Lessons Learned
*Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation.
*I have failed. This was the predominant thought rattling about the Ultra’s head as the towering alien slowly made his way through the seemingly deserted halls of Canterlot Castle. The mood hanging around the trio of aliens was rather sour, and that was putting it lightly. None of them spoke as they silently trudged towards Celestia’s chambers, none of them looking forward to admitting they had lost their very important charge.
*I had one job. And I couldn’t even succeed at that, the Ultra lamented inwardly.
Things were going so well, too. The truth had been revealed to him. He had turned his back on a culture of mindless violence and cruelty. Here, among a new race defined by peace and friendliness, he finally was beginning to feel at home. Accepted by the civilians, praised by the soldiers, and loved by the leader, he was finally beginning to feel like he belonged.
And then Princess Twilight Sparkle flew off into the sunset, completely abandoning them.
Letting loose a snarl of anger, the Ultra slammed the butt of his spear into the cold, stone floor, listening as the BOOM echoed down the still hallway. *“How could she do that to us?” he raged. *“Does she not know we are simply trying to protect her? Has she already forgotten us? Do we mean nothing to her?”
*“Ponies probably no have assassins…don’t need us,” Bok remarked sadly.
Bok’s insight brought the Ultra’s anger to a screeching halt, only to have it replaced by despair. *“You are right, Bok…” the Ultra began. *“This world does not know violence and malice. I know not why they even bother training soldiers if there is no reason to fight. What are we even supposed to protect her against? What is there that she cannot handle with her magic alone?” The Ultra paused his questioning, and stopped to gaze out of a tall window into the starry night sky.
*“What is our purpose, if not to fight…?”
No one had an answer to that question. The three outsiders, three puzzle pieces with no space to fit, simply stared into the Great Beyond they were once so comfortable traversing. But the stars weren’t like any they’d ever seen, twisted and deformed into unfamiliar shapes. It only served to intensify their feelings of loneliness and difference.
The Ultra snorted, breaking the silence, as he turned and continued walking. *“Bah, what does it matter. At least we’re no longer partaking of genocide. Perhaps our answers will come. Until then, we must do as we are told and hope something good comes of it.”
As the two shorter aliens hastened to catch up, Pip-Pap spoke up. *“Are we not here to learn that?”
The Ultra frowned. *“Learn what?”
*“Our purpose.”
*“What do you mean?”
Pip-Pap hesitated, still very much uncomfortable with having attention directed at him. An encouraging gesture from the Ultra finally gave him the courage to continue. *“We came here for a reason, the Gods made it so. Maybe that’s to learn the truth, and how to live without war? Maybe we will find our true special talents?”
The Ultra cocked his head in confusion. *“What is this ‘special talent’ nonsense you keep going on about?”
Pip-Pap pointed at his thigh. *“Notice mark all ponies have here?” he asked.
The Ultra contemplated that. *“Hmmm…now that you mention it, I have noticed them. What do they mean?”
*“All ponies have them, unicorn, pegasus, earth pony. Mark stands for pony’s special talent, every pony has one. Little ones in Ponyville said so, but they still looking for special talent. Maybe we find one too?” Pip-Pap said hopefully. The Ultra smiled at his smaller comrade’s enthusiasm. Perhaps not all was lost…
*“Perhaps you are right, Pip-Pap. Maybe we will learn we have talents beyond our abilities to kill and destroy. I certainly hope so, and learning the ways of these ponies seems promising. We will continue to do as they say. Listen. Observe. Learn. Things will change, I think. Thank you, friend, for restoring my hope.” Pip-Pap simply beamed at that.
As the trio of aliens rounded a corner and headed towards Celestia’s throne room, the Ultra let out a sigh. *“I just wish they would actually let us accomplish what we have been instructed…” His two comrades nodded somberly.
Reaching the large, golden doors, the Ultra nodded to one of the unicorn guards on duty. He recognized the guard as the one who had been in the throne room on the day of Watchful Eye’s death. The guard nodded back and saluted, his horn glowing orange as the door slowly opened.
“Thank you,” the Ultra said softly before entering the chamber, mentally steeling himself for what was sure to be a sound verbal lashing.
What the aliens saw upon entering, however, surprised them to no end.
A chagrined-looking, newly-crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle, pawing the ground nervously before a stern Princess Celestia.
“…and they are desperate to fit in however they can, and right now that is through listening and observing, slowly learning the ways of peace and harmony.” As the trio awkwardly shuffled in, acutely aware of the fact that they were indeed the topic of discussion, Celestia glanced up at them, her face splitting into a wide, benevolent smile. “Ah, and here are our Guards of the hour. I think I know why they have come.”
