A lone scientist sat at his desk, rubbing his temples and dozing off every few seconds as his eyes scanned the documents that lay before him. It had been nearly a year since the strange crystal creatures had attacked Earth, but the horrors of that day still lay fresh in his mind. Everyone had thought it was the end of the world, until the monsters all suddenly collapsed and vanished for what seemed like no reason. He refused to believe it was as simple as that, though; something bigger had happened that day, something just beyond what was in plain sight, and he intended to find out what it was.

“Doctor Greathouse?” a voice asked worriedly, but he ignored it; he had too many things to worry about. What if this project didn’t work? What if they were unable to return home? What if their efforts would only hasten the creatures’ return? So many questions, he feared, that would be answered all too soon, and with the answers he didn’t want.

“Robert?” the voice called again, this time the sound of his first name snapping the scientist out of his daze.
“Yes?” he rasped, his throat dry, as he quickly reached for a nearby bottle of water and took a drink. “What is it?” he asked, his voice much clearer. He saw one of the lab assistants standing in the doorway to his office, hands behind his back.
“The gateway has been sufficiently charged, and the engineers are ready to open it. Would you like me to ask them to wait?” the assistant asked slowly.
Robert shook his head. “No, that’s all right. I may not be quite as young as you, but I’m not so old that I need everyone else to wait up for me!” he said humorously, trying to hide his inner turmoil as he stood up and gathered a few documents from his desk drawer before quickly exiting the office and heading down to the laboratory, where the fruits of his labor waited.

“Doctor Greathouse, good to see you!” General Warrens said happily as Robert strode into the room, trying to keep a proud appearance. “Glad you could make it,” he added, shaking Robert’s hand as a photographer held up his camera.

Robert chuckled. “I wouldn't miss it for the world, general,” he said, smiling as the camera flashed brightly, documenting what could be, if all went as planned, mankind's first time stepping outside the walls of its own universe. After the strange creatures had attacked the previous year, several undercover tests were conducted on the areas they had been sighted in, and strange readings were found: they detected traces of a strange material that did not appear on the periodic table, nor did it coincide with any other existing elements. After running several tests on objects that the unknown element could be detected on, they came to a conclusion: it, and the creatures that were made of it, were not of this world, or even this universe.

So, using massive amounts of funding, and as much manpower as could be mustered, the government established Project G.E.M., or “Good of Every Man” , whose mission was to find a way to trace the strange element back to its origin, so more intel could be gathered on the new world’s inhabitants. After nearly a years worth of non-stop experimenting, heated debating, and desperately keeping the project as covered up as possible, they had finally done it: they finally created a pathway into the other world.

“Now, Doctor, could you explain to our boys here what exactly is happening?” the general asked Robert as he motioned to a group of twenty-five soldiers and scientists, who all sat attentively in folding chairs just a few feet in front of the two men.
Robert cleared his throat. “Well, as you can see, this right here,” he began, gesturing to the massive metal doorway that sat atop a platform behind him, covered in wires and insulation tubing, “is the transport gateway into the new world. We started by sending rats through smaller versions, attaching heart monitors to them, and found that we could still get readings from them for several minutes, at which point we assume they got out of range of the receivers. So, the plan is quite simple: we turn on the machine, and it will create a stable gateway between our world and this new one. When we arrive, we are to set up a camp and begin recording our observations and taking specimens of any plants or animals we happen across.”

Robert scanned the small crowd in front of him, and saw one of the soldiers raising his hand.
“Yes?” he asked the man expectantly.
“Uh, yeah,” he replied, sounding thoroughly confused, “if this is a scientific expedition, why do you need armed soldiers to join you?”
Robert smiled gently. “Just in case something goes wrong during our stay. We don’t know what’s waiting for us on the other side, so it helps to be safe. Anyone else have any questions?”

The crowd responded with silence, so Robert turned to the engineers sitting at the control boards. “Start the ignition sequence!” he called as everyone in the room slid on a pair of safety goggles, and Warrens stepped over by Robert.

“So, how long you been in this group?” he asked casually.
Robert sighed. “About a year now. I was recruited from another research team because of my credentials,” he said sadly. He never liked looking back to how he got involved in this field, mainly because of what he had to give up to get where he was today. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet. Behind a plastic sheet inside the small leather fold, there was a picture of himself, standing next to a woman and a young boy; his now ex-wife and his son.

The general nodded and placed a sympathetic hand on Robert’s shoulder. “How long has it been?” he asked quietly.
Robert kept staring at the picture. “About twelve years,” he said sadly.
The general nodded again. “Look on the bright side: as much as you’ll be getting paid for this, I have no doubt you’ll be able to see them again when this is all over,” he said comfortingly.
Robert nodded. “I know, but I don’t think I’ll be welcomed very warmly. I never really got a chance to say goodbye, or even explain what was going on.”

The general smiled. “Don’t be so negative,” he said, and glanced at the young boy in the picture. “Good-looking kid. What’s his name?” the general asked, trying to change the subject a little.
Robert smiled. “His name is Allen. He should be about sixteen now.”

A low hum filled the room, starting in a low, quiet tone, but gradually increased in pitch and volume. Everyone held their hands to their ears as the noise got louder and higher, until there was a loud zapping sound, and the metal archway was filled with a bright, blue light that swirled around within. Robert hesitantly took of his goggles, finding that it was safe to look directly at the portal, and motioned for everyone else to do the same.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Robert said, trying his best to remain calm, “today we shall do something no human being before us has ever done before. We are about to set foot outside of our own universe, and enter an entirely new one.”
He stepped towards the portal, a slight breeze from it blowing his labcoat aside, as the soldiers and other scientists followed a few feet behind. He turned back to them and smiled gently, and then faced the swirling wall once again.
One small step for man, he thought excitedly, one giant leap for mankind.
Doctor Robert Greathouse took a deep breath and jumped into the portal, vanishing the moment he touched it, and the others hesitantly followed suit.

