Wanderlost

by GMBlackjack

XXI - Darkness Sheer

Author's Note:

Hey, you, yes you, if you weren't already away I re-wrote the previous chapter. Go back and read it and see what changed. It's been improved from the mess it was before.

If you've already read it... Well continue on.

-GM, master of you yes you you you!

The area around the black sphere had been quarantined - which was difficult, seeing as the thing was as large as a mountain. But quarantined it was - with helicopters, forcefields, and a substantial military presence. No one had gone inside yet, despite many attempts. Nothing else had come out the entire time - the sphere just sat there, seemingly lifeless, reflecting almost no light despite its metallic composition.

People of all kinds had come out of the bunkers and gathered around the great thing that had fallen from the sky. Most were enraged, screaming out for revenge. Cadence was among those screaming, Luna being the only thing keeping her from charging in and laying waste to the inside. Celestia stood to the side, staring at the object with an unreadable expression.

Twilight, meanwhile, was looking at the task force she had assembled. Sunset, Starlight, Forsoo, and Discord. Starlight and Sunset were putting enchantments on themselves, and Forsoo was cleaning his magically-infused gun. Twilight let out a breath. "Okay, we go in, find out what we can, and get out. Got it?"

Forsoo nodded. "Assuredly."

Discord snapped his fingers, and they were suddenly on top of the sphere, on the edge of the giant hatch the cloud had come out of. Looking down, they could see that it was hollow, but were unable to discern much else due to the unnatural darkness within. Discord stuck a leg inside. "Well, my magic isn't being drained out of my very essence, so.... Tally ho!" He leapt up into the air, curled into a ball, and fell into the hole.

Starlight shrugged, following suit. Sunset wordlessly jumped down. Forsoo climbed onto Twilight's back, riding her while she flew into the sphere. She created a light with her horn and shot it down - it took twenty seconds to reach the bottom. Along the way she saw miles and miles of black latticework connecting the outer walls together. It seemed as if the entire ship was nothing but a hollow sphere with hundreds of catwalks snaking around inside it. The walkways had no railing, but were obviously artificial despite their tendril-like spread pattern. She teleported herself to the tendril the others had landed on. "What... is this?" She asked.

"Alien," Discord said, "let's walk and see where it goes!"

"That is hardly-" Forsoo began, but gave up as soon as everybody started following the draconequus. They walked for several minutes, the scenery never changing - all they saw were more and more of the tendril-like walkways. They didn't come across any consoles, machines, or inhabitants - just tendrils.

"This is rather disappointing," Starlight commented.

"There has to be something here we can punish..." Sunset growled.

"I like how you think," Forsoo added.

Twilight bit her lip, keeping herself from chiding them. They had every right to be as mad as they were. "Any ideas what the purpose of this all is?"

"Power management," Starlight answered, "all of these tendrils have a similar feel to our own magic conduits, though they're bigger than the ones on the Ark... They're probably why no magic worked on this ship, energy was transferred to the outside to counter - to dispel."

Twilight frowned. "...But why all this empty space? Why design something like this?"

"...It doesn't make practical sense, I'll tell you that," Forsoo said. "There has to be some artistic reason, or something else arbitrary."

Twilight frowned, nodding. "Well-"

"Greetings!" A voice boomed from every direction at once.

Sunset lifted her hat slightly. "Who are you?"

"Mite!"

Discord laughed. "Old Mite, hacking systems reliably since forever! What have you found my cat eared friend?"

"Speakers!"

"We got that!" Starlight said. "Have you hacked into anything else?"

"Unable."

"Have you found anything else?" Twilight asked.

"Life."

"So this ship is manned?"

"Yes."

"Why haven't we seen them?" Forsoo asked.

"Space."

Starlight frowned. "...Where do we need to go?"

"Left."

Discord instantly took a left, smirking as he did so. "Soo," he began, "Mite, how's life ben on the outside of an alien sphere?"

"Musical."

"So it has. Sure am glad I gave you those ears. Such a brilliant idea on my part if I do say so myself."

"...Maybe." After a pause, there was another word. "Right."

Forsoo frowned. "How can we be sure we can trust the Mite? Couldn't he have been corrupted by what's in here?"