Twilight whirled about, her face immediately flushing red as she beheld her rather bedraggled-looking entourage. “Princess Twilight,” the Ultra began with a slight bow. “We are relieved to see that you are safe, but we must ask that-”
“I’m sorry,” blurted Twilight, still red as a tomato. “I can’t believe that I went and did that, after all that you’ve been through. I’m sorry, I-I wasn’t thinking, and-”
“Princess Twilight, please, it is alright. You don’t have to-” The Ultra tried to comfort the flustered princess, but to no avail.
“But it’s NOT all right!” she proclaimed, emphasizing her speech with a stamp of a hoof. “Princess Celestia just finished telling me about how you’ve had to adjust, and how difficult it’s been for you, and what I did was just irresponsible and-”
“Princess, please, we assure you we are doing quite well-”
“-and I’m sorry,” Twilight finished firmly. “I have disregarded you today and for that I’m truly, deeply sorry.”
The Ultra did not know how to respond to that. His superiors? Apologizing to him for his failures? He glanced sidelong at his allies, desperate for support, but they simply shook their heads, just as confused and lost. As usual, it was his job to speak for the group. “Er…” he finally managed. “That is…good.”
Twilight sighed slightly and smirked at the Ultra’s confusion. “Here,” she said softly. “Let me give you your first friendship lesson. When a friend does something upsetting to another friend, they admit their wrongdoing, sincerely apologize, and ask for forgiveness. Then, the other friend grants it to them and both parties feel better afterwards.”
The Ultra wore a slightly confused expression. “We are…friends?” he said slowly.
“But of course!” Twilight responded vehemently, almost looking a bit hurt. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
The Ultra and company took a moment or two to reflect on that revelation. The ponies truly were an accepting species if they were willing to become friends so easily. But it felt…nice. After some consideration, the Ultra smiled. “Well then, friend, I grant you my forgiveness.”
“I do too,” Pip-Pap seconded.
“Ya,” croaked Bok, giving the Princess a thumbs-up and a cheeky smile.
Twilight beamed as she released a sigh of relief. Behind her, Princess Celestia wore a joyous, all-knowing smile. “Oh good. I feel much better now. Thank you, friends.” The trio nodded in response, still a bit overwhelmed by the rapid-fire events of the day. But they all had to admit, they DID feel a bit better after the apology. Maybe this friendship thing was all it was cracked up to be, after all?
“Seeing as that’s been resolved, I think it’s time we move on to something a little different,” Celestia spoke up, immediately grabbing the attention of all. “Guards, I believe we had a discussion earlier on an appointment with her majesty, Princess Twilight? Well, here she is!”
Twilight Sparkle looked bewildered. “A meeting? With me? Whatever for? Is this my first duty as a Princess?”
Celestia chuckled softly. “Not quite, my dear Twilight. Rather, your first duty as a friend.” Twilight perked up noticeably at this. “You see, our friends here are suffering from a few problems. Problems that will take some of the greatest minds in Equestria to overcome. That is why your presence has been requested.”
Twilight Sparkle swelled with pride. “Problems? Very well, then. Lay them on me. I’m determined to do whatever I can to help!”
At a nod from Princess Celestia, the Ultra cleared his throat and began. “Well, the primary problem has already been resolved. Or at least, it has been for now. Mostly we need to find ways for Pip-Pap to adapt to this world without the assistance of the Covenant and its vast technological resources.” As the Ultra spoke, a pegasus guard approached to take the heavy spear off of his hands. “Thank you,” he said softly.
Twilight Sparkle frowned as she examined Pip-Pap up and down. The alien noticed he was being examined, and straightened as soon as he was finished handing off his spear. “I take it this has something to do with the mask he wears?”
“Indeed. You see, the Unggoy come from a world much different than that of the Sangheili, the ponies, or even the humans. They evolved to thrive in an atmosphere comprised predominantly of methane, and as such the Unggoy must carry respiratory tanks containing methane gas almost everywhere they go. The Covenant hardly ever builds areas where Unggoy can relax freely without the constant threat of asphyxiation. They are not exactly the most humane bunch…”
“I take it he has a tank on now? How long do they last? How long do we have until this becomes a major issue?”
“Tank usually lasts few days, half a week or so,” Pip-Pap spoke up for himself, tapping his pyramidal, purple tank on his back to draw attention to it. “When ship crashed, comrades didn’t make it. Salvaged their tanks and used those. Was running low, but ponies filled one up for me. Think ponies filling up another one as well.”
