Authors Note: Finally, a chapter focusing entirely on the ponies! I have to say, my spellcheck had conniptions when it got to Pinkie Pie's speech. Anyways, enjoy! Some much more serious and deep chapters will be coming soon.

It was the typical morning routine for Celestia. Wake up. Get up. Raise the sun. Her sleep was far from peaceful, as she could not stop thinking about that sweet little Alicorn filly. Her mind was filled with worry; not just for the mysterious little filly, but also for Equestria itself. She had lived a very long time, and knew most of how her own world worked. Outside of that, however, there was very little she knew. The very fact that she was unable to explain the little ones appearance in itself worried her.

There would be no audiences this Saturday. No, all of this was far too much. She had a feeling she would hear from her student soon, and until then she would try her best to relax. She had not had a day off in a very long time, and decided that, in light of these events, it would be justified. She focused on the image of the little Alicorn filly in her mind, smiling to herself. She was indeed very cute, and also very affectionate. She was also terrifyingly powerful, and that brought back the feelings of worry.

Celestia sat upon her large, luxurious bed, staring idly out of her window as she pondered in silence.

A light knock came at her door.

"Come in," Celestia beckoned with a soft tone.

The door opened slowly as Luna walked in. "Sister... Are you alright?" she asked.

Celestia nodded slowly. "I am well, dear sister."

Luna approached her sister, climbing up onto her bed and settling herself beside her. "You are not well. I can feel it in your voice. What is wrong, sister? Are you worried about the little one?"

Celestia sighed softly, closing her eyes. "I do not know... For the first time I feel somewhat... lost. This is a mystery that I cannot solve, and that worries me. Before the little one arrived, I felt the sharpest pain. It was as if I had been shocked by lightning, but only for a very small fragment of time. Less than a second, even."

Luna seemed very concerned by this. "W... what? What does this mean?"

Celestia pondered a moment. "I can only theorize that there is some sort of protective magical barrier around our world. When the little filly hit it, she passed through and damaged it. Suppose this magical barrier was somehow linked to me. Naturally, it would have been painful if the force transferred to me. Since the pain only lasted under a second, I would guess that it repaired itself."

"I suppose that makes sense. That still doesn't explain..." Luna trailed off for a moment.

"That still doesn't explain where the little Alicorn came from, nor does it explain how she managed to get here. The sheer amount of questions that spring forth from these unexplained occurrences is staggering. Are there others like us in some far away world? How did they get there? Is our world the first of our kind? If so, how did..." Celestia stopped herself. There were far too many questions, many of which lead only to more questions; none of which she could answer.

Suddenly, a letter poofed into existence in front of Celestia, whom was very quick to unfurl it and begin to read.

Luna could not help but lean in slightly and read it as well out of curiosity. Celestia would not mind. After all, she was her sister.

After having read the entire letter, Celestia looked rather surprised, as did Luna.

"She was unable to utter a single word when she arrived here... and to have such profound telepathic ability at such a young age... this is very, very strange," Celestia said, her expression shifting to one implying deep contemplation.

"What about that flying book?" Luna asked.

Celestia thought for a moment. "She couldn't open it, and when she attempted to do so it took flight, most likely to avoid being read. To place such a powerful enchantment on a book... it must be ancient and filled with some sort of dark, forbidden knowledge. A book written before our time. I am aware that such things exist, but I have never been able to examine one for myself."

Luna looked down as she processed this. "Dark, forbidden knowledge... I am not sure I even wish to know."

Celestia shakes her head. "In all likelihood, nopony does. This world has a very, very dark past. To pursue such things would only serve as a catalyst to repeat it. I must tell Twilight not to attempt to open it and hide it somewhere safe until I can have it retrieved."

Luna nodded again. "And what shall we do about the little Alicorn?"

Celestia brought up a parchment and quill. "The only thing we can at the moment; allow Twilight to care for Krys." she said, acknowledging the little ones name before beginning to write.

My dearest student,

I am grateful for your assistance. I would take care of young Krys myself, but as you have pointed out, I am very busy. Keep her out of harms way. If you can find a way to hide either her horn or her wings, you may take her out into the world, so long as she is accompanied by you at all times. I know she will want some level of freedom, as all young ones do, and I do not want her to run away like she is. Continue to report any further developments to me as soon as you possibly can.

