The vertigo of teleportation was beginning to wear off of Lyra as she and her two companions fell down upon a cobblestone road that seemed to be an empty, desolated city that was situated on the edge of a foggy bay. After a few minutes of getting their bearings straight, the three of them got up and stumbled their way down a steep decline, each looking at the crooked houses and broken shells of the buildings. There was something off about these buildings. They looked like the structure of Ponyville but made mostly of stone and wood. That and they were all connected by a series of tunnels that went between the houses, underground, and even above the buildings. Well, at least they used to be. Years of decay put a heavy toll upon the structure.

There was nothing else familiar about this place however and this is when Lyra felt panic growing in the back of her mind. But she pushed it aside. They were alive for now. She picked up the stone in her left pocket. The smooth stone with purple runes that surrounded Twilight’s signature Cutie Mark let out a fizzle and a burst amount of dying violet sparks before it darken and the magic glow faded away completely. Thank Celestia for the Emergency Teleportation Stone to have work this time. At least they escaped unharmed. Lyra honestly had no clue how everything went wrong so quickly. One minute their ship was flying across the North Luna Ocean, the next minute something large emerged from the depths of the sea and began to drag the ship down. The pegasi took flight and escaped with some panicking ponies. Others took off in lifeboats. But with neither option available in the few desperate moments of panic, Lyra grabs her two friends, the emergency radio, and teleports them away from danger. Which led them to be left here, abandon this city of ghosts and whispers. It goes without saying that this field trip was now officially a complete disaster.

“Come on, you dumb machine!”

The radio speaker let out nothing but static and some pops. To say it was nothing but a pile of misaligned pieces of metal, broken glass, and mangled up wires would be a vast understatement. Their one chance to call for help and it was barely being held together by a few screws . Luckily her friends were not freaking out as she was internally. They were both looking around with an ambient amount of curiosity. Her apprentice, Sweetie Belle, was the first to speak up.

“Where do you think we are?” she asked Lyra as Lyra sat down and fiddled with the knobs and battery.

“I don’t know.” Lyra answered, her golden eyes looking at the walls and high places above her. “I rather not know. This place gives me the creeps.”

“Why is that, Lyra?” Derpy Hooves, their other friend, piped up.

“Don’t know, it feels like we are being watched.”

Then a cold breeze came upon them and everyone felt a dark chill coming upon them. The three ponies instinctively huddled together and they looked down the road. The path ahead was obscured by a thick amount of fog. It looked as if a wall of clouds was tumbling its way to them like a slow moving avalanche. Derpy did what her pegasus body instructed her to do and shielded the two unicorns. Her hooves, however, didn't stop the moving clouds. It instead made a futile contact and the clouds simply passed through them. Lyra closed her eyes and raised her left foreleg from the cold wind. Her face was now subjected to an unwanted amount of moisture. Eventually the cloud departed and split as a golden light erupted in front of them.

Lyra unshielded her face. What she saw did little to quell her panic and the gripping feeling of being watched. Emerging out of the fog and emitting an obscene amount of warm light was a large wagon, not unlike the one that Trixie usually drags around. Although this one was huge and seems to be moving on its own. The tumbling wagon came to a stop. Lyra approached the wagon but also put Sweetie Belle behind her. Despite Sweetie being a grown mare, Lyra still thought of her as a small filly sometimes and knew Rarity would kill her if something happened to her little sister. But as the fog dissipates, Lyra realizes that the situation got a lot more dangerous as now they were surrounded by nearly fifty figures lurking in the shadows.

They were all mammals of the sleek bodies belonging to the mustelid family. Everyone of them were wearing particular greenish gray cloaks and were wearing belts that either had bags or holsters with knives sheathed inside tied to them. Their beading little eyes were all looking down from their position from on top of the numerous walls. Lyra was so taken aback by this sudden appearance of these creatures that she didn’t notice the radio turned on.

“Ah, I see we have three new guests here tonight.” The radio said suddenly.

The three ponies jumped up and looked down at the radio.

“Now don’t be afraid my little ponies.” the voice said coming out of the radio. “I just want to say hello and discuss some business with you. That is if you are interested.”

Lyra looked at Sweetie Belle, imploring her not to answer. But Sweetie Belle, with uncertainty, replied back.

“I supposed that’s alright.” she squeaked. “Just don’t hurt us.”

“Splendid! I shall come out now!”

The doors to the wagons burst open. A wave of bright light spilled all over the road. A figure slink out as a ramp came out of the wagon and landed right in front of Lyra, Sweetie Belle, and Derpy. The figure was a weasel, like the ones who surrounded them. But this weasel was dressed in a fine business suit, a fancy top head sitting upon his head, a monocle on his right eye and a gilded cane in his paw. He smoothly came down the ramp and approached the ponies with a large, predatory smile. Lyra noticed a small golden device sat at the edge of his lips with a series of wires running down his face and his neck. There was also a silver sharp tooth that was a part of his many sharp teeth.
“Greetings my lovely mares.” the weasel spoke except it wasn’t from his own mouth. At least that is what Lyra observed. The weasel made a series of squeaks and hiss that came out of their mouth but the voice came out of the radio.

“Who are you?” Derpy asked.

“Ah, yes how rude of me.” The weasel tips his hat. “My name is Galanthis. I am the Governor of the Weasel Clan. I’m here to welcome you to our domain. I sense you three mares are in dire need of help.”

“Why can't you speak to us normally?” Sweetie Belle inquiry rather rudely.

“Well, it is because my native tongue cannot be translated to your language.” Galanthis replied. “My species are not of your world but rather in the space in between. Which is where you three and currently trap in. Not to fear, I’m here to offer you help. A proposal if you are willing to hear me out.

The two mares looked at Lyra, looking to her as their leader.

Lyra replied. “I supposed.”