“So we have a short-term solution,” the Ultra continued, “but I do not see this as being a stable one. What if there is an issue acquiring the methane required? What if Pip-Pap is unable to collect his tank? There has to be a better way to keep the threat of suffocation at bay.”
“How do the Covenant keep their…Unggoy…properly supplied with methane?” Twilight inquired, struggling a bit with the unfamiliar word.
“Lots of pumps, everywhere. Always able to refill. Refilling tank is habit. Learn it, or die. If stuck somewhere, usually just die…Unggoy not very valuable to Covenant,” Pip-Pap finished morosely.
Twilight gasped in horror. “Really? They’ll just let you die? That’s awful!”
“You must remember, Twilight,” the Ultra interjected. “The Covenant are a cruel group, that have committed, and are actively committing, several unethical and immoral crimes. They care not for the individual. In hindsight, I see now how blind I once was…”
“Ultra,” Celestia chided. “You mustn’t think like that. You must let go of your remorse if you are to receive repentance.”
The Ultra took a deep breath before releasing a lengthy sigh. “Very well, Princess. I will try.” Celestia simply smiled knowingly.
“What think Princess Twilight? Any good ideas?” Pip-Pap questioned, eager to return to the subject at hand. The purple pony in question furrowed her eyebrows in concentration, scanning over the shorter alien. She took a few steps forward and began to circle around Pip-Pap, muttering things under her breath as she thought.
“Pip-Pap has one other major problem,” the Ultra chipped in as the Princess did her through investigation.
“Oh?” Twilight asked, cocking her head in confusion as she glanced over at the Ultra. “And what would that be?”
“It has to do with his diet,” the Ultra replied.
Twilight looked bewildered. “The Unggoy have a special diet as well?”
“No,” the Ultra replied. “But how does one eat normally when the very air around them is poisonous?”
Twilight took on a contemplative look as she processed that. “Ah,” she finally responded. “I hadn’t thought of that. How does he normally eat, then?”
“Devices that attach to mask, filled with food-slush,” Pip-Pap replied. “Again salvaged all that we could find, but are running out. Trying to ration, but is hard. Covenant at least feed you well. Makes you perform better.”
“Hmmm,” Twilight murmured. “So the ideal solution would involve a tank with an infinite supply of methane, and some way to surround Pip-Pap with a methane atmosphere for the short time it would take to eat a meal, correct?”
“That good, yes,” Pip-Pap replied.
“Well, projecting a magical field to contain the methane ejected from your tank would be simple enough, although it would need a physical hub to house the spell and an activation mechanism…as for the methane, it could be produced infinitely using an endothermic reverse combustion reaction using carbon dioxide pulled from the atmosphere and a tank of water…
“Hmm…there’s a lot of engineering involved with this solution, I may need to call in an expert…” she finished, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
“And that would be…?” the Ultra inquired, an eyebrow raised.
“You called, Twilight?” a cheerful voice rang out, and all of a sudden Pinkie Pie was standing amongst the group, having seemingly appeared from thin air.
The three aliens recoiled in shock, as of yet completely unaccustomed to the pink pony’s spontaneous and physics-bending behavior. “Gods above!” the Ultra in particular cursed. Twilight and Celestia, however, didn’t so much as blink at Pinkie’s appearance, totally at ease with her strange and unexplained abilities.
“Yes, Pinkie, I did call. Thanks for coming so quickly. I need you to-”
Twilight didn’t get the chance to finish. “Where the blazes did she come from?” the Ultra asked accusingly, pointing a finger at the grinning party pony.
“From downstairs, silly!” Pinkie Pie answered happily. The Ultra blinked.
Twilight sighed but smiled slightly. “Alright you three, time for another lesson: never, ever question Pinkie Pie. If she does something you don’t understand, it’s just because Pinkie Pie.”
The Ultra seemed conflicted. “And…that’s the best explanation you have?”
“Yep!” Twilight replied happily. The Ultra simply groaned in response and facepalmed, muttering incoherently into his hand.
Pinkie Pie giggled as she turned to regard her purple friend. “So what’s up?”
Twilight turned back to her friend with an excited grin. “Pinkie, I have a new project for us. You see, we need to-”
“WAIT!” Pinkie gasped. “My Pinkie sense is telling me it’s time to be super-duper smart! I’ll be needing my trusty sciency hat for this!” Reaching into her mane, Pinkie pulled out a simple yellow hard hat and jammed it onto her head. The Ultra swore under his breath. “Okay, I’m ready!”
“Alright what we have to do is…” Twilight’s voice lowered into a hurried whisper as she plotted with Pinkie Pie, whose face transitioned through a wide variety of expressions. It started with confused contemplation, before her eyes widened in surprise as she gasped, and finally ended with a wide grin on her face.