"We can't," Twilight said, "but I don't think he's been corrupted, he seems the same. Plus, it's at least leading us to something, which is better than nothing."

"Altar," the Mite said.

"Altar?" Sunset said. "What-"

Then she saw it - a glass globe with a flat black floor, above which floated a strange black shard. The object was composed of a dark, deep crystal with two prongs, and a multi-faceted shape. It was shaped vaguely like an S and glowed with a soft black aura. It slowly rotated, floating independent of the ground, managing to be quite menacing. Dark energy flowed out of the crystal into the glass walls around it, Around the alter were all sorts of displays, objects, and a single seat.

Twilight recognized the language on the screens before she even got close - the same one as the message the Ark found that led them to Garilend. She put a hoof to her mouth. "Oh..."

"Danger!" The Mite yelled.

"To you?" Twilight asked.

"You!"

A burst of blackness launched from under the tendril they were standing on. The body of the attacking thing had over a dozen limbs, several pointy beaks, and three unnerving eyes positioned at seemingly random locations on its body. It shouted something at them and attacked Discord - who just snapped his fingers and turned it into an adorable cat.

The cat still attempted to kill them, but being a declawed kitten, it had difficulty. It could, somehow, still talk in its alien language, shouting what Twilight presumed were expletives. She recognized the words. "The message..."

Starlight nodded, nervous. "This... is the race that created the message..."

Forsoo blinked. "...That thing that pointed you here? It was from these guys?"

"Evidentially," Discord muttered, poking the kitten with a stick. It hissed, backing away towards the black crystal. "So how should I torment him? I've been waiting to let loose on something for so long..."

"Wait until we have more info," Twilight said, walking around the alter. "We have to figure this out first."

"Control." The voice of the Mite boomed. "Power."

"So, a dual-purpose engineering and CIC huh? Guess that's good if you are the only passenger... Was he the only passenger?"

"...Yes?"

"You sound uncertain. What else is in here?"

"Crystal."

Starlight looked closely at the crystal, frowning. "It feels... like the Tree, except hollow. Broken. Weaker. I... I can't feel it's mind - not a full one anyway. I'm just getting a lot of hatred... It's obviously the power source for this thing though. It has enough power to disintegrate us as we stand here. ...I wonder why it's not."

The cat leapt onto one of the consoles and pushed a button. The crystal instantly started to rotate rapidly, a shadowy cloud forming around the altar. Shards of metal flew in from all directions, embedding themselves into the smoky visage. It gurgled with a mysterious alien noise. Before it could coalesce fully, however, Discord just burnt the cloud to a crisp with a snap of his fingers. "Yeah, no, not letting you recreate that thing." He grabbed the cat, glaring at it. "...You're not very smart are you?"

It smirked at him. A beam of dark energy blasted out of the altar, with enough power to extinguish life of any kind - and it would have been the end for everyone there, had it actually been on target. As it was, it shot in the complete opposite direction. The cat's eye twitched and it started screaming again, furious that it had failed to key in a lock.

"Well, now we know why it wasn't killing us. It needed to be told to do so," Forsoo said. "...Though why it wasn't ordered to do so sooner is beyond me."

Sunset picked up one of the small metal shards. "...Maybe it was doing something else? Like, making more of these, or something?" She scanned the shard, raising her eyebrows. "Well, this is complicated. Not as complicated as the Mite, but... It's a magic grid surrounding a partial AI, from what I can tell. It seems to need an external source of power, presumably that black cloud."

Twilight nodded slowly. "So, swarm of magic machines powered by a strange black crystal reminiscent of the Tree of Harmony that would have killed us if that... cat had aimed better. We need to tread carefully..." She shivered, walking up to one of the screens, always keeping one eye on the crystal. She lit her horn, scanning the data. "Mite, I'll need your help hacking into this."

"Lengthy."

"I know it'll take forever. But we need to get something out of this. Rest of you, watch that crystal. If it starts to do anything, we're out of here..." She gulped, feeling its dark power wafting through the room. It was so weird to be next to something of such power, such magic, that was not doing anything.

It occurred to her that was exactly what the Tree of Harmony did.