On the matter of the book, I must ask that you hide it away, and hide it well. It is an ancient artifact and likely filled with powerful forbidden knowledge that, in the wrong hooves, could likely be used to wreak unimaginable havoc upon this world. I will send someone to retrieve it from you and bring it here, where it can be locked away and protected.

I am deeply sorry for having placed such a heavy burden upon you, and I hope that I will be able to make it up to you someday. Your assistance is deeply appreciated, and I cannot stress that fact enough. You are a good student, and I am very proud of you.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

Celestia sealed the letter and sent it on its way with a sigh.

Luna yawned softly, obviously tired. It was about the typical time she would go to sleep.

"You should go and get some rest... I think you need it," Celestia said with a smile.

"Sister?" Luna asked.

"Yes?"

Luna leaned against her sister slightly, resting her head against her. "Since you are taking the day off... Would you mind if I stayed with you?" she asked, closing her eyes.

Celestia smiled. "Of course I don't mind, little sister. Nothing would make me happier. I doubt i'll be moving from this spot for a while." she responded.

Luna yawned once again and smiled happily. "Thank you, sister. I... miss being close to you... I love you."

This was not something Celestia was accustomed to hearing on a regular basis, but it made her feel much better. "I know, little sister. I love you, too."

With that, Luna nuzzled into her sister and began to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep; a happy smile upon her face.

Little Kryssie sat by the window, staring outside. She had done enough reading, and was starting to get a bit bored. She really wanted to get out of the house, but knew Twilight would be upset if she tried to leave. She felt a strange connection to Twilight; a sort of bond between them. She knew that Twilight was not her mother, but still, she came closer to anyone else at this point to being so.

Every moment that passed seemed to bring new information flowing through the little Alicorns mind. Mostly unimportant things, though some of the images were undesirable, and thusly she blocked any information she didn't like out and banished it to the back of her mind. She found herself once again thinking about that silly flying book from the night before.

Twilight had just finished cleaning up the room and placing all the bookshelves and books back where they were supposed to be. "Phew... I almost feel like I should ban Dash from the library for a week for that one." she said to herself jokingly, giggling slightly before noticing Krys.

It was a sad sight to behold for Twilight. She knew she wasn't supposed to allow Krys to venture outside, but she had the strongest urge to let her... and yet, she couldn't. It broke her heart to watch that little filly stare out the window with those longing eyes. She walked over to Krys and wrapped her front legs around her in a gentle hug. "I'm so sorry, Kryssie... I wish I could let you go outside, I really do."

Krys simply smiled and leaned back into Twilight's hug. "It's fine. At least i'm not alone, right?" she said on a positive note.

Twilight nodded. "Right... and pretty soon, more of my friends will be here to meet you! I know they'll all just love you."

Krys seemed to cheer up a bit at that. "I can't wait to meet them! I hope those other two will be will be amongst them. I never was able to introduce myself properly."

"What was that strange language you were speaking in last night anyways?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Oh. Well... I don't remember exactly what its called, but for some reason it was the only thing I could speak in, at least, until I drew the knowledge of your own language from you." she said, smiling.

Twilight sighed. "Kryssie... It's not nice to extract something from somepony's mind without asking them... but I forgive you. After all, how else would you have been able to communicate with us?"

Krys looked down and sighed. "I know... I promise not to do it without asking again."

Twilight was beginning to hope that she would be able to care for little Kryssie for a very long time. This little filly, although strange, confusing and somewhat scary, filled her with a joy she had never before known. She couldn't believe just how attached she was becoming to her. After all, she had only been there for a day at most! Still... Twilight had never cared for a filly like her; a little filly who shared her love of reading and her intelligence, as well as her magical prowess.

"I know you won't, Kryssie." she said, releasing Kryssie from the hug. "Say... aren't you hungry? You haven't eaten since you've gotten here, after all!"

Krys shook her head negatively. "No. Not at all. I feel perfectly fine."

"You're not thirsty either?" Twilight asked.

Again Krys shook her head. "Nope. Not one bit."

Twilight knew that Krys was far from your typical pony, but even the immortal Celestia required nourishment. At least, that is what she had assumed based upon the fact that Celestia did, in fact, eat and drink like any normal pony. This wasn't something she should dwell upon. However, if the little Alicorn continued to lack hunger and thirst much longer, she knew it would be yet another thing to report to Celestia.

