Pony Star Cross

by Phoenix Kitten

Chapters

Prologue: Past- Can't I go one week without the fate of Equestria being at stake? Sheesh!
Chapter 1- The domed city.
Chapter 2- The letter.

Prologue: Past- Can't I go one week without the fate of Equestria being at stake? Sheesh!

Twilight stood, dumbfounded, on a small plateaued section of a mountain, gaping down at the valley beneath it.

"It can't be... well, it can, obviously, because it's there, but it shouldn't be."

"Yeesh Twilight... why'd you drag us along with you?" Dash grumbled as she finally managed to clamber onto the small plateau. "The air is so thin here I can't fly."

"Now.. now, sugarcube." Applejack grunted as she pulled herself up next to the pegasus, turning around and pulling the others up one by one. "Princess Celestia done asked for all of us to be here, ah'm not about to say no to her."

"Yeah silly!" Pinkie rolled over to the pegasus from where she was still laying after Applejack pulled her up. "Twilight didn't drag us anywhere."

"Oh my..." Fluttershy breathed as she looked back the way they came. "It looks like the raptors have no problem flying in this air, I never thought I'd see any this high up." She smiled.

"Focus darling." Rarity panted, her mane plastered to her neck with sweat, her mascara running from the same thing, making her look as though she'd been crying, something which her bandaged foreleg proved right.

The unicorn winced as she put her hoof down gently. "We're not here to bird watch. We're here to... to uh... Twilight, dear, what are we doing here?"

Silence.

"Twilght?" Rarity asked, as she and the others turned to look at the lavender alicorn.

"Why is it here? It shouldn't be here. Not just it, but all of it! Why is the whole thing here?" Twilight suddenly yelled before spreading her wings and jumping down to glide down the side of the mountain towards a small plume of smoke marking the camp that the royal guard had set up.

Rainbow Dash stared after her before throwing her hooves up and turning around. "That's it, I'm going home, Twilight finally broke."

She spread her wings and crouched low, ready to launch herself off the opposite side of the mountain....

And found herself promptly lassoed by Applejack.

"Uh uh, sugar, you ain't goin' anywhere except after that mare. Somethin's obviously spooked her, and Ah'd be lyin' if Ah said Ah wasn't even a little curious about what's botherin' her."

"O-oh.. actually Applejack... th-there are more guards coming, it looks like th-they're climbing the same path we are... R-Rainbow and I could w-work a little pegasus magic and m-make the air thick enough to fly...." Fluttershy offered.

"Oh.. Hey yeah, that's a good point. I don't mind staying up here helping Equestria's finest get through a little easier." Dash nodded.

Rarity frowned. "Now darling, I know you were the bearer of Loyalty, and someponies might say that loyalty should be to Equestria first, and your friends second, but Twilight needs us, all of us right now."

"Yeah!" Pinkie interjected. "Otherwise we might be looking at another lesson zero!"

The other four mares shared a glance before looking at Pinkie.

"Uh.. Lesson Zero?" Dash asked.

"You know, the time Twilight almost brainwashed all of Ponyville with her doll." Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Really girls?"

"Oh... we just call that 'the incident'." Rainbow shrugged.

"But that's so booooring!" Pinkie sighed before bouncing down the hill.

The four mares shared another glance and shrugged, before following after her.

Chapter 1- The domed city.

Sunset pressed her hand against the seemingly empty air, a small hexagon flickering with energy appearing and stopping her motion. She looked up and around, checking that nothing had changed in the couple of hours she had been travelling.

"Same as the north end of the city, Mayor. A force field trapping us in, and preventing the water from flooding the city." She said, watching as the hexagon disappeared as she moved her hand away before turning around and jumping off the bus she was standing on top of.

"Can't say what put it there, or us here. But as long as it holds, and seems to filter air, we should be fine."

"I see. Well.. that's a relief... I guess." The older woman sighed, running her hands through her frazzled white hair. "It isn't really, but as long as the city isn't in any immediate danger, then I suppose that's all that matter for now." She offered a slight smile. "Thank you, miss Shimmer, I apologise for pulling you out of class for this."

"It's alright Mayor. With everything else that's happened over the past year, I can't say I blame you for coming straight to me." Sunset shrugged, starting towards where her bike was parked. "I should get back to school for last period though."

"O-of course. Please, give my regards to Principal Celestia and her sister." The Mayor called out.

"Will do." Sunset nodded, slipping her helmet on.

It took only a few seconds for her to start the bike, flick the kickstand up and roar away. Her mind drifted to the book in the saddlebags on her bike.

'This isn't natural, or magical in the slightest. This worlds Twilight might know something about it, but I want to contact Princess Twilight first. It's about to be a long week, I can just feel it.'

She sighed again, twisted the throttle on her bike and accelerated down the empty streets.

One good thing about what had happened, she was the only one on the road right now, since all the traffic signals were down, which meant she made it back to school with time to spare before sixth period started.

Rather than run into the last ten minutes of fifth period, she sat on her bike, pulled the book from her saddlebags, which had been converted from the ones she had brought from Equestria close to two decades ago, Equestrian time, and opened it to an empty page, pulling a pen from her jacket, she began to write...

Chapter 2- The letter.

"I see.. this is a troubling development, Twilight." Celestia nodded.

"Indeed, it would seem to be in our best interest to leave this be for now." Luna spoke up.

"Sister! If there are creatures in trouble then we must help them!" Celestia scolded her sister.

"Think sister, if Twilight is correct, then what would happen to Equestria were we to break down the barrier? What would happen to those inside?" Luna shook her head. "Your intentions are pure, dear sister, but we must act with Equestria's interests and safety first, and right now we can guarantee neither if we crack the barrier."

Celestia opened her mouth to retort when Twilight cut her off.

"With all due respect Celestia.. I agree with Luna's judgement, while I'd like to help those inside the barrier, we don't know what will happen, to either side, if we do bring it down. It could be catastrophic." She sighed. "The path to Tartarus is paved with good intentions."

Celestia sighed. "Very well. I understand your concerns, and you are both correct. My apologies sister. I shall send word, the top scholars of Canterlot shall be brought here to study the barrier. Twilight if you could return to Ponyville and conduct your own studies, I would be most grateful."

"Actually, I'd like to remain here to study the barrier as well. If I can learn how it works... then I might be able to devise away to remove it without ill effects." Twilight smiled hopefully.

Once again, Celestia was interrupted by the arrival of a letter.

"Dragon fire, Spikes fire. This is for you, Twilight." The solar princess dropped the letter into the younger alicorn's levitation field.

"What could Spike possibly be contacting me about..." She wondered aloud, tearing open the top with her magic, her practised eyes swiftly reading the words. "I see..." She placed the letter down on the table. "My apologies, Celestia, Luna. But something has come up that requires my immediate attention."

"Of course Twilight Sparkle. We understand." Luna nodded. "Your duties to your kingdom are your top priority."

Celestia nodded. "Indeed, we shall keep you up to date on any discoveries made about the barrier."

"I appreciate it." Twilight nodded before flaring her wings and taking off, gathering her friends in a levitation field and teleporting herself, and them, back to Ponyville.