“Ohhh, I get it…” Turning to her friend, Pinkie had just a few questions. “So all we have to do is…”
“Yep,” Twilight replied.
“And we have to use a…”
“Uh huh.”
“So I will be needing…”
“You got it.”
“On it, chief!” Snapping a sharp salute, Pinkie Pie promptly barreled out of the room to do Celestia-knows-what. The three aliens looked bewildered, and all simply opted to remain silent. Celestia chuckled good-naturedly.
“Ah, Pinkie, so full of energy and life,” Celestia said with a happy sigh. “It’s ponies like her that remind me why I wake up and raise the sun every morning.”
That particular line caught all three aliens’ attention. “Raise the…sun?” the Ultra questioned hesitantly.
Celestia chuckled again, clearly knowing where this would lead. “Yes, Ultra. With my magic, it has always been my sworn duty to raise the sun in the morning, and lower it in the evening. My sister Luna does the same with the moon at night. I imagine this must be rather strange for you…”
“You know what, I’m not even going to ask,” the Ultra replied shortly, throwing his hands up in the air. “Never mind how much energy that would actually take, at this point I’ve heard it all. It’s not even worth questioning anymore.”
Twilight giggled. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get used to how things work around here eventually.”
The Ultra paused his ranting to study Twilight rather intently. “Perhaps…”
“Anyways,” Celestia pronounced loudly. “I believe there was one other matter we wished to discuss with Princess Twilight, and this matter concerns Equestria as well.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide at that. “Whatever do you mean, Princess? Is Equestria in danger?”
“It’s Celestia now, Twilight,” the white alicorn reminded. “And as for your second question…I’m not quite sure, but possibly.”
Twilight rounded on the extraterrestrials, a determined look in her eye. “Well?”
“The Custodian revealed something extraordinary to us the other day,” the Ultra began. “Apparently, the ship that we were trying to dock with right before being thrown through a wormhole, the Glory Upon Salvation, was pulled through the portal as well. It is currently orbiting around your planet and has shown signs of activity. We believe there may be more Covenant above our heads at this moment, and if they learn of the ties this planet has to the Forerunner, things could become…complicated,” the Ultra finished warily.
“The Custodian?” Twilight asked confusedly, turning to Celestia for an answer. All she got in response, however, was a small nod and an ‘I’ll-tell-you-later’ look. “Okay…” Twilight continued, still processing that last bit of information. “So what does that mean? We should try and get in contact with them or something, right?”
“We have tried,” the Ultra replied, accepting his old helmet from a guard who came up to deliver it. “My helmet has the communications equipment necessary to make contact with the ship, but helmet radios are not designed to reach ships in orbit. Somehow, we need to boost the power through these circuits in order to get the signal out. We believe a magical solution is our best bet.”
Twilight looked pensive. “Hmm…I could always rig your helmet to a simple gemstone replication circuit…that would probably provide you with all the power you would need. Although I’ll need access to my supplies back in Ponyville. You have to use the right sort of gemstones, after all.”
The Ultra looked bewildered. “I have no idea what that is, but if you say it will work then I shall trust you.”
“Excellent,” Celestia cut in. “As soon as Princess Twilight Sparkle returns to Ponyville she will immediately begin working on our communications problem. Once a solution has been reached, you will contact me at once so we may go about solving this issue properly. I fear for the consequences a mistake could bring about…”
“Of course, Prin-er, Celestia,” Twilight said with a small bow. “I’ll get right on it as soon as we return.”
“And we will do everything we can to assist,” the Ultra added, looking at Bok.
“Ya,” the lanky alien croaked.
“Good,” Celestia replied with finality. “Then in that case, you are all dismissed. The day has been long, and it is rapidly coming upon the time for me to lower the sun.” Indeed, a cursory glance out the window revealed that the sun was inching ever closer to the horizon. “Princess Twilight,” she continued, “should you have any questions, feel free to come meet with me first thing tomorrow morning and we shall discuss anything you wish,” she finished with a knowing look.
“Of course, Celestia. Thank you,” Twilight said simply before turning about and heading out the large, golden archway.
The three aliens were also striding towards the exit, eager to return to their chambers when Celestia’s regal voice rang out one more time. “Oh, and Ultra…if I may be so bold, may I ask for a few more moments of your time?”
The Ultra turned around, a puzzled expression on his face. “Of course, your Highness,” he replied, heading back towards the throne. He bade his two comrades farewell before returning to where he had just been standing. “How may I be of service?”