Twilight's thoughts were cut short abruptly as little Krys collapsed into her, falling unconscious. This caused Twilight to panic as she tried to nudge the little Alicorn awake. "Kryssie....? Kryssie! Wake up!" she cried, now shaking Krys a bit to try and revive her.

Where am I? What is this place...? Am I dreaming?

Krys found herself standing in the middle of an endless white void. In the distance was some form of square object that she could not make out. The "ground" beneath her was pure white, like everything else in this space, with the exception of whatever that square-shaped object in the distance in front of her was. It felt hard and cold, and as Krys began to walk towards the object, the sound of her hooves against the floor produced a sound like thick glass or marble.

She was frightened and confused, but something about that object drew her closer to it. As she walked up to it, she noticed it was a mirror. This mirror, however, did not return the reflection of her current self. Krys trembled a bit as she gazed into the mirror. A levitating, broken mask stared back at her, surrounded by a blue, pulsating flame. The mask moved in unison with her as she tilted her head to one side or the other.

Is this... really me? No... it cant be, I don't look like that.

She raised a hoof to touch the mirror, making contact with some sort of ghostly... hand. A powerful sensation shot through Krys like a bolt of lightning as she recoiled; falling back from the mirror onto her flank. Her eyes were wide as many images flooded through her. Horrible, graphic images of death and destruction. For some reason, she was unable to do what she did before and simply push them to the back of her mind.

What is this?! I don't want to be here anymore! Let me leave!

She stood up quickly and slammed a hoof into the mirror, causing it to shatter. As it did, the white void around her began to tear away in fragments, leaving an infinite blackness in its place. The ground gave way beneath her and she screamed as she began to fell into the endless void below.

kryssie...

Kryssie...!

KRYSSIE!

Krys awakened with a loud scream of terror. She panted heavily for several moments before collapsing onto the floor, tears flowing from her eyes in rivers as she sobbed.

Twilight scooped the little filly up in her front legs, pulling her close as she sat on the floor. They were both shaking at this point, and Twilight began to cry as well, though much lighter than the little filly. "Kryssie... Oh, Kryssie... You had me so worried... I... I thought something terrible had happened."

Krys sobbed as she nuzzled into Twilight's neck. "I don't know what happened.... I was here... then I was... in some horrible place... and I broke the mirror and the world fell apart and I fell..."

Twilight frowned. It was one thing to have nightmares while you slept, but to have them while awake? How terrible! "Shhh... It's alright, sweetie... I'm here." she said, not entirely certain what else she could say. Whatever just happened, she sincerely hope it would not happen to the poor little filly again. Hopefully Spike would return soon with Rarity. She was a lot more experienced with children than her, and she knew she would need all of the support she could get.

A knock came at Twilight's door. She hated to break her embrace on Krys, but she knew it had to be one or several of her friends. After what she had just been through, she definitely wanted additional company. She stood up and walked to the door, answering it.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were both standing at the door.

Pinkie Pie had a massive smile. She was probably told about Krys by Rainbow Dash, and had come to see this little miracle filly herself.

Rainbow Dash had a slightly nervous expression. She obviously was still thinking about how badly she messed the house up the night before. "Hey Twilight... I told Pinkie Pie about the little filly Celestia sent you, and she's just dying to meet her!"

Twilight smiled and gave a nod. "Of course! Come on in." she said, walking back over to Krys who had managed to calm down and smile.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie both headed inside; Pinkie Pie bouncing in her typical happy-go-lucky manner. This drew the attention of little Krys, who looked at her a bit funny for this.

Pinkie Pie's eyes widened at the sight of Krys. Not in shock, but in excitement. "Oooooo! Omigoshomigoshomigoshomigoshomigosh! Eeeeee!" she exclaimed, bouncing over to Krys happily. "She's so cuuuuute, Twilight! What's her name, what's her name?! I bet its as adorable as she is!"

Twilight chuckled softly. "Her name is Krys, though, I call her Kryssie." she said, looking to Krys who was giving Pinkie Pie an odd look. "Kryssie, this is Pinkie Pie. She's one of my close friends."

"Ooooo! Kryssie! That is so cuuuute!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Krys stared at Pinkie Pie for a moment. ".... Have you been snorting caffeine or something?" she asked plainly.

