forgotten some of the simpler, happier stuff, and it came back to her as she talked.

There was silence for a moment, then O'Neill said slowly, "Sooooo... she's not in the area."

Twilight shook her head. "Maybe she returned while I was in Canterlot, but Appleloosa is very far away, at least half a day's travel. It's in the middle of the desert."

Ahead of her, Carter and Daniel exchanged a look. Daniel mused, "So so far we've found ponies, dragons, griffons, and now you tell us there's buffalo?"

"Yep." Twilight tilted her head, looking up at him. "Why do you ask?"

Daniel reached up to scratch the back of his neck. "I'm just starting to wonder how many intelligent species live on this world."

The pony smiled. "Didn't you wonder why the ponies in Ponyville were only uneasy around you and didn't run screaming for the hills? We're used to different creatures, though some of us more than others." She shrugged, stepping around a tree root. "Equestria itself is only that part of the world ponies live in. It's a big place, but the world is bigger still."

Carter made a low noise of understanding. "And all this time we've been calling the planet Equestria. What do you call it?"

Twilight blinked. "Uh...Equestria?" She grinned weakly. "I mean, the Princesses do control the sun and moon, so it's only fair, right? I haven't really traveled far out of pony lands anyway."

The group fell silent as they approached a fallen tree that lay across the path. One end of the trunk was charred black, as was the stump to the side of the path. Twilight frowned. "Do the Jaffa always leave this much destruction behind them?" As she spoke, she drew her will into her horn, wrapping both it and the entirety of the tree trunk in the familiar blue glow of her magic.

Teal'c folded his arms, eyeing the tree disapprovingly. "The Jaffa are efficient and loyal soldiers who follow orders. They do not normally go out of their way to destroy or kill anything that has not been identified as a threat." His voice took on a tinge of disgust. "I believe this may be Sh'vak's influence. She appeared to have...impulse control issues."

The tree lifted off the ground slowly, and Twilight guided it into the woods off to the side. She let go of the tree, and it landed heavily on the ground with a shudder of leaves. "It makes me worry for the other ponies. Everypony's been telling me they'll be safe, but if that...woman...is leading the soldiers..." Daniel rested a hand on her head, and she trailed off in a quiet sigh.

With the tree out of the way, they could see the river lying not far ahead. Between the sight and Twilight's concern for her friends, another memory dropped into her mind like a lead weight. "Steven!" she cried, breaking into a sprinting gallop. She heard Daniel and the others shouting for her as they hurried to keep up, but her attention was entirely on the riverbank ahead.

Steven Magnet wasn't there, but Twilight only allowed herself a small breath of relief. She paced up and down at the water's edge, peering around for some sign of Steven. She found it as the humans approached, jabbing her hoof at a rust-colored spread in the sand. "There! Oh, no, they did hurt him!" She looked up at them, eyes a little too wide. "Please, we have to find him! I have to know if he's okay!"

Teal'c planted his staff in the sand. "We have little time, Colonel O'Neill. Sh'vak already has the advantage over us in preparing her defenses."

Twilight turned to face O'Neill, ears wilting. "Colonel, Steven is my friend. He helped me escape the Jaffa, and he didn't have to. He's hurt because of me and maybe worse. Could you leave someone like that behind?"

O'Neill's jaw tightened and he glanced aside at Daniel for a second. After a moment's silence, he said, "We don't even know where Epona is, Teal'c. We're going to have to reach this safehouse and speak to Luna before we even know where to go, much less figure out a plan of attack. That's more than enough time for Sh'vak to do whatever it is she's going to do, if she hasn't already. At this point, I think another hour or two won't hurt." He gestured to Twilight, a touch uncomfortably. "And...she's right. I wouldn't leave someone behind. It's not right to ask her to."

Teal'c nodded slowly. "Very well, then."

Twilight let out a breath in relief. "Thank you, Colonel, Teal'c."