Celestia smirked. “Oh come now, Ultra, no need to be so formal. I would just like to talk with you a bit. As friends.”
“As…friends,” the Ultra said slowly. “Very well, what would you like to discuss?”
“Well,” Celestia said with a twinkle in her eye as she rose from her throne and strode towards a small table set to the side of the room, “friends like to spend time together doing rather trivial things, like having fun. Would you care to join me for a game?”
It was then that the Ultra noticed the table Celestia just sat at was covered in Gauntlet pieces. Was this another test? If so, he would surely not back down. “As you wish, Princess.”
“You may also call me Celestia,” she replied with a wide grin. Her horn aglow, she quickly arranged the pieces into their starting positions. “White or black?” she asked coyly.
“Black is fine,” the Ultra replied smoothly.
Celestia smirked as her horn glowed once again, and her Celestia-tree moved forward two squares. Again, the Ultra countered by moving his Luna-tree two squares forward. “Ah, a reactionary player…” Celestia murmured. “Letting his enemy claim first blood but not backing down from a threat. Common signs of a good leader…” The Ultra listened to her comments curiously, but said nothing. It would seem that she was testing him indeed.
Play progressed for a few more turns, the game opening rather normally, before Celestia spoke again. “So, Ultra, how are you and your friends adjusting to Equestria?” As she spoke, she moved one of her unicorns into a strong position.
This caught the Ultra off-guard. “As well as one could hope, I suppose,” he replied as he moved a pegasus to block the attack. “The constant shattering of one’s understanding of the physical universe does become a bit tiring, though.”
Celestia laughed at that, clearly and melodiously. “I suppose it would,” she replied easily, making her move with an unmatched confidence and grace. “But surely that cannot be all you have to say?”
The Ultra pondered both his next move and his response simultaneously. Dare he mention his moment of weakness he had just hours earlier? His question that no one could answer? The feeling that he no longer had a purpose? He sighed as he hovered his hand over a piece, debating internally. If there is anyone who deserves to know, it is her. Making up his mind, he quickly made his move.
“My friends and I cannot help but feel like outcasts,” the Ultra began.
“Of course,” Celestia replied. “I would expect nothing less.”
“But it’s…deeper than that.” At a raised eyebrow from the Princess, the Ultra explained further. “It feels like a complete loss of our prior culture. To so suddenly be thrust from a world of war into a world of peace… we feel as though we’ve lost parts of who we are. We don’t understand. In a world without war, what is the point of soldiers? What is our purpose beyond just standing about and growing old? There is no honor in that…” the Ultra trailed off, deep in thought.
Celestia smiled softly. “I think I understand. Your race is one of noble warriors, always seeking the thrill of battle.” The Ultra looked up in surprise. “Do not look so surprised, my friend,” she continued with amusement in her voice. “You forget, I too have fought in a thousand battles, and even though I strive every day for the continuation and spread of peace, I cannot deny that feeling of empowerment success on the battlefield brings.” She softly pushed another piece into place as she finished.
“So…how do you go without? When you lose that which your entire life revolved around before, how does one adjust?”
Celestia’s smile grew even wider as she leaned forward. “With the magic of friendship.”
The Ultra frowned. “Princess Twilight said something similar. I’m afraid I do not understand this ‘magical friendship’ thing.”
“Of course not. It will take time, but it’s time that you have. And you have friends who will teach you. Trust me, Ultra, you will learn.”
“If you say so,” the Ultra said with a shrug, making his move.
“I do say so,” she replied with a grin, immediately replying with her own move. “And if I may say one more thing, I believe you will have a few more opportunities to prove your worth on the battlefield before this is all over…” she trailed off, her eyes briefly flicking skyward.
The Ultra paused his contemplation of the game for a moment. “You lack faith in our ability to resolve this impasse peacefully?”
“Not exactly,” Celestia responded with a frown. “I just have this gut feeling…though we will certainly get through this, I can’t shake the thought that not all will end happily…”
“No matter what happens, I swear to you I will do whatever I can to serve and protect the Equestrian people…my people,” the Ultra swore solemnly, stumbling only slightly over the last few words as he realized the implications of them.
Celestia smiled. “I know you will, Ultra. I have faith.” The Ultra simply nodded and made his move in response. The game continued on for a few turns in silence as the two players battled back and forth for superior positioning, both opting to hold onto as many pieces as possible.
At last, Celestia once again broke the silence. “I have a proposition for you and your friends, Ultra.”
“Oh?” The Ultra looked up from studying the board intently. “And what would that be?”
“I believe I have a way to allow you to experience our culture further, and perhaps enjoy a relaxing evening among friends,” she continued as she confidently began an attack that the Ultra knew was several turns in the making.
