Equestria: A Flux Tale

by Star Sage

Three Little Gifts

The Void trembles a little, and a distant voice seems to shout to you. Within the Void you can think nothing, but if you had, you would recognize it as Luna's cry of frustration, as she pounds against the walls of your mind. This continued circumstance, where your sleeping mind locks her out, is beginning to become a nightly ritual of the Moon Princess. Neither of you can explain the Void, you because you don't care to try, and her because she had never seen the like in a thousand years of dream drifting. Still, she tries, slamming her head again and again into the wall, until she feels it starting to fade, and then swiftly wings her way towards your chamber.

The first sight you see when your eyes shoot open is Luna's eyes, starting down into your soul. Those eyes, deep, limped pools of moonlight, spill over your mind. Senses and thoughts that began to expand are whipped away, curled back into themselves, and then sealed off. The pressure against them is lighter thought, than when it had first begun. A few stray threads of your mind are allowed through the barrier, to gently twist around the things about you, slowly growing used to touching that which, with a stray thought, you might undo.

“Good morning,” she says as she flaps her wings, flipping end over end, and then coming to a light stop on the carpeted floor of your room. Looking around, you find Octavia still asleep next to you, and smirk down at her as you rise from your bed, a quick thought enough to give you some clothing more than the boxers you wore to sleep. Nothing fancy, just a t-shirt and jeans, the shirt bearing Luna's cutie mark as a symbol on its chest as you got up and stretched.

“And to you as well. Are you up for the day, or are you off to bed?” you ask casually as you walk past her towards the table. A wave of your hand and suddenly there's two bowls of cereal, a few oranges, and some glasses of milk sitting at the places for both you and Octavia.

“No, I have other duties than bed today, so I must forsake the comfort of rest,” she says, and then motions with a wing. Where you power was without sound or sight, Luna's causes a small flash, and there's suddenly a pair of pastries on a plate in the center between the two seats. She then smirks at you, before taking off again, flying out the open outside door, which shuts gently behind her.

“-YAWN- You both can k-YAWN-iss my backside. Able to do that without slaving over a stove all morning,” says Octavia as she rouses herself. Chuckling, you decide to be nice, and wave your hand at her as well, causing her to go from mussy bed mane and tired, to ready to face the day pony in seconds.

“How about now?” you ask her, and she looks herself up and down before walking over, towards you, popping up on her hind legs and planting a kiss on your cheek.

“That you may do any morning,” she tells you as she takes her seat. Smiling, you join her, and the two of you have a quiet meal alone, enjoying each others company. When it's done, you do the cleanup, and then take her bowl and put it back into the cupboard, before offering to escort her to the door.

“Ah, so nice to have a gentlecolt in the house again. Vinyl never did the dishes back home,” she said, and you smile and nod, not commenting that she said that every morning as you and she walked outside, finding the Flux Guard standing at attention, waiting for you.

“By your command, Marquis,” said Spitfire, as she bowed, and the five of you walked through the halls of the palace. It seemed like hours later, but was really only a few minutes, before finally emerging in the castle's foyer. The place was, as always, filled with various press ponies, griffons, and others, all crowded around the big door to where Radiance would be finishing up with the Shining Court, before handing over the reigns to his mother.

“Should I feel slighted?” you ask as your group walks by the gathering, getting only a few snap shots taken of you as you make you way to the palace's main gate.

“Nah, they're probably discussing something major in Court today,” advises Soarin, and you shrug, figuring that you'd hear anything you needed to later. So it was that you led the group outside, finding a carriage waiting. Smiling, you turn to Octavia and hug her, before she climbs into the waiting vehicle that then goes off towards the city. Meanwhile, you cast your flight spell, and together with the Flux Guard, rise into the air.

“So, the field of battle today?” asked Spitfire, as she floated next to you. You nod, and then shoot off in that direction, the Guard following close, with Spitfire taking a lead position, while Soarin and Dash take up your rear. The four of you soar over the city of Canterlot, looking down at all the hustle and bustle of an active capital. Deals are being made, lives are being lived, all of it so bright and cheerful that it almost make you wish you could fly through the city streets for a better view. At least until you hit your first traffic jam, then your grateful to be sailing over it all.

After a few minutes of flight, your group makes it to the outside edge of the town, and a familiar looking lab. Oddly, rather than the crowd that was usually here in the morning, it was strangely empty, with only a few Guards, and their accompanying alicorns standing in the field. Obviously, they'd been waiting for you to arrive, and all look upwards towards you, as your flight lands just in front of them.

“Ah, hello Marquis. Does the dawn find you well?” asked Radiance.