The similarities were becoming irrefutable.

~~~

The room of Garilend leaders looked at the orange, holographic galaxy map, watching as the thirteen systems were highlighted one by one.

"Why are we watching this again?" Emin asked, turning to Twilight.

"Because this is not the one we have in the Ark. We found this in the crashed ship's files."

Orgis nodded. "Such loose ends cannot just be left unsolved, after all."

Twilight looked at her oddly for a moment, but continued on. "We have never been able to fully translate what is said here. But given new information and references found in the ship itself, now we can at least tell what it is. It's a confidential set of military instructions. The message was sent out by probe, a probe that sought out the dark magic of a crystal, somehow."

Emin frowned. "Why?"

"Our best guess is the Keys," Luna said. "We believe they know what they are, and want to use them for... something."

"Why not just fly in and take them? Why all the planet smashing?" Ember demanded.

"Don't know that either," Starlight said, "translations are still underway. We do know enough to determine that the meteor that destroyed our Sun was one of these ships, though why it came to our world is beyond us. Equis is not on the star map."

"Perhaps they just like busting planets?" Starlight suggested.

"Possibly. Maybe they have a supremacy policy. None but them are allowed to live."

"We also know where they come from," Twilight said, "the first system on the message is their home, from what we can tell."

Forsoo shook his head. "How does that help us?"

Celestia spoke for the first time. "We will question our prisoner. Then we will arrive at their front door and kindly ask them why they are attacking us."

"Forward," Emin said, "we know next to nothing about them besides their violence and devastating ships."

"Which is why we interrogate the prisoner first, before launching an investigation. But launch one we must, for doing nothing is a horrendous idea. Surely, you can see why we have to go there?"

Emin sighed, nodding. "Yes. Yes I see."

Forsoo grinned. "Can we get to interrogating yet?"

"Give Mite a day or so to decode the language completely," Twilight said. "We need to test it first."

~~~

"Top priority message.

Ship recipient, new orders arrive with this message.

You are to follow these orders out the instant you receive them.

Those of us in Asanta have had the locations of the thirteen Keys revealed to us. This has caused great unrest, as the general public refuses to wait any longer to attain the Fengal artifacts. In order to pacify them, these orders were unleashed. You are to take your crasher to the nearest of these planets and obtain the Key located there. Do not disappoint us. Use your Central Shard to maximum potential, and destroy all that could be aware of the Key. I do not need to tell you why knowledge of the Fengal cannot be allowed in the hands of other races."

The next section of the recording was just descriptions and names of the planets - some didn't have any information on them at all, like Garilend. Those that did have information, however, were all inhabited by some form of life or another. The voiceover would never comment on the inhabitants in any special way, treating them just like another aspect of the environment.

The recording zoomed out, and summarized the points made on the thirteen worlds.

"Remember to scan for Fengaline. Get in, destroy all that is required, and return to Asanta as soon as possible. May the Center watch over you."

Then the recording restarted.

"Well, that didn't tell us that much, considering," Forsoo observed.