“This sounds agreeable,” the Ultra replied as he swiftly answered with the counter move he had been waiting for.
Celestia paused at that, seemingly stymied by the Ultra’s swift and decisive response. “Interesting…” she murmured, continuing to stare at the board in thoughtful silence.
The Ultra smirked, pleased at his ability to derail the monarch’s train of thought. When she continued to be silent, however, he cleared his throat and said, “You were saying?”
“Ah, yes,” Celestia said abruptly, seemingly snapped out of her deep thought by his words. Deciding to continue her attack regardless, she finished her move as she resumed her previous thoughts. “As I was saying, there is an event coming up this next week, one that has been held annually for several centuries. It is a hallmark of our culture, a time for ponies of all walks of life to gather and enjoy themselves in a meaningful and enjoyable manner. Although some walks enjoy the event more than others…” she grumbled a bit as she trailed off.
The Ultra continued with his own plan as he waited for Celestia to continue. “But despite what few shortcomings the event may have had over recent years, I believe this would be an opportune chance for you and your friends to become acquainted with ponykind in general, and really show that you wish to be one of us. Thus,” and at this Celestia procured three golden tickets from thin air, nothing to be surprised at by now, truthfully, “I cordially invite the three of you to the Grand Galloping Gala to be held right here in the castle in five days’ time.”
The Ultra accepted the golden tickets, studying them intently out of joint curiosity and necessity. “Interesting…” he commented as he concluded his examination. “And you believe our presence at this event will help us feel more comfortable?”
“Perhaps,” Celestia replied, making her move. “If nothing else, I hope it will make more ponies feel comfortable, particularly some of those that could be bothersome otherwise…”
The Ultra chose to ignore that last comment and once again trust Celestia’s seemingly infinite wisdom. “Very well, Prin-er, Celestia. We would be honored to attend.” Another swift response to Celestia’s continuing onslaught followed.
“Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you there. Oh, and Ultra?”
“Yes?” he responded, looking up from the board.
“Try stopping by Rarity’s while in Ponyville to pick up something nice to wear. It’ll go a long way towards impressing the nobles,” Celestia finished with a knowing smirk as she continued her ill-advised attack.
The Ultra smirked as his plan continued to unfold. Recalling Rarity’s prior interest in his group filled him with no small amount of trepidation, but he would be willing to give it a go, he supposed. “Very well. We shall be prepared for the evening.”
“Good. Although keep in mind that I wish your presence there to be as guests first and foremost, rather than guards. As such, I request that you leave your weapons in the armory so as not to frighten anypony.”
The Ultra sighed at that. “Must we?”
“I feel that it would be the wise decision,” Celestia replied firmly but kindly as she once again made a move.
“Very well,” the Ultra repeated. “We shall do as you see best.”
“It is not a demand, Ultra,” Celestia said with a laugh. “I am simply trying to help you. You can decline, if you wish.”
“It is fine, Celestia. So far only good has come from listening to your advice. I will continue to trust you as a leader, and as a friend.”
Celestia smiled knowingly at that. “Oh, Ultra. You are making great strides. I am very proud of you.”
“Thank you,” he replied as he finished planning out his counter-attack and deftly captured one of Celestia’s unicorns with a strategically-placed pegasus.
Celestia frowned, that piece had been pivotal to her attack. “Oh my…” she murmured grimly as she hurriedly tried to do damage control.
But it was too late. The Ultra’s onslaught came hard and swift, and Celestia could do nothing more than cut her losses and give ground under the near-perfect execution the Ultra was displaying.
After a few moments of gritted teeth and intense fighting from both sides, the Ultra finally slid his earth pony into position. “Checkmate,” he said with a grin, leaning back in his chair.
Celestia laughed again, her melodious voice carrying with ease. “Oh my,” she finally managed. “What a game! I haven’t been bested like that in years! Your tactics are truly something to behold, Ultra. You never cease to impress me.”
“You flatter me. I simply saw an opportunity to turn the game around after stymying your initial attack. Which I must say, was rather ill-advised to continue with.”
“Hmmm…yes, it was, wasn’t it,” Celestia murmured softly with a twinkle in her eye. And just like that, the Ultra was left completely unsure of whether he had genuinely bested her or if it was all just some elaborately disguised test.
He didn’t get much time to ponder the matter, however. “Alas, the time draws near to finish the day,” Celestia said with a sigh as she stood and headed towards her balcony. “I bid you a wonderful evening Ultra. Thank you for the game and your company, I rather enjoyed myself.”
“You are welcome, Celestia,” the Ultra replied, standing with a bow. “Have yourself a good night.”