“It does indeed. It seems to find this place empty though,” you note, looking around.

“Yes, yes it does. We were wondering about that, and just about to ask around if DawnChaser and his Apprentices were up to something, when Quicksilver found this note,” said DewPrism, levitating the piece of paper at you. The thing was in a flourishing style you recognized as belonging to Trixie, and had a lot of flowery language, including some words you didn't recognize at all. Luckily, there was a quick summation at the bottom in DawnChaser's more abrupt hoof writing that told you they'd all be at the Palace.

“Notice the part where it says you told them to meet you there. Are you keeping secrets from us?” asked DewPrism, a slight edge to her tone. Obviously none of them trusted things they didn't know about, and having heard some stories, you knew most of that mistrust was because DawnChaser, unattended, tended to result in massive loss of property, and a headache or two for the local rulers.

“Not really. Mind, he only knows because he wheedled it out of Glimmer Strike. I figured the Captain would have been immune to his efforts, but it seems I underestimated how much the Professor can annoy somepony who knows something he doesn't,” you tell her, crumbling up the note, and then tossing it over your shoulder, where you ignite it with a thought.

“Ah, so what does he know, that we don't then?” asked Quicksilver.

“Oh, nothing much. Just a special project I've had going on for a few weeks. Something back at the Castle obviously. Would you like to join me?” you asked, and the Alicorns, after looking over their guards, gather together for the return flight across town. Taking wing, you repeat the journey from earlier. You had of course, expected this, but you'd hoped to have some fun on the field first, and made a mental note to prank DawnChaser somehow, at the next available opportunity.

Soon, three alicorns, several guards, and one human land at the palace, just outside a door that led down into the depths. Around your group a few groundskeepers stand, most making their way subtly away from where you stood, either in reverence, or because of some smoke that was pouring out from every unsealed part of the door. You don't let it bother you, waving a hand and opening the door with a thought. It swung wide, billowing clouds of smoke filling your vision as you walked inside, hearing the clop of hooves on stone behind you.

“Silver Hammer?” you called out into the thick smog, holding your hand over your mouth and trying to strain your ears. You then hear a resounding metal crash that fills the air as much as the smoke. This is followed by another, and then the hissing sound of water on hot metal, as more smoke fills the room, or more accurately steam does.

“Silver Hammer!” you cry out again, and hear a few voices from inside the cloud, which DewPrism blows away with a single wing beat somehow, clearing the air and letting you see the quite crowded forge of Canterlot.

“Ah, Marquis, finally,” says the forgemaster, his eyes going towards the group around him, seemingly surprised at how close they had come as he holds out his hoof, pushing them all back towards a wall, and allowing you to get closer. In front of him are several blocks of clay, you recognize as crucibles. Into these he was slowly pouring bits of molten metal. It seemed a more exact process than one might have assumed, each cupful of the stuff measured to the drop, and divided among three separate blocks.

"Are those mine?" you ask as you approach, feeling a throbbing power within the stones.

"Aye. Some of the finest I have ever crafted too. I mean these to be even greater than the armor I made you. And they're just about done," he said, walking forward. He looked at the blocks, then back to the forge, pulling out another red hot cup of melted slag and gently pouring it ones more into the molds. The group around you watched, transfixed by the sight. The metal, after all, glowed purple rather than the more common red, speaking of the magic that was inherent in the metal's being.

"Prefect," he declared at last, setting the tongs and cup aside. He licked at his lips afterward, his mouth probably being quite dry from carrying the hot metal around with it. But he looked very pleased with himself as he stared at the blocks.

"Now for the most delicate part of this whole business," said the earth pony stallion as he walked over to the wall, drawing open a cabinet with his hoof, and then pulling forth a chisel and a hammer.

"The magic base is set. All it needs is shape to be given to it. If the Marquis would step forward," the last was directed at you, and you smirked as you did so, acutely aware of the many pairs of eyes on your back. Behind you stood DawnChaser and his Apprentices, as well as three Alicorns and their Guard. You wondered, idly, how much the purple unicorn had chosen to impart on his charges before coming, but dismissed the stray thought as you came up to the blocks, setting your hand against the clay, marveling at how cool it felt.

"Now, just like Celestia showed you. Imagine what you want, feel it in your mind, and let the magic do the hard part. Just let it flow," he told you, and you nodded. The reminder, a few months ago, would have drawn a glib word or some sarcastic remark from you, but the past few months had shown you how much you still had to learn. So you closer your eyes and focus. In your mind you see a star, a larger one than ever before, burning with enough power that it could level the mountains around Canterlot, and probably most of the countryside for leagues.

