Every now and then, something happens that Twilight feels the need to question. Why didn't Celestia tell her about the Elements, when she asked before Nightmare Moon's return? Why does Ponyville allow pegasus or earth pony magic during Winter Wrap-up, but not unicorn magic? Why were there no stallions at the Running of the Leaves?

And, like any good student, when Twilight finds a need to ask a question, she asks it.

Every schoolfilly has heard of the Federation - the tall, mysterious, magicless beings from another world, who visit only rarely and briefly; waiting, they say, for 'stable planetary political unity'.

This is the story of when they first visited Equestria; of early contact between the Princesses and the Federation. It is also the tale of how Princess Luna, with some help from the House of Sparkle, managed the first fully Equestrian warp jump; and of how Spike became the first dragon in space.

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Additional note: There is an alternate ending for this story, which can be found over here. It follows on directly after the chapter titled Further Communications (and there is a note in the author's notes for that chapter to that effect, with another link).

The reasons for the split are contained in the comments to this story. (Note: Said reasons contain spoilers)

Twilight, as an alicorn, now has both pegasus and earth pony magic in addition to her well-practiced unicorn abilities. However, she has little idea how to use these abilities, and thus seeks tutors.

Applejack and Big Mac are busy with the zapapple harvest. Granny Smith tends to nap in the afternoons. And Pinkie Pie is... well, Pinkie Pie.

Fortunately, there's an Earth Pony with a free afternoon who's willing to give teaching a try... especially if it might lead to a cutie mark...

When Twilight told the Princess that one of her long-time friends was actually a changeling drone, she expected shock, she expected questions, requests for proof.

She did not expect "Yes, I know. Was that all?"

Now with a dramatic reading by Alicentaur Br0ny!

...and another one by Voiceguy!

And a most impressively produced reading by obabscribbler!

(If you're just going to listen to one of them, pick the third one).

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Translated into Chinese (by Chelicera) can be found on FimTale.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders ask Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy about what happened just after the events of the Cutie Mark Chronicles; specifically, what happened to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash immediately after the race. Reluctantly, Dash and Fluttershy delve into a tale. A tale of a young Fluttershy's amazement at the world she had landed upon, and a filly Dash's desperate quest to save her from that most evil of places: THE GROUND.

Scootaloo was saved and raised by a flock of chickens, then sent out to meet her destiny with her own people. But can she adjust? Can she learn to fly, when she was taught not to?

Changelings aren't nice. Changelings don't bake. Changelings don't get cutie marks.

This is how little Mandible earned a cutie mark to call his own.

A brief moment between friends.

After a long awaited training session with Rainbow Dash doesn't turn out as she expected, an upset Scootaloo gets some comfort and advice from a source she had never considered before.

What happens when you see only what you want to see, hear only what you want to hear, and project those views onto somepony against their will? What happens when that fiction becomes reality, and their reality becomes everypony else's fiction?

Ditzy Doo has to deal with it on a daily basis. Try as she might, ponies still see her as the klutzy, muffin obsessed mailmare that she's always been, or at least, that they think she's always been.