“You as well, my friend.” And with that, she was outside. Seeing no reason to linger, the Ultra headed for his quarters.
Three days.
Three days, he had been cooped up in this cramped, wet, and uncomfortable cell. Three days he’d been locked away from the sun. Three more days he was forced to continue to live, surviving off of barely palatable trays of unidentifiable mush, hardly fit for a warrior of his caliber.
Three days of his honor being slighted, all because she didn’t have the strength of will to finish him off properly.
The Minor grinned to himself as he thought of the petty pony princess. So high and mighty was she. Raised up by centuries of praise from her pathetic subjects, the so-called ruler knew nothing of honor and duty. She was weak, and if he ever found himself the opportunity to escape from his miserable entrapment, he would show her the true meaning of strength.
The true power of a warrior.
And, most importantly, he would secure the holy artifacts this planet possessed and be praised by his people and bring honor to the gods.
Or he would meet his end on this miserable rock, and be forever rewarded for his efforts in the afterlife. Either was fine by him.
“Dinnertime, maggot.” The suddenness of the voice roused the Minor from his sadistic thoughts. He looked up just in time to see yet another tray of unappetizing gruel pushed through the small slot in his solid iron door, the only potential weak spot on an otherwise impenetrable barrier. Grumbling incoherently to himself, and fervently wishing for an energy sword to run the impudent guard through with, the Minor begrudgingly picked up the tray and looked it over.
Deciding to start with the pile of mashed tubers, by far the most tasteful food he was given, the Minor sat in silence as he slowly and mechanically ate, for no other reason than to keep up his strength in case an opportunity presented itself.
About halfway through his pile, however, his fingers encountered something he did not expect. Was that…a piece of paper? Sifting about, the Minor confirmed that yes, indeed, there was something that had been concealed in his food. Quickly turning about, the Minor opened the folded-up paper to reveal that it was a note of some sort, its text penned with a very official-looking cursive script. After staring at the runes in confusion for a moment or two, the Minor almost doubled over in shock upon realizing the note was written in very badly penned Covenant. Who had written the note? What did they want? Did his allies orbiting the planet realize what had happened to him?
As his thoughts raced a mile a minute, the Minor slowly worked his way through the note, deciphering the runes written by a clearly inexperienced hand.
Minor,
Your coming has been long-awaited. We know what Celestia has been hiding from the population of this planet. We know what it means to you. We also share an interest in that which lurks below the surface. We believe that, through our mutual interests, an agreement of sorts can be made between us. As we would very much like to meet you in person, we have arranged for your unofficial release in five days’ time. We very much look forward to any future endeavors.
Your friends,
Impetus Innovations
The Minor quirked an eyebrow in surprise upon reading the note. There was a group that wanted his release? And they knew? Knew what, exactly? Upon re-reading the note for any potential hidden meanings, the Minor smiled to himself. It didn’t matter what they wanted, it would seem that an opportunity had indeed presented itself. Perhaps he would work with his potential benefactors, and perhaps he wouldn’t. Only time would tell.
The Minor chuckled darkly as he scanned his cell. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the guard outside his cell giving him a small smirk. Grinning, the Minor dug into his remaining food with gusto.
The Gods had not given up on him just yet.
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Hey look! On time too!
This chapter was quite satisfying.
YES! AN UPDATE!
I missed this story.
The conversation between Ultra and Celestia was really deep and well written. You probably write one, if not the best, Celestia. You seem to capture her every mood and word choices. And her friendship with Ultra is nice. {I actually love seeing his devotion to her.}
Keep up the good work.
Is gud chapter.
This will be the most entertaining Gala ever, 20 bits says one of the 3 sends Blueblood to the hospital.(spaced out chapters btw)
Yes it's back
You know, it would probably be easier to, instead of constantly making and maintaining a breathable methane atmosphere for Pip-Pap, figure out a way to let him breath their atmosphere. Such a spell, if it doesn't already exist, could be developed from a Water Breathing spell with little difficulty (especially for Princess "of Magic" Twilight) and would likely be easier to replicate if more Unggoy, or other similarly lung-handicapped races, decide to visit Equestria.
There's a reason any adventurer worth his salt would choose a Necklace of Adaptation over a Bottle of Air.
Also, I can't help but wonder whatever happened to Jorge. I know he was on the Corvette when the portal-bomb blew, but nothing after that.
How would our trio react to facing their old "Demon" now that they know the truth? How would he react to them?
4027222 I'm glad that you think so, and I completely agree, but I find it interesting that you place so much emphasis on his ability to say "ya" lol.