Rainbow Dash lost it. She fall over onto her back, kicking her legs as she laughed hysterically. "Bahahahaha! Snorting caffeine! She just summed Pinkie Pie up in two words!" she exclaimed, not even realizing that Krys just spoke.

Twilight couldn't help but laugh a bit herself. It was pretty funny.

Pinkie Pie giggled. "No, silly! I'm just so super super happy to meet you! I'm so happy to meet you I could burst!"

Krys frowned a bit. "Oh, please don't do that. That would make such a terrible mess!"

Rainbow Dash finally had stopped laughing and came to the realization that little Kryssie had spoken. "Waaaaaait. She can TALK now? When did this happen?"

Twilight shook her head. "This morning, actually. She can read, too. She sure is a quick learner."

Pinkie Pie grinned widely. "Ooooo, she's such a smartie-wartie! Just like Twilight! Hehehehehehe! Oh! Oh! Oh! We must go outside and play!"

Twilight frowned with a sigh. "She can't go outside... Celestia instructed me not to let her go outside, which makes sense because she's an Alicorn. If other ponies saw that, who knows what would happen?"

Pinkie Pie looked shocked. "What?! But she's a little filly-willy! She has to be able to play outside and make friends and have all sorts of fun! Cant you just put a hat on her or something?!"

"Yeah! And I want to be the one to teach this little filly to fly!" Rainbow Dash added.

Twilight pondered this. "It would make her look too strange... and it could easily just blow right off with a good breeze or while running."

"I can hide my horn... It's no big deal," Krys said with a smile.

Twilight looked to Krys. This little filly never ceased to amaze her. "But how?" she asked, a bit confused.

Krys' horn began to glow for a few moments before seeming to fade from existence. It was some form of invisibility spell that was focused on just her horn. No trace of it could be seen. Even Twilight, with her exceedingly strong magical ability, could not see through the illusion.

"Wow! That's awesome! You look just like a regular Pegasus pony now!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly.

Pinkie Pie bounced up and down in excitement. "Oh this is gonna be so so so much fun! What are we gonna do first?!"

"Now hold on, girls," Twilight interrupted, raising a hoof. "I still cannot let her outside until Celestia informs me that it's alright. There may be other reasons besides just her appearance."

"Oh come on! She's just a little filly, you can't keep her locked up in this place forever!" Rainbow Dash protested with a slight glare.

"I didn't say forever. I'm sure Celestia will let her. I just need to get her approval first. Besides, the others should be here at some point today. Kryssie should be here to meet them." she responded. Twilight made a strong and valid point, a point which neither of them could argue with.

"Oh! Well, that's okay for now! There's still plenty of fun things we can do inside! Hey, we could have a party!" Pinkie Pie said with growing excitement.

Surprisingly, both Rainbow Dash and Twilight responded in unison. "NO!"

They looked at eachother with confused expressions. "I mean... I just cleaned this place up, and I don't want to have to do it again," Twilight said.

"Yeah, and i'm the one that messed it up. Don't get me wrong, here; I DO think we should have a party to welcome little Kryssie, but after Princess Celestia says she can go outside. Then we can have everypony at the party and have it at your place!" Rainbow Dash explained.

"Well I guess that makes sense! Okay then, so what else can we do? Oooo! Oooo! I got some ideas!" With that, Pinkie Pie lit up again with excitement.

Krys simply sat there looking dumbfounded. "I, um... Well, i'd really just like to read some more books." she said, forcing a smile.

Rainbow Dash grinned and started to laugh a bit. "Oh, Celestia, no! She really needs to get out now! She's becoming Twilight!"

Twilight gave a rather unamused expression. "There is nothing wrong with reading books! You should really try it yourself sometime, Dash!"

"Heeeeey! Yes, we should read some books! Cookbooks! Lets make something sweet and yummy!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Krys giggled a bit, seeming to have cheered up quite a lot. Her face lit up with such happiness it could melt through even the gloomiest of souls and force a smile upon their face.

Twilight planted a hoof in her face. She didn't much like the idea of her neat and tidy kitchen getting covered in flour and sugar. She sighed and shook her head, smiling as she noticed little Kryssie's expression.

One thing was for sure; this was going to be a very interesting day.