//------------------------------// // King and Princess // Story: Magic Gear Solid: Broken Balance // by Barrobroadcaster //------------------------------// Vice walked through the courtyard of the castle. His castle, he dared to declare inside his own mind. Somehow it was still uncomfortably new to him. Conquering Canterlot still had an awkward feeling to it and it kept him on edge slightly but the feeling of owning his own kingdom was satisfying, even made him gleeful. Metal Gear RAM, his pride, his creation, dominated the center of the courtyard like a massive statue made of steel for all to see. Repairs on the mech were progressing slowly. They needed more material to create the two missing circuit boards that Celestia had fried. He scowled when he thought of what that decadent little princess had done to his machine, what she had done because of his mistake. He looked up at the orange shield protecting them. It had bought them some time, all his actions since taking the castle had only bought them time but if RAM wasn't completed by the time the other nations rallied and counterattacked, it would all be for nothing. RAM was both an offensive and defensive weapon, the perfect leverage. While Celestia was still being held along with the others in the castle's dungeon he was still on the lookout for any further hostilities, threats. He walked throught he courtyard and payed the gaurds he posted around no attention as he thought. "Sir, Raider has returned." one of his gaurds said over the comms channel. Vice thumbed on his comms channel. "She's alive? Fantastic, get her in here immediately." Vice ordered. The orange shield vanished for a split second as Vice made his way to the entrance of the occupied city. Two gaurds escorted Raider down the street. Her gait was off as she walked, her wings were splayed out at odd angles and her helmet and armor were cracked in several places. Those were all mechanical things, she was alive and he was happy to see that. His soldier could be rebuilt. She didn't speak as he approached. That was to be expected; after the memories of Rainbow Dash had been erased, there wasn't much left in her mind except instinct. He would have to wipe her memories again to be sure she didn't learn anything from the encounter. "Very good, very good. Pegasi are naturally immune to lightning but I'm still surprised she survived the full force of the Tri-Tesla. Perhaps fate is on our side." Vice remarked. "She was coming in on one engine and emergency backup power but she seems to be functional." one of the gaurds said. Raider panted as she stood. Her body was exhausted, she knew only that she obeyed Vice. Her default programming had returned her to the castle. It sounded like she had walked at least a good portion of the way. "Get her into maintenance then." Vice said. He turned and headed back to the castle. He decided to check on his other projects while he was there. His comm unit crackled again. "My lord, we have good news." it was Dagger. "I'm eager, fill me in." "We've captured the princess's sister. Not only that, we've gathered enough material on the train and we're en route to you now. We should be able to fix RAM with what we have." Dagger said. Vice was overjoyed and relieved to hear that. "Dagger, that's excellent news! I'm sure Celestia will be happy to see her sister. Have her brought to the dungeon immediately." Vice said in a malicious tone. Now this was a surprise. He might have to think up something special for the two sisters once he had them together. Vice was in a good mood as he walked into the castle's dungeon. Despite the fact it pained him to see his fellow earth ponies in shackles, it was for their own good. He was sure that once they saw what he was trying to accomplish, they would come around. He would present to them the perfect world, one ruled by mind not magic. Any being smart enough to read could pilot RAM, that was the point. It finally leveled the playing field, gave non-magic weilding creatures the ability to combat arcanists on equal grounds. Soon, the earth ponies would see how they've been subjugated, the true potential the arcanists denied them would be unleashed. It would just take a little more time. Dagger had wisely seperated the two sisters, lest they get any ideas. Luna's cell was on the opposite block on the regular level while Celestia's cell occupied a more fortified section of the lower dungeons. Vice was not going to take any chances. He couldn't afford to. He walked with a couple of guards and Dagger to Luna's cell. They were bringing the prisoner a bucket of water to drink from and a few rations. Vice was not unnecessarily cruel, not unless the individual deserved it. He didn't kill if he didn't feel it was necessary. It pained him to punish his own kind, his own soldiers, anything. But sending a message was important. There could be no room for failure, it had to be cutout. The application of pain might coax Luna into divulging more information but he would not kill her just to make a point, not if he could avoid it. He was not a monster. They entered Luna's cell