4027333 Thanks for the input.
4028901 So basically you want to alter his species' entire genetic code so that they breathe oxygen instead of methane, not to mention completely altering the biochemistry and lung structures of the specimen...
Yeah, how about no.
Magic is useful yes, but I like to think that it still has its limits. There's still some form of sciency method to the madness, as Twilight has demonstrated time and time again. Magic is probably just manipulation of some form of matter we don't yet understand, like dark matter.
And also, when authors do something absolutely ridiculous with magic and wave their hands like "it's magic, bitch" it pisses me off lol.
4032908
Well when you put it that way...
You know what, she could probably still make it work if she had a better understanding of Unggoy physiology. I mean she did turn her friend into an oversized Breezicorn complete with Pegasus and Unicorn magics, and that was before being crowned Princess Plot Device.
Of course, it would by no means be an easy or permanent spell (such alteration rarely is), and again she would have to actually learn the ins and outs of the species first, but it would also be less potentially dangerous than creating an constant supply of highly flammable gas.
Just imagine if the poor dear sprung a leak and caught fire; they'd never be able to put him out in time!
Also:
Let it be known that your hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed.
If Blueblood isn't put in the hospital or decidedly humiliated in any fashion I will be disappointed.
4032908
That is some of the most grown-up thing's involving MLP that I couldn't agree more to. Seriously, when someone do that I feel like strangle someone. BTW, didn't YOU do exactly that with the grunt's tank?
4033227 1. Another glorious victory for logic.
2. Sounds like something I haven't seen yet (I'm like 10 episodes behind lol fukkit)
3. Oh come on. Pinkie's abilities is such a built-in part of her character (AS PER THE ACTUAL SHOW) that if I changed that, there WOULD be pitchforks and torches.
4038367 Magic is magic, it can do a lot. I like to think that there are still rules that it follows though, and that it's basically a science in and of itself. So, working within the constraint of "THERE'S FUCKING MAGIC BITCH" I like to think that I made things as "believable" as possible.
4041274 I agree with all you just said, I'm just saying a little explanation would be nice, for a exampel, Alteration magic: It's very purpose is to change the physical, turning rock to steel, silver to gold, flesh to armor and so on. It doesn't have to be like exactly that, in fact you can completely ignore my suggestion and I would be okay with that, but I'm just trying to say that while I like that you give it limitations (signs of a good author if you ask me
) you still just said magic, though I don't really mind for the sake that it's from the pov of the Ultra and the others (seeing as they have little to no understanding of it). Either way, I like the story and I will keep reading, because you'd have to be an idiot to pass up a good fic (especially when it have aliens
).
4041274
1) Not sure if sarcasm or...
2) That happened in Sonic Rainboom, all the way back in Season 1, wherein Twilight gives Rarity them big-ol' butterfly wings. I honestly haven't seen the Breezie episode either, but there's been enough art of the little critters being crammed down my eyeballs that I can't help be see a connection.
3) Um... Look! A thing!
th03.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2013/152/0/7/bouncy_pinkie_by_spier17-d64pgbc.png
D'aww!
4042240 1. No you said "well when you put it that way." Success!
2. Oh...awkward.
3. HNNNGGG
Huh. Forgot Minor was still alive...
Update?
4042240
Story's taking so Long to continue im I correct
Noooo update? Pls?!
It's been so long since I was last on here. Figured I return to an old favorite; it was as good as I remembered!
Oh wow.
What say ye to updating this book? If nigh, allow someone to be the continuer of this here story..
Okay who changed the name of the chat to Faggot Faggot Faggot
PPPFFFFFT
Hahahahahahah!!!
I dont know
Faggot Faggot Faggot Faggot Faggot?
ummm thats bad to say..
It was Definitely not me.
Go dammit people.
I AM A PONY AND PROUD OF IT!!!
Draconequus
Immortal
Your mentality you wanker-HEY!-And i don’t give a fuck about you.
What the hell.
oooooOOOOOOOOooooooohhh
Oh god please dont start this.
WEEEEEEEEUUUUUUAAAAAGGGGGGG-STOP FUCKING DOING THIS EVERY TIME YOU FUCKIHG CUNTS!-HHHHAAAAAAAA
Fuck you Fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you
FagFagFagFagFag-WHAT THE FUCK STOP!!-FagFagFagFagFagFagFagFag
8939913
Feel free to use or continue however you like. This account is essentially ded
8944270
I would never be able to continue it the way you did....... this book was a gift by god
camo.derpicdn.net/b1f17694f91578a2437dfbacd9a8ddcc6b3bc4d0?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FGtokgwof4LDag%2Fgiphy.gif