Of all the secrets that were lost from the ancient war between humans and ponies, there is one more dangerous than the rest; one that makes the Crystal Guardians look completely harmless. Near the end of the war, there was a human warlord named Sanguis Cruciatus, who desired only one thing more than victory over the ponies and conquering all of Equestria: power. His lust for power was so great, he eventually abandoned his companions and traveled the land alone, searching for kingdoms with magical secrets that he could use to gain dominance over both humans and ponies.

When the war reached its end, and the humans were driven back, Sanguis acted quickly: he performed an obscure ritual he discovered that was supposed to give him immortality, but did not realize it had a terrible risk if not performed correctly: the warlord was locked in an eternal slumber, never to die, but never to wake. To ensure this, the inhabitants of Equestria bound him in chains, locked him in a tomb, and hid it beneath the ice of the north.

His eternity of waiting was cut short, however, when a strange force created a massive disturbance in the magical energies in Equestria. A disturbance strong enough to awaken any being from a magic-induced coma.
Sanguis snapped his eyes open in the darkness of his tomb, confused that he was awake, but relieved it was so. He struggled at the chains that bound him, and broke free, pushing the heavy stone lid that sealed him inside out of the way. He stepped out of his coffin to find the tomb that he had just been in seemingly moments ago had suddenly aged thousands of years.

I… I have returned, he thought slowly as he looked down, and let out a surprised gasp. His body was aged and decrepit-looking, like a corpse that had been embalmed and left to be forgotten. All he wore was a piece of cloth around his waist, which made him feel vulnerable and exposed.
Where is my armor? he thought as he scanned the room. He looked to the left of his coffin and smiled with what was left of his mouth, for sitting on a table was a suit of black armor, looking as new as the day he had it crafted. He had forced a pony enchanter by blade to cast a spell that would improve the armor’s vitality, and prevent it from being affected by the passage of time.

After strapping on his old armor and testing out his ragged muscles, he stepped out of the tomb and breathed in the cold arctic air, carrying an old tome under his arm. In it, he had written all of the spells he had learned in his conquests,and enchanted it with the same spell he had placed on his armor. He opened the massive book and paged through it, narrowing his eyes as he found the spell that had locked him in his slumber. After scanning the text for a few minutes, he found it said that for every mortal life he took, his own life force would be restored, and he would eventually become youthful again.

Finally, something simple, he thought viciously as he stalked through the arctic tundra, hardly feeling the freezing wind on his dead, decayed-looking flesh. He looked ahead and saw a shining city off in the distance, sparkling as if it were made of crystal.
Perfect, he thought, smiling in anticipation of the hunt.

I quickly ran to Ponyville, laughing happily as I leaped over fallen logs and small hills in the moonlit night. I couldn’t wait to see my friends faces when they found out I was back. It had been almost a year since I was last in Equestria, and the last time I saw them, I thought I was going to die. Well, the last time I saw them in person; I was still a loyal brony, and kept up-to-date on the fandom and the show.

I slowed my pace when I drew near the library, making sure I stayed hidden. There weren't any ponies on the streets outside, and it was probably too dark to see me, but I had to be sure. I opened the door, glancing behind me, and quickly entered the massive tree to find that the purple alicorn that lived here wasn't home.
This is gonna be good, I thought craftily as I made myself at home, grabbing a newspaper and glass of water, and then lay back in a chair as I waited for my old friend to return home.

About a half an hour later, I heard the door open, followed by a few hoofsteps that stopped when their owner saw me. I looked up from the paper to see Twilight Sparkle staring at me with huge eyes.
I nodded and grinned. “Hey,” I said nonchalantly as I continued reading. It was only a few seconds later I heard a loud “squee”, and I was suddenly knocked backwards out of the chair and crushed in an excited alicorn hug.
“OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!” Twilight screamed as I struggled to breath.
“It’s good to see you too, Twilight,” I wheezed, “but I kind of need to breathe!”

Twilight immediately released me, embarrassed. “Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just… you’re back!” she cried happily, and she grabbed me once again, much more gently this time.
“Yep, I’m back,” I said happily, “this time for good.”
Twilight suddenly got an idea. “We should tell the others! I can go gather them up, and you go hide!” she said, rushing for the door.
“But isn’t it a little…” I said as she flew off, no longer able to hear me, “...late?”
Well, I thought, that was eventful. I sat there for a few seconds, twiddling my thumbs awkwardly, when I got an idea: I should hide! I quickly ran upstairs and hid in a closet, waiting for my friends to arrive.

~-~-~-~-~

I heard Twilight return a little while later, along with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack.
“Come ON, Twilight, why did you drag us all the way over here? It’s super late, and I need my sleep!” Pinkie cried, obviously irritated.
“Yeah, Twilight, I’ve got apples to buck in the morning!” Applejack added.
Twilight laughed as I exited my hiding spot and crept towards the door. “Girls, please settle down! I think you’ll like the surprise I have for you!” she said happily.

“It had better be really good, Twilight; I feel like I’m going to drop like a fly any moment now!” Rainbow Dash muttered.
I stepped into the room, laughing slightly. “Sorry to be a disappointment, but it’s only me,” I said apologetically. They all stared at me with huge eyes, unsure of how to react for a few seconds, until they all let out a collective “squee” and, just as Twilight had done, tackled me into the opposite wall and hugged me.

“We thought we would never see you again!” Fluttershy wailed, and the others nodded in agreement. I laughed as Twilight ran over and joined in the group hug.

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore,” I said comfortingly, glad I was finally reunited with my friends after so long. “I’m back now. And nothing is ever going to take me away again.”