The star's might is such that you feel almost like a true god, but your thoughts turn to the matter at hand in a heartbeat, and you shape the magic. A large section of the star, more than half, begins to come loose from the center. The power sparks, and outside yourself, you know you are glowing with it. Inside you can almost feel the heat, which you slowly mold. Your energy resists at first, desiring not to be shaped and controlled, but to be unleashed in its wild form. it takes an effort of will to force that power down, to chain it to your will, but when it is done, you open your eyes, and look again upon the scene.

Your sight is different now. Instead of the forge, the ponies, and the blocks of clay you see glowing blobs of light. The brightest three, glowing like finely cut gems, are the three alicorns. Each with their own shade and hue. Glowing only a bit less brightly you can sense the metal inside the clay, the magic of it flowing almost like it were alive itself. The other ponies, each with a pattern to their light, rather than the single hue of the royals, stood around as well, but only one blob held your interest, as it walked over towards the clay blocks.

"Put the magic in the center of the runes as I strike down!" says the light, and you hope you nod in his direction as you draw your hands to your side, and then slowly, delicately, send out the threads of power from within you. Weaving through the air, the cords of energy snake towards the blocks, twisting and coiling their way up the sides, tracing the route of the runes, causing the blocks to begin glowing even to the more mundane creatures present. Some whistle at the fount of power flowing from within you, DawnChaser quickly whipping out a dozen books and writing things in them as the process continues.

"That's good, now hold it there!" shouts Silver Hammer, and you do your best to halt the rivers of light coming from within. It's hard, the power, not wanting to leave at first, now doesn't want to stop, but you will it to, holding the largest concentrations of your power in the spots you'd been told to over the past few weeks.

"One!" cries the smith, and his hammer and chisel come down. The strike is at once gentle and firm, the power you provided being redirected into the armor, and causing your brain to nearly crack in two. You shudder, your power trying it's best to rip away from you, to lash out at the one who had struck it, but you are able to master it once more after a heartbeat.

"Good, good. Now," the smith continues, trotting over towards the second clay block.

"TWO!" he shouts, and the force of his blow rips the air from your lungs in a wheeze, as you try to keep the power in the shape that is required. The alicorns, looking at one another, begin to prepare shield spells and defenses, just in case. Luckily, the precaution proved unnecessary, as you suck air in through your teeth, and force your power to remain in shape.

"hur....hurry!" you tell him, desperation leaking into your voice, as sweat leaks from your brow. The smith needs no more urging than that, and with a cry, he dives towards the last block, his hammer and chisel finding the spot to strike with an ease that surprised those watching. As the final blow was struck, the power is torn from you, not in anger or instinctive lashing out, but in triumph, as it floods into the blocks. The metal within now visible from the glow, and you fall over, your vision of the scene returning to normal just in time to find the three Flux Guard standing in front of you as the clay blocks blow apart.

Dust and debris fill the air, the pegasi covering their faces with their wings, as everyone else in the room turns away. The alicorns, luckily, still had their spells ready, and so the cloud of refuse doesn't travel far from the blocks, before being pushed out of a nearby door, so that not a single soul is touched by the stuff, and leaving the things that you and Silver Hammer had forged standing their on four legs.

"Behold, Jehuty, Anubis, and Vic Viper!" shouts the smith in elation at his creation. In the spot where the clay had been were now what appeared to be robots. One light black with white highlights, and blue lines going up and down its body, every seem and joint seemingly alight with power, while a pair of wings on its back glowed with the energy that slowly began to move it into the air. Beside it was it's opposite, a deep shade crimson with blood red lights running in its seems. Rather than glow with power, these seemed to suck in the light, and it sat heavier and larger than its siblings. Beside that one, the final armor was an altogether different animal. It looks white enough to be blinding, and no power lines moved through its joints. Still, a glance told you the thing was thrumming with speed, ready to bolt into the open blue at a moment's notice.

"The Armors of the Flux Guard," declared the smith, as Spitfire, Soarin, and Rainbow just stare at the three suits, transfixed by the power they were about to be granted.

Author's Note:

With permission from the artist, some tasteful pictures of two of our new toys

Pony Jehuty
http://kioumaru.deviantart.com/art/Pony-Jehuty-2-0-450565524

Pony Anubis
http://kioumaru.deviantart.com/art/Pony-Anubis-450564426

These are used with permission of the artist

Sadly, no one's done a picture of Pony Vic Viper, but here's the regular one

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080319035333/zoe/images/b/b2/Vic_Viper.jpg

Comments

[Mike32oz]

Flux Guard's Star Armor... Love it.