"Colonel, over here!" Carter was several yards downriver, studying the ground during the conversation. The others joined her, and she pointed. "The trail of blood leads this way, but it stops after another ten yards."

Twilight frowned, then nodded. "He must have gone all the way into the water."

Carter exchanged a look with O'Neill before asking, "Isn't Steven another pony? Why would he jump in the water if he's injured?"

The pony tilted her head up quizzically. "What? Oh, no, he's not a pony!" She laughed. "He's a river serpent."

"...Oh." Carter blinked. "Okay then."

Daniel pulled out a small notepad and made a tick mark before tucking it back into his vest. "That makes five species we know about." He started down the river in the direction Carter had indicated. "At least it should make finding him easy, right?"

---

The sun had very nearly disappeared below the horizon, casting the forest into deep shadow, when SG-1 saw light ahead through the trees. It flickered and danced, suggesting a fire, and the light spilled out from the trees onto the flat sandy bank.

The humans all fell silent, their steps slowing, and after a moment's hesitation Twilight copied them. The five figures prowled forward, half-crouched and wary of their footing. SG-1 readied their weapons, their movements small and sure in order to keep from making too much noise.

They eased through the trees just beside the riverbank where they wouldn't be spotted as easily, creeping up until Teal'c in the lead could get a good look through the foliage. All of them crouched down, remaining still and silent while the Jaffa eased himself forward, peering around the trunk of a large tree.

After a moment, he settled back, whispering, "It is a small cove. There is a fire on the bank. A large beast I presume to be Steven Magnet is lying half in, half out of the water. There is also what appears to be a pony, as well."

Twilight blinked, suddenly attentive. "Let me see," she whispered back, and crawled through the brush carefully to peer around the same tree.

Indeed, it was a small clearing with a pool branching off from the river. Steven lay curled up in the middle of the pool, his upper body stretched out on the sandy bank. A bright, cheerful fire crackled and popped between Twilight and Steven, illuminating the serpent well. She could see his shoulder and side were bound in soft cloth bandages, both showing spots of blood despite the thick wrapping. Despite that, he appeared to be snoozing peacefully, breath whistling through his teeth with each snore.

Motion drew Twilight's attention, and she noticed a dark shape moving not far from her spot. It was indeed a pony shape, but on this side of the fire it was little more than a silhouette. Its back was misshapen and lumpy, as though it were carrying a bag. Despite that, it was a very familiar silhouette.

The figure walked over to stand next to Steven's head, which brought it more clearly into the light. She reached behind to pull the sack off her back with her teeth, revealing dark stripes and a spiral cutie mark. She placed a hoof on Steven's neck and gently nudged him, speaking in a low, warm voice. "My friend, it is time for you to wake, so that your medicine you can take."

Relief and joy flooded Twilight and the pony bounded out of the trees without a second thought. "Zecora! Steven!"

Zecora the zebra whirled in place, eyes wide in shock. "Who would dare to trespass there?" Twilight trotted into the light of the fire, beaming wide at Zecora, and the zebra relaxed visibly, her own smile blossoming. "It's only my dear friend Twilight! Dear child, you gave me such a fright!"

Behind her, Steven blinked groggy eyes open. "Ooh, what's going on?" He raised his head a little, peering about, then broke into a broad smile. "Oh, Twilight, it's you! Thank heavens, I feared the worst!"

Twilight darted around the fire to embrace her two friends. "I'm so glad to see you both! I was so worried about you, Steven."

The serpent shifted his arm, wincing as he did, to lightly pat Twilight's mane. "And I was simply distraught over you, my dear! I'm so glad I was able to help you get away."

A rustle in the trees caused both zebra and serpent to look up, and Zecora's smile faded into a glare as SG-1 emerged from the trees to stand on the far side of the fire. She pushed Twilight back, and Steven wrapped a protective arm about the pony as she did. "Twilight, you must get out of sight!" Zecora stepped forward, legs spread in an aggressive posture. She lifted her head, eyes hard and unafraid as she stared the humans down. "I warn you, intruders: I will fight!"