"We know their name now," Celestia said, "Asantan. And we know that the Keybuilders are called Fengal. As for what we don't know... Well, that's what our prisoner is for."

~~~

The creature - the Asantan - looked up at Starlight when she entered. Its entire cat face twitched. "Filth!"

"Filth to you too," Starlight responded.

The Asantan stood bolt upright. "...None can learn our language that fast!"

"Really complex tongue, I admit, but we solved it. It does make my head hurt to speak it, annoyingly. I'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind." She smiled innocently.

"And what if I don't want to?"

"We'll be forced to use torture. Perhaps risk ripping it right out of your mind. We're not picky."

The Asantan sat back, hissing like the cat that it was.

"One. What is your name?"

"Sorn."

"Good. Two. Why did you try to destroy our planet?"

Sorn let out a hiss again. "I was told to!"

"And why were you told to?"

Sorn said nothing.

"We already know about the Keys. What I want to know is why in general a ship would be made apparently for just crashing into planets and dooming them." She raised an eyebrow.

"Ha! You don't know? Wow, dense!" Sorn laughed. "Idiot!"

Starlight bristled. "Answer the question."

"Because it was a Central Edict."

"What is a Central Edict?"

The cat yowled in exasperation. "Do you know nothing? It is a command given by Central!"

"What the flip is Central?"

Sorn blinked. Then laughed. "Dreaming... Dreaming..."

"What?"

"This cannot be real. Not knowing Central? Impossible. Trees know Central. Ants know central. Blisk know central. Universe know Central. Central is everything. Central reveals everything. Central demands."

Starlight frowned. "...What is Central like?"

"Central is!"

"Fine then... Why do you want the Keys?"

"Dream! imposible! Tell you anything!" Sorn laughed. "Keys are the fingers of central! To get removed, we must bring them back! It has always been!"

"Yeah, well, I've never heard of it, and I am not a dream. So." She lifted Sorn into the air and shot it a glare. "Tell me what Central is. How it defines your life. Because I have no idea, but I do know I can kill you with a thought."

Sorn blinked. "Not dream... Central... Not everywhere?"

The moment it said that, Sorn exploded in a burst of black energy, coating the cell - and Starlight - in cat matter. The Asantan was dead.

Starlight wiped the cat guts off her face. "...Ew."

~~~

"So, in summary," Starlight began, "we learned that they are religiously devoted to this thing called Central - whatever it is - and that they are rigged to explode when they doubt it. Or at least Sorn was. It was a clever little enchantment. I didn't detect it until it had activated."

Celestia let a smirk crawl up her face. "Rigged to explode for doubting? That's a weakness if I've ever heard of one." She stood up tall. "We need to go to them directly. If they do not repent, we fight back. Hard."

Emin frowned. "...Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"No. But we can't just wait for them to come back. Our fleet was gearing towards a visit to Equis anyway. Let's just extend the destinations list to Asanta."

Emin sighed. "Fine. I will support this, but take your time preparing. We weren't leaving for a month anyway - this will probably delay it further."

"I am a patient mare, Emin. I will be fine."

Comments

[zeusdemigod131]

Species analysis-

Subject: Asanta

Biology: Possibly Cethlapodian?

Culture: Based around worship of 'Central' possibly an artifact belonging to a race know as 'Fengal'? Could be artifacts left on their planet by an ancient race. Devout to the point of killing their people at a hint of doubt, government likely theocratic.

Evidence shows they may well be genocidal against other races, especially those that discover Fengal artifacts, given their religious doctrine, it's unlikely any races survive first contact with them, if it has ever been made.

It's possible these are 'The Predators' in that solution to the Fermi-Paradox, wiping out any species that advances beyond a certain point in their development.

Status: Extremely hostile, destroy on site.

[SyntheticSpark]

The Asanta make me think of Spiritualist Fanatic Purifiers from Stellaris. Very religiously minded, and trying to wipe out all other races besides their own.

[Neece]

They better study those mountain-sized warships and recreate them, if they want to fight anything that has more than one of those monstrosities. Also, visit the other planets with life. Those might need help, too.

[Blaster M]

Celestia prepares for some "aggressive negotiations"

[FredMSloniker]

You should put an author's note on the previous chapter so folks don't get confused by the 'why you kill Scoots' comments.

[GMBlackjack]

8087139

Good idea!

*does that*

-GM, master of gong.

[Europa]

Asantan. How... intimidating, that they're named after Santa.

More seriously, it seems this 'Central' is a super-powerful Tree of Harmony gone really, really bad. Which, before I forget, reminds me; we've had it suggested that the Tree is the source of equestrian magic, but is the Tree the source of Discord's magic? It'd be pretty weird if it was.

[GMBlackjack]

8087465

I never explain this, but it is the source of Discord's magic. Discord's a corrupted influence, like dark magic, Chrysalis' throne, etc. The Tree of Harmony does not have full control - in fact it has very little - over the magic it produces after enough time.

-GM, master of flicks.

[Spiral_Donut]

Long live Scootaloo.

[LostArchivist]

miles and mils
You spelled altar atlar and alter somewhere too. I think one of those was in this chapter.

So, yeah. There's another tree, this one not so nice. And Pinkie was right when she said the tree technically could have stopped it -- but it was programmed not to...