and presented the rations to her. She'd awoken shortly after being brought there and occupied the center of the chamber, a shackle around her neck bolted to the floor. She didn't regard their offerings, instead staring daggers at Vice. A metal cone had been placed over her horn as to prevent her from using magic. Simple, made of the same material as RAM and the armor his soldiers wore, it essentially rendered Luna's power effectively useless. He hadn't tested the strength of anti-magical army fully but seeing as how Celestia hadn't managed to escape, he assumed it was strong enough. "Well, well, well. It seems you've gone from invading my dreams to invading my reality. I must say though, it is good to see you. Your sister was worried." Vice clasped his prosthetic hands together and smiled. Luna didn't respond. Vice began pacing around her. "I told you what would happen if you tried to interfere again didn't I? Oh but don't worry. No harm has come to your big sister. Yet." Luna remained silent. Her muscles tensed as she lay on the floor, at the same time she was ready for a strike and to strike herself if Vice was vulnerable for so much as a second. Vice continued talking. "I've brushed up on my reading while I was here. 'Elements of Harmony'. Very interesting. I'm not much of a fan for the arcane but I must admit, it's quite an intriguing subject wouldn't you say? Especially for somepony who was defeated by it." he smiled again and glanced at her. His circle returned him to the front of the room. "What are these Elements? What do they do? I know you know, tell me or I promise your sister will suffer!" Vice snapped, his impatience finally breaking through the visage of calmness he displayed. Luna had been right not to give in to his goading but she wouldn't give into his aggression either. She stood and kicked the bucket of water at him and his gaurds. Vice backhanded the bucket out of the way but was spashed with water in the process. It got his face and a good portion of his body wet. "Insolent little foal. What are you hiding?!" he demanded. Luna didn't say a word but backed away. That was when she noticed something strange. The water had done something to Vice's coat. It almost looked like the color was running. In fact, the color WAS running. The water had washed away the brown to reveal a yellow coat underneath. Luna stared, perplexed. Slowly, more and more of the brown washed away and Vice wiped himself off. What his hands revealed under his coat astounded Luna. On Vice's right cheek, right on the side of his face was a dull figure. A small image of a gray wrench. Luna's eyes went wide in fear and confusion. "A... a cutie mark?" Luna continued backing up to the wall. Vice grinned a toothy smile. "Surprised?" he wiped off a little more of his coat on his chest and neck revealing more strange pictures of objects. A bolt, a hammer, two lightning bolts in the shape of an "X". "I've always been a multi-talented individual." Shock ran through Luna as the realization dawned on her. "You... you have the Cutie Pox?!" "Why should I be limited to only one talent? Why must I have only one? I made my own cutie marks. A dozen, a hundred, as many as I need." Vice explained. Luna shook her head. "Why would you give yourself the Cutie Pox?" "This is no ordinary strain of Cutie Pox. I designed it myself and tested it personally. With this strain, I have as many cutie marks, as many special talents as I want. Unfortunately... there are side-effects. All these marks for one... the price of manifesting one's own destiny I suppose." "You could be contagious! Don't you know what that disease does? What if this virus spreads?" Luna exclaimed. Vice smiled. "Oh but I want it to spread. Don't you see? With this strain of Cutie Pox, ponies will be able to determine their own destinies and have as many special talents as they want. And like a true martyr, a true patron of science, a TRUE LEADER I have used it on myself first! I shall undergo the first transformation as I lead my citizens to ascendance!" He threw his arms wide out as he orated. The gaurds standing at attention near the entrance shifted uncomfortably. "You're insane!" Luna said. "Your world is changing 'princess'! No longer will your sorcery oppress the creatures of this world! No longer will the potential of the non-magical be denied! Your days of wielding the arcane are over! I, Lord Vice Pudding, shall be the first earth-pony ruler of Equestria as dictated by the Chancellor! Using the power of the mind, not magic, I shall control both sun and moon and usher fourth the dawn of a new age to Equestria!!" Vice ended the speech with a maniacal laugh. Luna couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was delluded, truly this pony was mad but why? She'd seen his dreams, she knew what he meant. "You will tell me about those Elements eventually princess. Dagger," he addressed the dog at his side."bring in the equipment. Let us begin the procedure." Vice said with a twisted smirk. Luna gritted her teeth. She didn't care what this monster did to her. She would endure it all, she had to.