At the harsh words, Teal'c hefted his staff and Carter raised her zat gun, faces turning grim. Daniel's eyes widened in shock and he put a hand over Carter's, pushing the zat down to point at the ground. O'Neill pulled Teal'c's staff up, preventing the Jaffa from pointing it at Zecora. "Take it easy!" O'Neill snapped. "There's no need for that."

Twilight began to panic, pushing at Steven's arm until the serpent let out a yelp of pain and drew away, looking hurt. She paid him little mind for the moment, dashing forward. "Stop! Stop!" She skidded to a halt in front of Zecora, staring hard at the zebra. "They're friends." Giving Teal'c and Carter a hard look, she added, "We're all friends. Now stop this at once!"

Zecora did not back down from her stance, but her eyes flicked to Twilight. "After I found Steven hurt, and to his wounds attended, the creatures he described to me were like these you've befriended."

O'Neill sighed and looked over to Teal'c. "Is this what it's like for you? Getting mistaken for the enemy?"

Teal'c eyed Zecora, then settled his staff back on the ground. "All the time."

Daniel stepped forward as Carter holstered her weapon. He spread his empty hands. "Zecora, we're not here to harm anyone. We're friends of Twilight, and we're here to help drive away the intruders."

After a beat of consideration, Zecora exhaled slowly through her nose, relaxing into a less confrontational stance. "If Twilight Sparkle vouches for you, then I will accept what you say as true." She inclined her head politely. "You are welcome to my fire, but of your names I must inquire."

Twilight let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Zecora. "Of course. Zecora, Steven, this is Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel Jackson. They're an exploration team called SG-1. SG-1, this is Zecora, who lives here in the Everfree Forest and is wonderfully knowledgeable about all sorts of things, and Steven Magnet, who as I said helped me escape the Jaffa." Everyone nodded and politely waved to each other as Twilight made the introductions, the humans seating themselves in a half-circle around the fire.

Twilight beamed at the serpent. "I don't know what you did, Steven, but you delayed them long enough for me to contact SG-1. I can't thank you enough."

Steven waved a thin hand dismissively. "Oh, please don't, my dear. I only startled the ruffians for a few seconds, then they shot me! Twice!" He nodded to the bandages, looking forlorn. "My beautiful scales saved me, but I had to swim for my life before they could do worse." He sighed dramatically. "I'm just...glad that it was enough."

Zecora moved to Steven's side, plucking gently at the bandages and peeling them off. "Last night I discovered Steven, and naturally I could not leave him. My skills alone were insufficient, but fortunately I have an assistant." The bandage on Steven's side fell away, revealing a raw, red patch marring the gleaming scales.

Twilight frowned. "An assistant? But I thought you lived alone?" The enigmatic smile she got from Zecora was rewarded with an unamused snort.

Not two seconds later, the brush at the edge of the cove began to rustle. The humans tensed, but rather than a squad of angry Jaffa, a rabbit - carrying a basket of herbs over his head - hopped out from the bushes.

"Oh, Zecora! I found those herbs you wanted!" The soft, cheerful voice followed the rabbit out, and a pastel yellow pony with long pink hair pushed her way quietly through the brush. She froze when she saw that Zecora wasn't alone, tilting her head to let her hair fall protectively over her face. "Um..."

Major Carter broke out into a smile first. "Hey, Fluttershy. Remember us?"

Fluttershy blinked, eyes wide as she recognized the humans. A smile graced her gentle face and she trotted forward. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't think we'd ever see you all again." She blushed. "Not that I'm not happy to see you. Hello, everyone."

Zecora took the basket off Fluttershy's back, and the rabbit set his down beside it. "Ah, yes, these are the perfect hue. Thank you Fluttershy, these will certainly do! It will take just two shakes, and you will see how much this makes!"

As the zebra pulled out her cauldron and equipment, Twilight turned to Fluttershy, giving her an affectionate nuzzle. "I'm so glad to see you! Are the others out here too?"

Fluttershy's smile faded. "N-no." She glanced away, another blush coloring her cheeks.

Twilight tilted her head. "No? Then how did you come to be out here by yourself?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "Oh, but I'm not out here by myself! I have Angel with me! We were on the edge of the forest when...something shot out of the air. I think I saw it head toward Canterlot, but I couldn't see that far. It made an awful lot of noise." She gave a dainty little shiver. "Angel was so startled that he took off running into the forest, and of course I couldn't just let him go by himself. Who knows what would have happened? When I found him, I found Zecora, too. We were just about to go back home when this..." Her chatter slowed until it stopped in a scared little squeak, and she drew back into herself. Angel glared at her and thumped a foot on the ground impatiently. He certainly didn't look the type to startle easily.

Twilight edged forward, as did SG-1. "This...what?" She tried a reassuring smile, reaching out a hoof. "It's okay, Fluttershy, you're safe now. What did you see?" Fluttershy pressed in tight against Twilight, but would not or could not answer.

"As fire in the sky portended, a demon from the stars descended." Zecora had gotten her cauldron over the fire and was grinding the herbs with a mortar and pestle. She had set the pestle aside for the moment to speak. "A wicked thing of steel and gold that made my very blood run cold." She picked up the pestle in her teeth again, working it deftly.

"A Ha'tak mothership." Excitement and confidence threaded Carter's voice. "It has to be. Epona attacked the larger cities from orbit, then launched her transport ships as she landed her ship." She turned back to Zecora and Fluttershy, who shrank a touch from the intensity of Carter's expression. "Do you remember where it came down?"

"Um..." Fluttershy's fear receded slightly as she thought, then pointed with a hoof toward the northeast. "It was hard to tell at first, but when it disappeared beyond the treetops we were looking in that direction." Zecora continued to work the pestle, but pointed her own hoof at Fluttershy in silent confirmation. The pony gave a small shudder. "It was so big..."

Twilight hugged her friend again. "What do you think, Colonel?"

"I think Luna can wait." O'Neill stood, as did the rest of SG-1. "We hit them now."

Twilight frowned. "In the middle of the night?"

"That is the best time to strike," Teal'c confirmed. "The guards will be less alert. It will offset Sh'vak's warning."

Carter, though, looked less than confident. "Sir, wouldn't it be better if we went to see Luna first? We could use all the intelligence we can get. Like you said earlier, is an hour or two really going to make that much difference?"

"No reason to delay now." O'Neill's own voice was bedrock certain. "By the time we get to the ship, it'll be the perfect time to hit it. We can get with Luna afterward about cleaning up the Jaffa forces on the ground, but we've taken out motherships before. We dealt with Apophis, we can deal with Epona."

A long breath escaped Carter, and though she still looked uncertain, she nodded. "I'm with you, sir."

Daniel walked over to Twilight and Fluttershy and knelt. "There's no need for either of you to come if you don't want to. We could use your help, though."

Twilight blinked, then glared at Daniel. "Well of course I'm coming with you! How could you think otherwise?"

He grinned. "Just checking." His smile faded to something gentler as he turned to the other pony. "Fluttershy?"

"Uh...um, do...do you really need me along?" Fluttershy couldn't meet Daniel's eyes, scratching timidly at the ground with one hoof.

Twilight shook her head. "You should stay here, Fluttershy. It's probably the safest place you can be right now. Zecora will look after you and Angel until we get back."

Zecora dumped the crushed herbs into the cauldron, then gave Fluttershy a warm smile. "Stay with me here, and there is nothing to fear." Her voice turned wry. "We will tend to Steven's wounds and leave the fighting for these loons."

Fluttershy nodded, but still looked worried. "We'll wait here until you return. ...Please return."

Twilight smiled warmly. "Of course we will." She turned to Zecora and gave her a small but respectful bow. "And thank you, Zecora, for looking after them."

The zebra calmly stirred the boiling water within the cauldron. "Nonsense, my pony friend. I always have a hoof to lend." She peered into the cauldron, then dipped a ladle into it, blowing gently on the hot mixture. "You must drink this. Open wide." The serpent eyed the ladle dubiously, and she frowned sternly at him. "Steven, there is nowhere to hide."

Steven sighed and waved gingerly to Twilight and SG-1. "Good luck, and do be careful." He opened his jaws wide and allowed Zecora to pour the medicine into his mouth. He hissed at the heat, but swallowed it quickly before making a disgusted face.

Twilight giggled as she and Daniel rose to rejoin the others. Silently, the squad made their way back to the river and in the direction Fluttershy had given them.

---

"I don't get it," O'Neill muttered, peering through his binoculars. "Why there?"

Night had fallen in full by the time SG-1 reached the treeline, far to the northeast of the cove. Keeping behind the cover of trees and brush, they each looked through their binoculars out over the plain. Though the forest was so dark they had to use flashlights to make their way, the moon hung bright and heavy over the open sky, bathing the plains in a soft glow. It did an excellent job of illuminating the enormous Goa'uld ship that had settled on the world like a tick.

It was easy to see why Fluttershy had been frightened; if you didn't know what you were looking at, the Ha'tak motherships were monstrosities. The core of the ship was simple enough: a golden pyramid dotted with windows and entrances to bays. Surrounding it, however, was a strange hexagonal ovoid web of dulled metal, providing a platform for the ship's weaponry and giving it a sinister, organic appearance.

O'Neill continued, "I mean, okay. This one decided to play with horses instead of humans. I get it. She's a few gliders short of a squadron. But she's got her pick of all those mountains, including the ones over the secret base. The damn things are made for sitting on mountains. So why there?"

The mothership had settled within the mountain range across the plains, but Epona had not chosen an actual mountain for her landing site. Instead, the ship had touched down on the walls of the very canyon SG-1 had employed on their last visit here to capture and subdue the squad of horse Jaffa. The canyon could more correctly be called a hollow mesa: a low, flat-topped hill with a deep circular crevasse cut out in the middle, forming a large, nearly-circular C when seen from above.

The ship had settled gently atop the great broad walls, one face of the pyramid crossing over the wide mouth of the canyon entrance to form a lintel. The great bulk of the ship shrouded the actual canyon from the light of the moon, but artificial lighting within could still be seen. As they watched, a glider patrol returned to the ship, sailing into the bay entrance at the bottom of the pyramid, and more Jaffa emerged from the entrance to the canyon to relieve the ones currently standing guard on the ground.

Carter didn't take her eyes away from the sight, but replied, "Sir, didn't you think it was odd at the time that a geological formation should be so perfectly formed?"

"Yeah," O'Neill replied off-handedly. "But at the time I thought a lot about this planet was odd. Still do." He glanced aside at their companion. "No offense, Twilight."

Carter continued, "It's not a square shape, so it doesn't fit the base of the ship perfectly, but the whole mesa is clearly just big enough to support its weight, and the dimensions are about right. Other than the shape, sir, it really does look like the mesa was made for a ship that size."

"Epona's returned to her old throne," Daniel murmured. "She can see for miles in every direction. That's where she used to rule." Twilight let out a small shiver; the quiet, absent-minded tone of Daniel's voice had lent the words an ominous edge.

O'Neill finally lowered his binoculars and turned his back to the ship, resting it against a tree. "All right, folks. The plan hasn't changed." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "We need to get in there to plant charges, take out the boss, and get Celestia and any other prisoners out." Glancing around, he added, "I'm open to suggestions."

Author's Note: I just want to mention a quick thank you to Escher at EqD for pre-reading these chapters, and in particular for helping with Zecora's dialog. And thanks everyone for reading!